Case Study Collection for Executives. Georgia Construction Products, R.M.D Kwikform & Derek Rose

Transcription

1 Case Study Collection for Executives Georgia Construction Products, R.M.D Kwikform & Derek Rose

2 PrecisionPoint has made the unobtainable, obtainable. David Heusel, Owner Georgia Construction Products Business Intelligence is a must-have for Dynamics. Mike Follett, Managing Director R.M.D Kwikform How much does a bad decision cost you? Sacha Rose, CEO Derek Rose 2

3 Contents Page Georgia Construction Products Summary Pg 4 Their Challenge Pg 6 The Benefits Pg 8 The Results Pg 9 R.M.D Kwikform - Summary Pg 10 Their Challenge Pg 12 The Benefits Pg 13 The Results Pg 14 Derek Rose - Summary Pg 15 Their Challenge Pg 17 The Benefits Pg 19 The Results Pg 21 3

4 With no IT staff, reporting from Dynamics AX was difficult for GCP. Following a rigorous selection process, PrecisionPoint was chosen to provide much needed Business Intelligence. Company GCP is a specialised wholesale supplier of construction products. Formed in 1991, the business employs over 20 staff, is based in Tucker, Georgia and runs Microsoft Dynamics AX. David Heusel owns the company and was instrumental in the selection of PrecisionPoint Business Intelligence Software. The system went live in January Project PrecisionPoint for Dynamics AX PrecisionPoint Inventory Module Reporting using XLPublisher, Excel Add-in 4

5 Challenges Actionable information from dormant data Self-service reporting - no internal IT staff Cost effective solution and comprehensive analysis Key Benefits Cost effective Easily maintained GCP does not employ IT staff Designed so that reports can be created without external consultancy Results Leadership team has fast access to accurate and detailed information based on GCP's business rules Manages risk by alerting leadership team when specific thresholds are met Time savings 5

6 Their Challenge GCP operates a hosted environment and does not employ IT staff. Not having people familiar with SQL and AX reports made accessing the data held by Dynamics AX difficult. According to David Heusel: "Everything had to be outsourced - with no Business Intelligence it was difficult to get hold of even a gross profit report." David Heusel started a review of the Business Intelligence market to find an easy to use solution that would allow the leadership team to make quicker and better decisions. He quickly realized that he wanted to pursue the cube approach and that the software should be Excel based. As a result, three systems were short-listed and David asked for feedback from existing users on their strengths and weaknesses. 6

7 Two of the three short-listed systems were quickly ruled out following comments on the cost of building a cube, the potential of black holes and the level of technical expertise needed, leaving PrecisionPoint the only BI platform still in the frame. David explained what impressed him about PrecisionPoint: "I particularly liked the fact that the Hypercube takes a holistic view of the business so there is no need to decide what goes into it. As an accounting major, the fact that PrecisionPoint starts from the GL account and drills further into the detail also proved a huge selling point." A demonstration sealed the deal by using 'live' GCP data to produce a set of 8-10 core reports. According to David "Seeing your own reports built during the demonstration was proof enough that we were looking at a fully functioning product." David Heusel, Owner Georgia Construction Products 7

8 The Benefits Straight away, GCP was able to access the type of Business Intelligence it had longed for. Data from the AX system has been distilled into reports that suit the business, revealing the answers to questions such as 'who are the top customers?' and 'what are our top products?' PrecisionPoint has made the unobtainable, obtainable. An upgrade to Microsoft Office 2010 has recently further enhanced GCP's use of PrecisionPoint, allowing reports to be published to key members of the team so that they can refresh them. David estimates that this is saving the accounts team at least 2-3 hours per week on running reports and their distribution to the sales team and management. "PrecisionPoint works and the reports it produces, are right. It has made it easier to manage our sales team and realistically, it has helped the sales team to focus on and see more easily customer gains and dips." David Heusel, Owner Georgia Construction Products 8

9 The Results Despite having just two 'power' users, GCP has solved its lack of valuable data and can now base decisions on accurate and detailed information. The burden of determining which sales managers and vendors are doing well has been lifted, according to David. "PrecisionPoint has helped us to see exactly where we are growing and if there is a gross margin erosion, we can pinpoint changes without delay. We now have the means to access data and to act quickly." David Heusel, Owner Georgia Construction Products For GCP, the outlook is even brighter now it has installed the PrecisionPoint Inventory module. David concluded: "We have high hopes for the PAI module and due to the short shelf-life of our products, the inventory ageing report will be a huge help. 9

10 By the time requested information from Dynamics had been generated, the need for it had usually passed. RMD Kwikform knew business intelligence was a must-have. Company RMD Kwikform provides formwork, falsework and shoring solutions to the global construction industry. With projects ranging from the massive Yongdam Dam in Korea through to Wembley Stadium and Cardiff Arms Park in the UK, RMD sits at the heart of the construction industry supply chain. Project PrecisionPoint for Dynamics AX Reporting using XLPublisher, Excel add-in 10

11 Challenges Limited reporting via SSRS from Dynamics IT specialist input required to create bespoke reports Too great a time lapse between request for information and delivery Key Benefits Brings all information together so it is comparable One version of the facts directly from AX journals. Helps to improve the management of the business through the availability of quality information Results RMD has outperformed its competitors year on year Plays an important part in in providing valuable information Allows access to information quickly 11

