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Epicor customer success Maxweld and Braze

Success highlights

Challenges and opportunities:

* Required standardised data management throughout the Weldamax group
* Old systems were not integrated and lacked transparency
* Needed more control over inventory
* The inability to forecast sales and manage purchasing accurately resulted in incorrect inventory purchasing and holding
* Fluctuating rand-dollar exchange rate

Epicor solution and services:

* Epicor ERP

Why Epicor?

* Epicor offers a proven system, which integrates all areas of the organisation
* Provides the perfect fit for Maxweld and Braze with future growth potential, so the system will expand and adapt with the Weldamax Group, Maxweld and Braze

Benefits:

* Streamlines operations by integrating internal processes
* Ensures all areas of the business are transparent
* Helps to establish processes and systems within the group

Company facts:

* Location: Boksburg, South Africa
* Industry: Welding equip/consumables
* Number of locations: 3
* Web site: www.weldamax.co.za

Founded in 1970, Maxweld and Braze is the wholesale division of the Weldamax Group. It began as a wholesale supplier of safety wear for the welding industry. The product offering was then gradually expanded to include a full range of welding equipment and consumables backed by warranties, a local service centre and customer training.

Prohibitively high production costs in the US and Europe meant Maxweld and Braze turned to suppliers in the East with whom it has now partnered in the technological development of its products. This brought with it the challenge of managing procurement, stock, raw materials and production. This then flows to the customers' side, where the management of the sales process and accounts is imperative to ensure optimum customer service.

Epicor is the perfect fit for our business and provides for future growth. It facilitates transparency and establishes proven processes to streamline our business.

Sue Kaplan, IT manager for Weldamax Group

As a whole, all areas of Maxweld and Braze operations needed to be managed and co-ordinated to ensure there is continuity from start to finish. Having transparency across the organisation for good corporate governance and accurate strategic planning are essential to give Maxweld and Braze a competitive edge and precipitate expansion.

The fluctuating rand-dollar exchange rate means accurate forecasting and procurement is crucial to ensure profitability. Anticipating customer needs and calculating stock requirements and pricing must be carried out precisely so Maxweld and Braze is able to meet customer demands on time and at the right price.

The company's impending expansion into Africa, and the potential growth of Weldamax's retail division, needed to be supported by its new capacity for growth, underpinned by Epicor.

The key to success

After looking at the complexity of its business, it became apparent that the old systems did not integrate with one another, nor did they offer the flexibility and depth, which the company required to realise its business and growth objectives.

One system managed customers, inventory and sales, while another was being used to do the accounts. This made continuity, accountability and transparency impossible. Following on from this, a warehouse management system was a prerequisite to establish the smooth flow of management data and efficiency, using accurate information.

“We realised that we needed a fully integrated system for a complete and accurate overview of our business from every angle,” says Sue Kaplan, IT manager for Weldamax Group. “Our existing relationship with New Era Solutions meant that their suggestion to go with Epicor was taken without hesitation. Epicor is the perfect fit for our business and provides for future growth. It facilitates transparency and establishes proven processes to streamline our business.”

Making it happen

New ERA Solutions specialises in integrated and customisable IT solutions in partnership with global specialists in enterprise resource planning (ERP), warehouse management systems (WMS), customer relationship management (CRM) and mobility, offering a single-source solution.

“The New Era Solutions team implemented the new system and worked determinedly throughout the process until the system was working optimally and in line with our requirements and operations,” continues Kaplan.

“Their advice and guidance assisted us in planning and organising our processes in the most optimal way so that we get the best out of our business. They came to our offices every day of the week to fix any issues that arose and saw us through the hard parts.”

Epicor galvanises operations

Maxweld and Braze has three branches: Johannesburg, with 35 users; Port Elizabeth, with two users; and Cape Town, with three users.

Epicor ERP now consolidates data from the following areas of the Maxweld and Braze business:

* Sales orders, shipping and invoicing,
* Manufacturing and kitting,
* Inventory control and serial number tracking,
* Purchasing,
* Cash management,
* Customer account management, and
* Inter-branch stock management.

Maxweld and Braze is growing into the Epicor suite and has yet to use it to its full potential. The next areas of focus are the warehouse management system and field service.

A bright future

Maxweld and Braze now has a single system that consolidates all areas of its business. “Continuity, transparency and accurate data are some of the key benefits that Maxweld and Braze now enjoys as a direct result of Epicor,” continues Kaplan. “This forms the cornerstone of strategic planning and our growth plans for Africa.”

One system with absolute accountability and traceability has helped Maxweld and Braze to formulate a handbook of solutions for everyday problems. Added to this is the streamlining of operations and establishment of processes based on the optimal running of the organisation achieved through the availability of crucial data on the day-to-day running of Maxweld and Braze.

Please click here to read more about Epicor.

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Editorial contacts

Melissa Combrinck
Daheim Communications
melissa@daheimsa.co.za