Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) and certified partner Qi Limited have announced that Husky Group Ltd has successfully implemented an integrated financial system in just seven days, allowing the company to streamline its reporting, sales, stock control and accounting functions.

Husky, which provides branded drinks chillers to the retail sector and makes the Husky KuleKube, a mini drinks fridge for consumer use, needed a system that could be implemented quickly and easily that could offer improved efficiency for the company's 70 employees.

Qi implemented Microsoft Navision in one week over Christmas 2003, and went live within 6 weeks. The Total Solutions Financing aspect of the deal allows Husky to pay for the technology in a number of smaller instalments, rather than paying a single transaction.

Geoff Thomasson, managing director at Husky Products, said: "Husky's turnover has doubled every year since we began in 1992, so our previous multiple systems were unable to cope with the amount of information we need to access to every day. The Microsoft Navision solution has only been up and running for two months, but we've already found that our staff spend less time on reporting. We're hoping to achieve tangible cost savings very soon."

Steve Watson, business development director at Qi Limited, said: "The speed of the implementation at Husky illustrates how straight forward an exercise this can be. In addition, the flexibility provided by the Total Solutions Financing deal means that Husky has access to leading edge technology without having to make a single, up-front investment, which can be difficult for SMEs."

Husky uses Microsoft Navision to provide real-time reporting tools, customer order forecasting and stock control, as well as management of accountancy and sales. The company is also introducing bar code scanning so that when goods leave its Lutterworth headquarters, its suppliers manufacture a replacement. This allows lead times to be reduced and will cut the amount of warehouse space required by Husky's UK HQ.

Prior to the implementation, Husky enlisted the help of Combined Knowledge, a local IT outsourcing company, who sourced potential IT suppliers on behalf of Husky and advised the company during the selection procedure. Combined Knowledge were also trained to use the Microsoft Navision system to allow them to act as IT managers, providing training and consultation to Husky employees after the integration.

www.microsoft.com/businesssolutions