Case study

Move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central future proofs sports shooting distributor’s ERP solution

Project Summary:

Seamless migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

End-to-end ERP to support 3 business entities

Protection of investments in GMK customisations

Move to ‘cloud-ready’ platform future proofs the solution

Familiar Microsoft user interface minimises training requirements

Continued efficiency gains through Business Central automation tools

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About the organisation

Established in 1971, GMK is the leading UK importer and distributor of
shotguns, rifles, ammunition and accessories for sports shooting, as well as to
UK law enforcement and the Ministry of Defence. Its sister companies, Holland
& Holland and Centanex, manufacture exclusive sporting shotguns and rifles,
and deliver pyrotechnic solutions and specialist research and development
services for military and police forces in the UK and internationally.

The challenge

GMK has followed a Microsoft-first strategy for its ERP solutions for the last 15 years. Until recently Microsoft Dynamics Navision was supporting the end-to-end business processes of GMK with an on-premise installation. Several customisations of Navision were developed specifically for GMK, including a complex stock matrix tool. GMK kept pace with upgrades to Navision to take maintain supportability. It took the decision to upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to increase accessibility, improve security and stability, reduce effort on future upgrades and protect its investment in customisations.

Xpedition was selected to help GMK upgrade to ‘cloud-ready’ Dynamics 365 Business Central, unlocking the potential of additional functionality but more importantly future proofing the solution. This transition paves the way for smoother and faster future upgrades once the move to a full cloud platform is completed.

“Having moved to a Microsoft platform we always like to try and keep up to date with the latest version to take advantage of new functionality or capabilities that have been introduced. Business Central was a natural choice with significant benefits for our business,” says Oskar Waktare, Finance Director, GMK.

Solution

“The process of moving us to the new Business Central platform took about 4 or 5 months from the initial decision to go-live, with the final cutover done over a weekend,” explains Oskar. “The few hangover issues that remained were solved very quickly so the migration was pretty seamless.”

The Microsoft ecosystem provided continuity for users in the look and feel of the product so training requirements were light, with most users needing no training to operate the new system. “However, Business Central enables individuals to tailor the user interface to match their business process and create personalised dashboards,” says Oskar, “optimising their operations and enhancing efficiency.” Business Central is the backbone which now supports the end-to-end business operations of three companies in the group, including GMK, Holland & Holland and Centanex, encompassing retail and on-line sales, manufacturing and specialist Research and Development projects for police and military customers.

Oskar explains, “Business Central is an essential part of our day-to-day operations from ordering of stock, receiving goods, warehousing and despatching 50-100 orders per day from our 30,000ft2 warehouse, as well as underpinning servicing and repair activities.”

SAP Business Objects is the preferred data repository for management reporting, fully integrated with Business Central and providing real business insights with data from Business Central.

By moving to Business Central, GMK is now equipped with a cloud-ready robust and reliable platform enabling the organisation to take advantage of the benefits of cloud computing, with access from anywhere in the world and easy, automated upgrades to future versions.

About 70 to 80 staff across three business entities use Business Central, to support numerous functions including finance, purchasing and warehouse operations.The manufacturing activity of its sister company, Holland & Holland, which was migrated shortly after the main GMK implementation, are also supported by Business Central.

Continuity of Microsoft ERP solutions has brought significant benefits to GMK’s operations, including;

• Advanced warehouse processes with automated picking and receiving of stock from specified locations using handheld scanning devices

• Integration of warehouse and courier operations with automated generation of despatch labels

• Support for service order management enabling tracking of warranty and non-warranty repairs

• Management of production order processes using bill of materials routines and Business Central tasklets

The move to Business Central will protect investments in GMK customisations, meaning future upgrades can be accomplished in just a few days rather than a couple of months.

Working with Xpedition

We have a great relationship with our long-term contacts at Xpedition, including on-going support and future upgrades,” concludes Oskar. “Issues get resolved, we are very happy with the delivery of the support contract and our business is future proofed with the Business Central ERP solution and Xpedition as our partner.”

Oskar Waktare, Finance Director, GMK.

Benefits

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