ERP solutions can help enterprises to automate and improve key business processes such as procurement and shipping.
With its robust workflows, ERP has enabled alkhalij enterprises to automate business processes and implement industry best practices across departments. These improvements have had a significant impact on the organisation.
alkhalij enterprises, a distributor of industrial spare parts and maintenance products, has deployed Epicor ERP across the company’s 13 locations in the Middle East and Africa region. Improved processes for ordering and receiving materials and managing expiry dates for several products like lubricants and welding equipment, means the company has reduced materials wastage and inventory costs.
Implementing ERP has also enabled the company to eradicate shipment errors and significantly improve on-time delivery and customer satisfaction. Finally, the ERP solution has helped the company apply for and achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification.
“Epicor ERP met 75 percent of our business needs right out of the box,” Kapil Bhatia, director of operations and business development at alkhalij enterprises, said. “This was a game changer, because our previous ‘closed-box’ environment meant we were reliant on the vendor for even the smallest customisations. So, the fact that Epicor ERP allows us to easily customise the solution for last-mile functionality was a key factor for us.
“A further major advantage of the solution is that it is very intuitive and easy to navigate, something that was important given that everyone in the company—from the warehouse to the back office—needed to be comfortable with using the solution. Finally, as with most IT investments, cost is a major factor and Epicor provided the best value for our business.”
The company is now leveraging the system’s strong suite of reporting capabilities, taking advantage of real-time, accurate data, to improve day-to-day decision making. Elaborating on this, Bhatia said, “With Epicor ERP, I can create a stream of data and apply controls to ensure that users only see the data relevant to their function. With just a few clicks, any employee can then use this stream of data to easily create customised reports and dashboards based on their requirements. This allows us to make more informed business decisions faster, and ultimately, serve customers better. With ERP serving as the backbone of our business, I am confident that it gives us a significant competitive advantage. It’s the right platform for our business growth.”
Tight inventory control and dispatch are arguably the two biggest critical success factors for any distribution business, Hesham El Komy, regional vice president, Middle East, Africa and India, Epicor Software, said. “To stay relevant, in the face of competition from larger regional and international companies, local small-to-medium size business distributors can no longer afford to rely on archaic, manual processes for these critical functions. alkhalij enterprises is a great example of a forward-thinking company that has recognised the importance of technology as a business enabler. Investing in a modern ERP platform will give the company the confidence to focus on business strategy rather than business processes to grow profitably.”
