“We run our business with Microsoft Dynamics AX,” says Kevin Thomas, director of Matamata based TR Industries, the distributor for WEG’s electric motors, generators, transformers, drives and coatings in New Zealand.

“When we formed TR Industries, as a spin-off from Metso Minerals, we needed a flexible, cost-effective ERP/CRM solution, and we needed it fast. We called in the team from Solution Partners – with whom we worked at Metso – to help us identify and implement such a system.

They recommended Microsoft Dynamics AX. We said, ‘Yes,’ and two months later we had it up and running.”

TR Industries is the main supplier of motors and variable speed drives in New Zealand. With a head office in Matamata and branches in both Auckland and Christchurch, it employs over 18 people locally, complemented by full support and back up from WEG in Brazil.

“Today, upper level management, our sales team, logistics and finance all use Microsoft Dynamics AX to assist them in their everyday tasks and for strategic planning,” says Thomas.

“It’s safe to say that Dynamics supports almost every aspect of our business. The team from Solution Partners understood our operation and requirements very well, and were able to help us set up the various databases, interfaces and reports to reflect our needs. And they were able to do it in the tight time-frame we required.”

Legacy ERP
Metso Minerals had been using an ERP solution, Scala, and when TR Industries was formed the new company had the option of buying a new licence for Scala or porting its operations to a new platform.

“Scala worked well for Metso,” explains Thomas, “but we wanted something with more flexibility that could give us better visibility across the entire business. George Burrell, from Solution Partners, had worked with Metso supporting Scala and had a firm grasp of the data and the business processes that we had developed.

So, when he suggested that we consider Microsoft Dynamics AX, we took his advice.”

“Kevin and the TR Industries staff had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve,” says Roger Clearwater, general manager of Solution Partners. “This gave us a solid framework for the development phase.

We kicked off the project with a series of workshops in which we listened to what people wanted to see on their screens; the data they needed, and the reporting they required. We then built a set of prototype interfaces and reporting templates, and sat down with TR Industries staff to finalise the details. The entire process – from notice-to-proceed to the initial deliverables – only took about two months.”

‘Rapid’ methodology
Key to the project’s success was Solution Partners’ rapid implementation methodology.

“We had developed a set of templates that we could quickly adapt to TR Industries’ particular requirements,” continues Clearwater.

“This gave us a head-start during prototyping and meant that we could get immediate feedback to help us refine the model.”

“Another critical ingredient was the support that Microsoft provided. TR Industries had some very specific requirements within the Master Planning module, among other requirements, that called for additional development expertise.

We worked closely with the local Microsoft people to define the parameters and they, in turn, provided the assistance for a solution that met TR Industries’ needs.”

Enterprise-wide application
Microsoft Dynamics AX is now used by almost every TR staff member on a regular basis. “The daily and weekly reports generated by Microsoft Dynamics are especially critical in my role as Inventory and Logistics Manager,” says Mark Barnett.

“We especially like the flexibility it gives us. For instance, I need to monitor sales information as well as stock levels among other key metrics. I can see all this from a single interface. If I need a major change or enhancement I can call upon the team at Solution Partners for help. For instance, we recently wanted to add some extra fields for freight charges. George and his team not only reconfigured the data model, but also updated the affected reports as well. Plus, AX helps foster collaboration within the company.

We can all access the same information and the same reports, which makes it easier for us to make fast and informed decisions.”

Nick Rowe, customer service manager at TR Industries, also finds that Microsoft Dynamics AX makes his job much easier. “I need to know exactly what is happening with sales and inventory on a daily basis,” he says. “With AX and the interfaces that Solution Partners helped us design I can take care of our customers and ensure that they get the products and services they need in a timely manner. And any time I need an enhancement or want to change something in the system the team from Solution Partners is there to help us out.”

“Microsoft Dynamics AX is pivotal to our business,” concludes Thomas. “We have to be able to trust the data and make decisions based on what we see. Dynamics AX gives us total visibility across the business and has provided a platform for future growth.

It supports all of our key requirements: financials, customer relationships, strategic planning and stock and inventory management. And the team from Solution Partners has provided all the support and expertise necessary to set up and maintain the system. They understand our business and our requirements, and have been a key factor in the success of the system.”

> Solution Partners
Roger Clearwater
P: 09 366-3920
E: roger.clearwater@solutionpartners.co.nz
W: www.solutionpartners.co.nz

> Microsoft
P: 09 362 5865
E: askdynnz@microsoft.com

Microsoft New Zealand
PO Box 8070,
Symonds Street,
Auckland







10/4/15_ex_h_nl