Whatever the nature of their trade, distributors are frequently faced with the issue of working from several different locations. Their call centre may be based in one area, their warehouse in another, with headquarters in yet another town. Takbro, a leading supplier to electrical and electronic manufacturers and medical emergency services, has to deal with this very problem.

Takbro prides itself being a one-stop shop for cable accessory products and medical consumables from the world's top manufacturers. 'One-stop', but divided into three divisions. These are based in widely spread locations across the UK: Mansfield (Nottinghamshire); Burgess Hill (West Sussex); and Bury (Lancashire). If Takbro is to deliver the service it promises, it is of utmost importance that the three centres function as a single business unit.

In this case study Paul Bowler, Managing Director of Takbro, explains why the Strategix suite of application software was selected to overcome the problem of synchronising operations between business bases stretching across half the length of the UK.

business issues
Before the implementation of Strategix, Takbro's management team was faced with the arduous monthly task of gathering and collating all critical business information generated from three widely scattered centres. This was an essential process for even the most basic of business needs such as invoicing clients and was no mean feat considering that all three sites ran on stand alone, incompatible systems.

Paul Bowler, Managing Director, Takbro explains: "At first we thought the best way to proceed was to form a committee of the senior staff from all departments of Takbro. But, by 1994 it was obvious that we couldn't carry on like this for much longer - not without risking either our profitability or levels of customer satisfaction, or indeed our sanity!"

So, a designated team at Takbro began to study the various software solutions that would enable greater cohesion between the three sites and enhance business performance. Takbro needed a single software system that dealt with all stock handling and order processing. After considering competitor solutions such as Lakeview, Tetra and KSE Computers, Takbro finally opted for Strategix.

"There were several reasons why we made that decision," explains Paul Bowler. "Firstly Strategix offered all the core applications we required for distribution and finance purposes. It was a complete solution to not only our software, but also hardware and networking demands - it meant we didn't need to buy anything else. Strategix is very flexible in terms of growing with the business. We knew we would be expanding so we needed a solution that could cope with ever-increasing demands."

the solution
Strategix was provided with a detailed brief specifying Takbro's requirements: synchronisation of operations between all three sites and instant access to vital information such as stock levels, customer details, delivery and payment status. The process of implementation began just one month later.

The system was rolled out in three phases between December 1995 and November 1998. Paul Bowler explains: "We decided to go for a site by site strategy. We wanted to be sure that the system was running smoothly in one centre and that we all knew how to use it correctly before moving on to the next stage." By November 1998 all three sites were up and running and the system was being used on a regular basis by some 30 staff.

the benefits
Since November 1998 the three Takbro sites have been functioning as a one business unit. Strategix has enabled all stock, customer and account records to be stored on a single database. The benefits have been felt in all areas of business.

"Since 1998 there has been a noticeable decrease in stock duplication - which has had a very positive effect on cashflow," comments Bowler. "Resourcing is no longer an issue. The newly acquired telephone system provides for the automatic transfer of calls to another location when all the lines to one centre are busy. The centralised data management system offered by Strategix allows customer service representatives to gain access to all relevant client details, including client history, stock availability and delivery information, at any time."

"Staff illness and annual leave no longer pose the same problems as before" he continues. "If a recruitment drive proves to be slower than we'd hoped in one area, we can compensate by recruiting more staff for another centre. At the end of the day, as long as the information is correct, the client doesn't really mind if he's talking to someone in Mansfield or Bury," adds Bowler.

The Strategix software also offers comprehensive accounting facilities. As a result, all Takbro accounts are now held on a central database, much to the delight of the Financial Director. Not only does this eliminate the laborious task of gathering and utilising information from three disparate systems but it also increases efficiency with instant visibility of all clients' current credit status.

The 'Credit checking at pick time' feature offered by Strategix has enabled Takbro to improve its credit control. The feature flags customer orders that are over credit limit prior to goods being picked and despatched. Additionally the system allows overdue accounts to be stopped automatically by the setting of certain business rules. These are linked to the debt letter production procedure so that customers can be reminded of overdue accounts at predefined times.

Important information can be collected through Strategix software, informing Takbro of customer requirements, enabling even higher standards of customer service. It is also possible to evaluate the efficiency of each of the business centres. "We feel we really know what's going on within our business. Strategix has enabled us to fulfil our mission of working together as a single team," comments Bowler.

the future
Like many distributors, Takbro is aware of the impact of e-commerce on its marketplace and intends to expand in to this area in the near future - using Strategix e-commerce capabilities. "We have a distinct advantage over our competitors in this area," Bowler adds. "We are already familiar with Strategix systems. We will be using the software to its full potential so that, when the time is right, Takbro will be able to offer the best online service to its customers."