Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, has announced that Zaker Trading, a one-stop-shop for specialised products and accessories in welding, lifting, safety, power tools, abrasives and other engineering-related products, has recently implemented Epicor ERP (enterprise resource planning) across all its facilities in the Middle East.
The solution is enabling Zaker Trading to streamline and automate their sales, finance and manufacturing processes as well as increase visibility, transparency and information exchange across the organisation.
Commenting on their decision to use Epicor ERP software, Charles Jesudason, group general manager for Zaker Trading said, “We wanted to partner with a vendor that understands the challenges, pain points and opportunities across the industries we operate in and offers a solution that’s proven in the region and tailor-made for our requirements with minimal customisation.”
Finding a platform capable of supporting Zaker Trading’s growth plans was another important criterion. Jesudason explained, “We needed the new ERP system to be the backbone of the business and meet not only our current business requirements, but also serve as a platform for the next ten to fifteen years as we expand our operations and grow. It was therefore essential that the solution was built with next generation technology, as well as flexible and scalable.”
In parallel, Jesudason was also keen for a solution that required minimal IT oversight and management. With just a two-man IT team for the entire organisation, they could not afford to have these valuable resources spend a significant portion of their time maintaining the new system or responding to user queries, like it was doing with the incumbent system. The company needed the new ERP solution to be easy to deploy, easy to use and most importantly, require very little maintenance.
The Epicor ERP solution includes key modules such as financial management, supply chain management and inventory management and was deployed across all Zaker Group companies in the region, bringing each business unit onto a single platform.
The supply chain management and inventory management modules have significantly improved visibility and transparency across their operations. Aided with real time and accurate data on all in-house inventories, Zaker Group has been able to better manage its capacity and reduce delivery times to customers. This resulted in Zaker Group being able to lower its operational and transportation costs, and customers now receive their products without any delays.
Another benefit of the Epicor ERP solution is the built-in dashboards and reporting tools. Not only has this meant that Zaker Group has not had to invest in any third party plugins or business analytics solutions but, more importantly, users have the ability to easily generate customised reports. Citing one specific example of how the real time reporting tools have helped users be proactive and make better decisions, Jesudason said, “The majority of our customers are in the oil & gas industry and although last year was tough for our industry, we were able to improve our accounts receivable by more than 30% in 2015. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Epicor ERP was a big reason we were able to achieve this.”
“By rolling out Epicor ERP at the group level and bringing all the entities under the same ERP umbrella, we have better control of our business and can better plan for the future. In fact, Epicor ERP is at the heart of our growth strategy. Since the deployment, we have been able to roll-out our expansion plans, not just in terms of our geographical reach but also our product portfolio – an advantage for both us and our loyal customers,” concluded Jesudason.
“We are delighted to provide Zaker Trading with a platform that allows them to realise operational efficiencies, implement industry practices and processes as well as expand their geographical reach and product portfolio,” said Hesham El Komy, Senior Director, Channels at Epicor Software. “Epicor ERP addresses the real-world challenges that Zaker Trading faces as they look to grow in today’s global economy.”
Full success story: http://www.epicor.com/MENA/Press-Room/Success-Story/Zaker-Trading.aspx
