|  | Hosted SYSPRO ERP solution provides a vision of precision
A new hosted ERP solution from managed IT service provider, DigiMIS, is uncovering a precise view of global operations for high-tech manufacturer Gooch and Housego.
Gooch and Housego specialises in the manufacture of acousto-optic devices and precision optical components. Established in 1948 and headquartered in Ilminster, Somerset, it has developed through growth and acquisition, into a publicly-quoted, international organisation. It has a turnover is £25 million, with a workforce in excess of 400 across seven sites in the UK, US and Germany.
Group financial controller, Anthony Hawken says: “Hosted ERP makes perfect sense for an organisation with a wide geographical spread, like ours. People can access the system anywhere, not just on site, but from home or other offices. And it means we have the latest infrastructure, without the investment, which is arguably the biggest benefit of all.”
The surge in business and the fast-changing nature of the organisation had inevitably put pressure on the company’s systems and processes. “The businesses we acquired were essentially standalone organisations,” says Hawken, “and to maintain a clear picture of operations, we decided to standardise on our financial and manufacturing systems.”
K3’s SYSPRO ERP solution, already successfully implemented at three sites, was chosen as the system on which to standardise. However, the global nature of the business - with little or no IT personnel at some locations - meant a traditional ERP roll-out would not solve all the issues. So, K3 (responsible for the implementation of SYSPRO across the group) introduced DigiMIS to provide a fully-hosted service for the Gooch and Housego system.
The roll-out has progressed very smoothly with five sites live on the hosted solution already. The remaining two locations will be up and running within six months.
“With the sites that have gone live, it is a just a case of business as usual, there have been no major problems at all and as far as security and support is concerned, the DigiMIS solution has exceeded my expectations,” says Hawken. “As group financial controller, I now have visibility of all site business activities and perhaps more importantly, we can view sales and group-wide development projects on a global basis.”
A key objective for Gooch and Housego is to remove as much of its IT overhead from the front end as possible. “It gives us a predictable cost,” says Hawken. “DigiMIS can be a one-stop shop; there’s no need to go out and buy any new kit. In essence, you are renting a service from them and for many finance people that’s very attractive indeed.
Gooch and Housego looks set for further growth, and should another acquisition opportunity present itself, the business can be brought into the fold quickly and easily: “With DigiMIS, once it’s up and running, it is so quick and easy to replicate,” concludes Hawken. |
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