Columbus IT rolls out Navision solution in record time

Columbus IT has installed Navision Financials at Tool Technic Systems (TTS), the distributor of Festool and Protool products in SA, in a record time of one month. Although most Festool offices around the world have SAP installed, TTS was seeking a solution that suited the local operation and decided on Navision due to low cost and the its ability to integrate easily with SAP.

According to TTS managing director Robert Burkard, implementation time was critical and Navision was clearly the only solution that suited their needs. "We considered a number of ERP solutions for the small to mid-size market, but not one could compare to Navision. This product is so far advanced and offers functionality that totally exceeded our expectations. With most of our operations worldwide running on SAP, it was critical that the product integrated with SAP."

The Navision and SAP integration enables TTS to capture purchase orders locally and process them through the SAP system in Germany, to the extent that order confirmation and product availability information is sent back via the Web using XML, directly into Navision Financials. Burkard says this was not possible with other systems.

"We have always experienced problems with landing costs when importing products, but Navision has solved this problem because it can track duty costs for total orders and this cost can now be distributed evenly to benefit our customers. Other systems have a fixed method of calculating the landing cost, which normally means increased cost to the customers. With Navision, the customer will have a fairly accurate idea of the final cost," adds Burkard.

TTS has more than 60 specialised dealers countrywide and needs to provide them with order and delivery information on a daily basis. With Navision, it is now possible to provide them with real-time information.

"Our customers face increasing demands from their customers, suppliers, distributors, and partners," says Navision South Africa managing director Keith Mullan. "To stay competitive, our customers need a business management solution that enables them to share information and makes it easy for them to respond and adapt quickly to changing demands and market conditions. Navision helps our customers connect their business to their customers, suppliers and partners so they can deliver great service, operate more efficiently and compete more effectively in a changing environment."

Navision includes new functionality to help organisations streamline daily administrative tasks and use the Internet to respond quickly and effectively to new revenue opportunities. Navision gives users simultaneous access to continuously updated online data. Companies can personalise relationships, collaborate in new ways and provide better customer service. Market and customer information is fully integrated with business and financial information so it`s easier for companies to identify new revenue generating opportunities, no matter what their business.

Columbus IT managing director Eyvind Jonsson says the implementation was extremely successful. "This was a very unique situation where both Columbus IT and TTS were totally committed to getting the system installed. The fact that Navision requires us to work according to recognised standards made the process so much easier. I sincerely can`t believe that there is a system on the market that allows one to do an installation of this nature faster that Navision."

Burkard adds: "As a result of this installation, we were also able to resolve a number of problems that were encountered in the past. Our dealers were becoming very agitated with the errors that were occurring with orders. We sell professional tools and we need to have a professional financial system and Navision is certainly the solution."

Another important issue that was solved by Navision is the complex discount structure in TTS. Burkard says Navision solves this elegantly through a process that sets up discount structures easily. "This means that administration staff can produce orders much faster and reliably and are far more efficient.

"Where TTS previously had to redesign all reports from head office, we can now import all existing reports. Navision offers exceptional functionality, it is cost-effective, reliable and most of all easy-to-use," concludes Burkard.