Special Fruit successfully implements DynamicsTM NAV and SI Foodware®:
"Getting the right figures, that’s what it’s all about"
Etten-Leur, 12 December 2006 - Special Fruit from Meer in Belgium went live with Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV and SI Foodware® from Schouw Informatisering six months ago and is now taking stock. Special Fruit now has a single integrated application for all its business processes, so that they get an overview of the results per lot more quickly and the whole process has become much easier to manage. Patrick Maes, member of the board, concludes that this is a considerable improvement. "In the past, for example, it took two people about two weeks to calculate the actual monthly figures. We can do this much faster now." Special Fruit distinguishes itself with its product range of the more exclusive types of fruit and vegetables. The company imports and exports about 15,000 batches of fruit and vegetables worldwide each year. Because Schouw Informatisering knows all about the Fruit & Vegetable sector we could make the changeover together in a short space of time.
Manage the dynamics in a single integrated ERP system
"Small order sizes and large quantities of transactions indicate just how dynamic our company is," explains Patrick Maes. "The Fruit & Vegetable sector is a day-by-day business and it is almost impossible to predict exactly what will be delivered. In order to dispatch the fresh products in small quantities and in customer specific packaging, we need an excellent internal organisation. We deliver to retail, wholesalers as well as to food service companies, and each channel has its own wishes and requirements. So it was hardly surprising that we needed a new ERP application," Maes continues. "In the past we had separate systems for the administration and the logistics processes. This is now integrated in a single application so that we get an overview of the results per lot more quickly and the whole process is much more manageable now. It is exactly the automation of the lot administration that is so complex and this is not catered for in the standard ERP applications. Because there are more Fruit & Vegetable companies in the Netherlands than in Belgium, we looked for a Dutch supplier who understands our sector. And that is how we found Schouw Informatisering."
Drive to reach the finish
Schouw Informatisering takes a very practical approach to implementation projects, something that Maes didn't notice other suppliers doing: "Schouw has a no-nonsense culture and has a real drive to reach the finish. And that appeals to me. Certainly now, after more than six months, I see that we have made considerable improvements. In the past we wasted a great deal of time linking data together by hand. For example, it used to take two people about two weeks to calculate the actual monthly figures. We can do this much faster now. On the other hand we have to enter more information up front, and this takes a little more time. But it's all about getting the right figures, that's what counts. After all, we use these to manage the company."
Change over together quickly
Maes: "Last of all, I can't emphasise enough how important it is to carry out a thorough preliminary investigation. In addition we also found it invaluable that our personnel were well-informed about Dynamics NAV at an early stage. After all, your own people know your company best and if they can also make the transition to Dynamics NAV that just saves time. It works the other way round too: it's just as important that your partner knows and understands your sector too. And Schouw does; they know the financial and administrative aspects as well as the logistics of Fruit and Vegetables. So this means that we could change over together quickly." For more information please visit www.specialfruit.be.