Epicor, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, has announced that Havelock AHI, a leading interior manufacturer and fit-out contractor, has implemented the next-generation Epicor ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution across its six locations in the GCC.
With Epicor ERP serving as the backbone of the business, Havelock AHI has been able to improve communications between departments, streamline operations and ultimately deliver the highest quality products and services to its customers in the region.
Commenting on the decision to upgrade from a ‘home-grown’ ERP solution to Epicor, Aiman Mahmoud, Senior IT Manager, Havelock AHI, said, “Because our core business is built on offering bespoke solutions, it was only natural that we would expect the same from our ERP system. We needed a customisable system to meet the needs of the manufacturing and contracting pieces of our business without incurring significant costs or long implementation delays. We also wanted a solution that would scale easily to meet the demands of our growing business.”
In addition to choosing a solution that was tailor-made for their industry, ease of implementation was another key criterion. As Aiman explained, “The Epicor ERP solution architecture is extremely user friendly so, unlike other IT implementations where we have worked together with the vendor and partners, we managed the entire implementation of Epicor ERP in-house. The only module that we did consult with the Epicor team on was accounting, since this is one of the critical modules that ties everything together.” Epicor was equally impressed with the technical knowledge of the Havelock team and recognised Havelock last year with the customer award for Achieving Last Mile and Leveraging Epicor Framework.
With anywhere between 75-80 users accessing the system across the six Havelock locations in the GCC at any time, one of the biggest benefits has been the improvement in visibility and transparency across all departments. Citing a recent example of an order of cashier counters for a large customer, Aiman said, “The sales cycle of every single customer from tender to fulfilment is unique. Flawless execution hinges on tight integration and coordination between our associates in sales, engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, shipping and accounting. Implementing Epicor ERP has allowed us to rely on systems rather than manual processes, improve communication between departments, streamline operations and ultimately ensure that we deliver the highest quality product and service to our customers.”
With the Epicor ERP system now serving as the backbone of the business, Aiman and his team are beginning to benefit from its rich functionality, specifically its reporting features, to improve business operations and aid management decision making. “We are currently working on building customised reports for each department. For example, our associates in purchasing now have granular visibility of purchase orders, which ultimately contributes to improved OTD (on time delivery), arguably one of the most important manufacturing metrics. In addition to departmental reports, we are also working on developing data-rich reports and dashboards for our senior management team that will give them a clear snapshot of the health of the business and allow them to make more informed business decisions.”
“Havelock AHI faced some significant challenges with its previous ERP solution, specifically around usability and maintenance. We focused on delivering a solution that not only addressed the requirements and challenges of its industry and specific business, but was also easy to deploy and achieve last-mile functionality, operate, manage and upgrade,” said Sabby Gill, Executive Vice President, International for Epicor Software. “I am confident that Epicor ERP will provide Havelock AHI with the flexible and scalable platform they need to continue to innovate and grow their business in the region.”
Aiman concluded, “At Havelock AHI, our core values are offering our customers outstanding quality, service and value, attention to detail and continuous improvement. We are also committed to providing our associates with an exciting and rewarding work environment. Choosing to partner with Epicor has provided us the platform we need to stay true to our values, and at the same time grow our business.”