July 2000 - R.L. Dolby & Co Ltd, a leading supplier of medical equipment to the Health Services in the UK, has selected the Strategix integrated suite of Accounts, Distribution and Service Management Software from TIS Software in a contract worth around £200,000.

Dolby, based in Stirling, has for nearly 40 years been providing and maintaining a wide range of specialist (monitoring, anaesthetic and cardiology) medical equipment and consumables to the Health Services both public and private.

Jim McQuaid, financial director for Dolby & Co comments: "We had outgrown the functionality of our present distribution system some years ago and wanted to replace it with a system that could cope with our diverse set of requirements.

"We distribute and service differing types of products for a large number of suppliers, many based overseas. Each supplier themselves can have a substantial and varied range of products, accessories and consumables. Pricing of products to customers and from suppliers can be complex. We also provide an after-sales service to our customers repairing products inside and outside of warranty, and under contract or not. Further we are contracted with the Scottish Health Services to supply long term oxygen therapy to patients all over Scotland.

"To account and control our requirements meant we were looking for a system that was:

• modern and expandable with our business
• strong in distribution, pricing and traceability (a priority when dealing with medical products)
• able to provide better and quicker customer and user information
• most importantly, for the first time integrate all areas of our business including our Service Departments

"Our search for a replacement system, based on these objectives, took much longer than we had first thought. However, in Strategix we appear to have found the system that meets all of them with little need for development."

Dolby employs over 70 people at its headquarters and all over the UK (it has a sales force in England and Wales). The company has begun implementation of the Strategix solution and expects to be fully operational, across nearly 40 users, by the end of 2000.

About Strategix
Strategix is a leading European software house, dedicated to the development and rapid deployment of supply chain software.

We focus on the wholesale and retail distribution, logistics and service sectors where our software maximizes supply chain efficiency and accelerates customer service. Our systems are designed for reliability, availability and performance. Our customers enjoy a rapid return on their investment and genuine competitive advantage.

Focused on key growth sectors which range from high technology to household and building products, Strategix numbers businesses such as Fired Earth, Fuller Smith & Turner, Jewson, London Underground, MacLean Electrical, Midwich, Routeco, Virgin Mobile and Wolseley among its customers.