Johannesburg, 07 Mar 2012
After running a company for 106 years, and having developed a stable market share for itself, Dowson & Dobson Industrial was in need of implementing a modern ERP system that would enable the company to take its operation to the next level.
“The perfect solution was found with the upgrading from their original DOS-based Accpac solution to Sage ERP Accpac 200, incorporating Sage's comprehensive Retail Management Solution (RMS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system,” says John Yorke, Director of Dowson & Dobson Industrial.
Dowson & Dobson Industrial was founded in 1906, and is associated with high-quality products and excellent service since the original company was started in the Cape. Today, D&D Industrial distributes well-known and trusted products such as Ridgid, Band-It, STAG, Wilkerson, Waircom, Deprag, Nederman, Trion and Mighty Seven throughout the African continent. The company operates from its offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
An open invitation was put out to all of Cape Town's largest Sage business partners to tender for the supply of an ERP system that would be able to satisfy D&D Industrial's requirements of a simplistic and 'next-generation' solution that would grow as the company grows. “AccTech Western Cape's depth of experience with the Sage product range, their business skills and modern training facilities motivated the choice. AccTech's national footprint enables them to support the system not only in Cape Town, but nationally and across the African continent,” says Yorke.
Henri Hattingh, Chief Executive Officer of AccTech Western Cape, says the implementation at Dowson & Dobson was preceded by a comprehensive company analysis. “D&D Industrial is an established company with a mature customer base, which meant there was no room for error in the choice and implementation of a replacement system to their original DOS-based Accpac solution. The company has quite an extensive infrastructure network in which they run a national sales network with specific point of sale requirements that often have to be executed with unreliable communication lines,” explains Hattingh.
With this major problem in mind, the choice of implementing Sage RMS was a natural one. “Sage's Retail Management Solution (RMS) offers comprehensive point of sale functionality at all times during a typical African business day, with or without mains power, with or without Internet or telephone line connectivity, which has been a major improvement in D&D Industrial's business operations. The system synchronises with our head offices in the morning, by downloading stock levels, debtor and other information, which allows us to have an updated snapshot of the business. The Inter-Branch Transfer (IBT) functionality of Sage RMS also allows for effective stock management,” says Yorke.
Keith Fenner, Vice-President of Sales at Softline Accpac, part of the Sage Group, says the Sage ERP, RMS (POS) and CRM system architecture allows for centralised accounting and warehousing with decentralised stores and sales outlets that can be replicated as D&D Industrial grows. “Adopting the Sage Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system translates into a company that is committed to best practices and a belief that the customer comes first. When coupled with Sage ERP Accpac 200, which helps to streamline day-to-day tasks, it will allow D&D Industrial staff to focus on more complex issues that require more personalised attention, which translates into a winning formula for Dowson & Dobson Industrial,” says Fenner.
The Sage package in its entirety allows for simplistic operations across our business that provides a stable platform for future growth within D&D Industrial, says Yorke. “The comprehensive training that came with the implementation ensured that our staff are comfortable with the system and have the necessary support they need, across the country. The system will allow us to keep a finger on the pulse of the business and will provide our customers with the same and even more focused customer service that they are accustomed to from Dowson & Dobson Industrial,” concludes Yorke.
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