Record growth drives ERP implementation

A K3 Business Technology Group product story

Edited by the Manufacturingtalk editorial team May 7, 2007

Astute Electronics implements Syspro ERP to support rapid growth and stimulate improved operating practices

Rapid growth has led electronic components supplier, Astute Electronics, to implement a new Syspro ERP system from K3.

The system is allowing the company to develop the new working practices demanded of a growing business and is expected to help deliver a significant increase in the efficiency of its business processes.

Established in 1989, Astute Electronics is based in Ware in Hertfordshire and has offices in, Scotland, Shanghai and Virginia in the USA.

The company has experienced rapid growth in recent years - turnover has increased from GBP4 million in 1999 to GBP17 million in 2006.

Having outgrown its existing IT system, Astute decided to implement K3's Syspro ERP after shortlisting and evaluating eight suppliers.

Simon Humphreys, IT manager says "At the end of a two-day demonstration session, K3 had emerged as clearly the best-choice supplier".

"They put a lot into the demo and really impressed the management team".

Astute sources electronic components from all over the world for its customers- individually and as kits - for use as spare parts or in new products.

It operates stringent QA procedures and its markets include military, CEMs (contract equipment manufacturers) and instrumentation.

Astute's customers range from the world's largest military equipment manufacturers to SMEs, private individuals and even inventors.

The Syspro system went live inside six months and is expected to help deliver a significant increase in the efficiency of the company's business processes, allowing users to access the system via the Internet from any of the company's global locations.

"We're a sales-led company and our sales people need to be able to process quotations and orders quickly from wherever they are in the world; Syspro increases the speed and ease of the whole process".

"The Syspro business analytics module will allow Astute to extract and analyse key performance information - and determine the cost-efficiency of individual activities - quickly and simply".

"It will save our chief accountant at least two days a month on the preparation of reports alone and he can concentrate on analysis of the information instead; that principle will cascade down throughout the company".