12 Their Challenge Prior to PrecisionPoint, RMD Kwikform had no access to real BI and could only access limited information from SSRS reports. Whenever a bespoke report was required, an IT specialist would have to be called in to help. According to Mike Follett, managing director, RMD Kwikform UK, by the time the information had been generated, the need for it had usually passed. A firm believer in the value of Business Intelligence, he said: Business Intelligence is a must-have. Too many businesses still make gut-based decisions rather than decisions based on fact." Mike Follett, Managing Director R.M.D Kwikform 12

13 The Benefits PrecisionPoint software was installed in the UK in June 2009 and over the last three years; Mike Follett believes it has helped the executive team to better manage the business. He is an enthusiastic user. "I personally use a lot of the reports and I consider it a daily tool. PrecisionPoint speeds up the process of interrogation and allows us to access a common version of the truth so that we can make decisions based on fact. Too many businesses still base their decisions on edited versions of information." "The software allows us to get to information quickly. The biggest benefit is that it allows you to go back and ask second and third questions at speed to really understand what is happening without the need for an IT specialist to produce bespoke reports." Mike Follett, Managing Director R.M.D Kwikform 13

14 The Results Following a successful pilot implementation in the UK, RMD is to roll-out the software to operations in 26 countries so it can leverage information on a global basis. The number of users is set to increase from 15 to 85 and the company now plans to introduce web reporting for 70 users. "By extending the use of PrecisionPoint, we will be easily able to carry out reporting and analysis of our companies at a global level with all information brought together so it is comparable. PrecisionPoint takes the data directly from Dynamics AX, so we can be sure we are dealing with one version of the truth, without facts being massaged at a local level," Mike Follett commented. "PrecisionPoint plays an important part in providing valuable information that helps the company outperform all our competitors, year on year." Mike Follett, Managing Director R.M.D Kwikform 14

15 Luxury sleepwear brand, Derek Rose goes from strength to strength with PrecisionPoint Business Intelligence Software. Company 'Derek Rose' sleepwear is one of the world's finest luxury brands with an excellent reputation for nightwear, loungewear and underwear. Project PrecisionPoint for Dynamics NAV Reporting using XLPublisher, Excel add-in 15

16 Challenges Data extraction from Navision - without huge time investment Access to analysis for decision making Get answers to questions about the range, stock, customers, orders and rate of sales Key Benefits Data reliability - sound decisions can be made and trend analyses help to rationalise the range Fast turnaround of reports Efficiencies - faster access to information provides management with greater insight Results Encourages communication with customers Ensures stock programme is efficient Promotes sound decisions for further growth 16

17 Their Challenge A focus on efficient business operations led the company to search for a new accounting system in 2009 and ultimately, it chose the Microsoft Navision solution which Sacha Rose refers to as: 'A powerful piece of kit that provides the company with the opportunity to capture valuable data with a view to slicing and dicing at a later stage.' Having successfully implemented Navision, Sacha Rose knew exactly what he needed: a business intelligence and reporting solution to provide the answers he was seeking on a daily basis to questions about stock, ranges, customers, orders and the rate of sales month on month - trend information at his fingertips. 17

18 Surfing the Internet one evening, he came across PrecisionPoint and asked the team in to talk. Rose liked what he saw and saw the potential for the delivery of the level of information he was looking for to help drive the company forward. Rose says that there were several primary reasons for selecting PrecisionPoint: he was convinced by the intelligence that underpins the cube, the ease with which data can be extracted from the Navision system without specialised coding knowledge and by the fact that the software is Excel based, making it easy to learn. 18

19 The Benefits As a CEO of a growing company, Sacha Rose is intent on driving further success for the brand and to do this, he relies on the data provided by PrecisionPoint. Every day, the software generates two specific reports for him; one provides a breakdown of retail sales and sales made through the website which are set against the budget and a second provides information on all the wholesale orders that have been placed. Wherever Sacha is in the world, he has access to real-time information that can be used to influence secure business decisions. The implementation has helped improve a number of business processes. PrecisionPoint runs the profit and loss for the finance team, helps the production team forecast the rate of sales by month and the sales team use it as an order- tracking tool. Access to the granular detail on who has ordered on a season-by-season basis helps the company to gain an in-depth understanding of what its customers like. 19

20 "It gives you answers and allows you to question customer s trends as well as giving specifics on missing seasonal orders. It encourages communication because if we see that a wholesaler hasn't placed an order, I can arrange a meeting to find out why or have a telephone conversation with him," Sacha Rose, CEO Derek Rose PrecisionPoint is considered an essential tool in the brand's development with all collections subjected to rigorous analysis. "The new menswear underwear range will be analysed in depth and we have already added new fields to Navision to facilitate this. We can be sure that the stock programme is efficient and that we can determine the strongest pieces in the line in terms of size, colour and shape," Rose says 20

21 The Results Sacha Rose is one of PrecisionPoint's most enthusiastic spokespeople and is a firm believer in the value of business intelligence. He comments: "The ROI is quick and can be summed up in one question: how much does a bad decision cost you?" Having worked with the PrecisionPoint UK team for over two years, Sacha has got to know them very well. "Their people are the type we want to do business with - they always deliver and are reliable and honest. From the top down, there is a real involvement and a genuine interest in what we are trying to achieve. We feel we have found a partner we can trust and who we like doing business with and speaking as an SME, they are hard to find." Sacha Rose, CEO Derek Rose 21

22 Contact PrecisionPoint UK Office Abbey House Grenville Place Bracknell Berkshire RG12 1BP US Office 105 S. Broadway Suite 705 Wichita Kansas KS