Increased stock control, visibility and accuracy achieved during 1st month

Exel Computer Systems, the UK based author and developer of the innovative EFACS ERP system, has supplied its EFACS E/8 solution to leading mail-order and online clothing manufacturer Damart.

Established in 1965, Yorkshire-based Damart has built up a successful brand and a growing number of customers throughout the UK, Europe and globally with its range of women's fashion items including its famous thermal underwear products. 

As part of their recent upgrade to digital technology, Damart invested in the EFACS E/8 system from Exel to manage their stock control.  Damart had previously been using a combination of spreadsheets with a standalone DOS system for stock control. As Chris Aitken, Damart's UK Planning Manager comments: "stock control is a key part of our business and therefore an area of potential vulnerability. We recognised the need for the best possible stock control mechanism and also a system that could provide us with detailed and insightful business intelligence."

The company began its search in October 2005 and drew up an "As-Is" flowchart which represented its current business processes. It also drew up a list of requirements on how any new system would need to work, identifying key areas of functionality. Six companies were approached with the three most promising candidates invited to make  a presentation.

According to Aitken, Exel was the clear winner as it: "provided a very convincing on-site demo using our own data which clearly showed how the Stock Control areas worked in addition to all the other areas of our business such as Purchase Orders, Quotations etc."

Damart had recognised that it would have to customise any system to its own requirements and here again, the ease of access to the Exel experts and their complete knowledge of the system provided maximum reassurance, not just in terms of getting the system right, but also in terms of longevity. 

Implementation began in June 2006 and involved a variety of training both at Exel's dedicated training facility and also onsite. Damart employed the help of an external consultant to ensure the implementation was as smooth as possible and matched the company's performance requirements.  Reflecting on this Aitken notes: "we were very impressed with every aspect of the way Exel worked with us, from hands on through to the helpdesk. Everyone worked to ensure we could go live with the minimum disruption."

Which Damart did, in April 2007, with the system already providing improved visibility and accuracy in stock checks, stock usage, and forecast plans. The improved reporting and business intelligence this provides has already helped the company identify areas to improve performance in terms of delivery dates and increase customer satisfaction. Aitken concludes, "With a system like EFACS, it's clear that the more you put into it, the more you get out. We're at the early stages of use and fully expect it to deliver even greater benefits over time."