Product category:
Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP)
News Release from: Microsoft Dynamics | Subject: Navision
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 May 2004
Maclaren Europe chooses Navision
Maclaren Europe goes from strength to strength with Microsoft Business Solutions Navision and E-Know-hosted ASP model
The Maclaren company of Long Buckby Northamptonshire was founded in 1965 as the first manufacturer of the soon-to-be world famous baby buggies That year, proprietor Owen Maclaren had designed and patented his prototype model
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 18 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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As a former test pilot and aeronautical designer, he had been involved in the design of the Spitfire fighter plane undercarriage before World War II and therefore had sizeable knowledge of lightweight, rigid, load-bearing structures capable of folding neatly.
The company's revolutionary buggy concept proved extremely successful throughout the late '60s, '70s and '80s.
When the patent expired in the mid-'90s, other companies began manufacturing similar models, many moving operations to more cost-effective operations overseas.
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By early 2001 Maclaren Ltd had ceased trading.
The new proprietors, who acquired the business from the receivers, moved the manufacturing to the Far East.
The new company, Maclaren Europe Ltd was faced with continuing with a legacy platform in Epicor Avanti business solution from Maclaren Ltd.
However, this had been implemented as a manufacturing system, while the new UK operation had been re-engineered into a purely sales and distribution operation.
Maclaren Europe quickly realised it needed to re-think its ERP and web hosting requirements.
This resulted in the company forging a successful and strong business relationship with Microsoft Business Solutions partner E-Know.
After researching the market for a replacement software system, Maclaren Europe decided that Microsoft Navision was the one most suited for its requirements.
"We realised that Microsoft Navision would allow us to purchase key modules, such as those concerning sales and purchase orders, without having to commit to sourcing the total package," said Chris Davis, Maclaren Europe's IT Manager.
"We didn't want to end up with the situation of having to buy an expensive system where much of its functionality remained unused." Maclaren Europe approached a number of Microsoft Business Solutions partners, eventually entering into more detailed discussions with E-Know.
"E-Know staff understood our requirements clearly from the outset.
They knew it was important for us primarily to source and implement what we decided to be the most crucial software functionality for our business, mainly comprising sales and distribution modules," said Davis.
Maclaren Europe also operates an in-house repairs operation.
Microsoft Navision was implemented as a 'vanilla' system apart from the service management functionality, which was slightly customised to accommodate the repairs part of the business.
"Indeed, an additional advantage offered by E-Know was that, as well as providing a business consultant who could take on a lot of the business analysis work for Microsoft Navision, it also provided a Microsoft Navision programmer, who undertook all the customisation of the service management functionality," explained Davis.
"That was the icing on the cake for us.
E-Know also liaised very effectively with a US-based Microsoft Business Solutions partner during the implementation of Microsoft Navision over the different sites, and dealt very effectively with variant issues such as sales tax." In terms of seamless communication between its customers, its UK premises and its trading partners in the Far East and North America, Maclaren Europe realised it either had to put a vast amount of expenditure into round-the-clock in-house IT, or look for a more cost-effective yet equally effective method," said Davis.
"We eventually determined that an independently hosted ASP model, operated and run by E-Know, was the ideal route, while maintaining a smaller amount of in-house IT support at Maclaren Europe." Implementation of the Microsoft Navision and ASP project began in October 2001, going live in April 2002.
The ASP thin client is Citrix-based and sits on E-Know's servers at its Telford premises.
Maclaren Europe's Long Buckby, Northants site has a leased line directly linked to E-Know and therefore doesn't have to connect via the Internet.
Maclaren Europe's customers also connect to the thin client over a leased line.
The Far East connection is through a broadband link via the Internet with the E-Know server, while the North American connection is through a T1 link via the web.
"In the early days there was some latency problems connected to accessing the server via the web," explained Davis.
"A company's bridge into the Internet can be second to none, but once the packet leaves the bridgehead into the web, the routing between you and the service provider is not always as smooth as you think it could be.
This problem was largely circumvented by choosing an ISP in the US that was a sister company of GS Networks, the service provider used by E-Know.
In this way the routing is via one large integral network." One concern during the early days of the ASP implementation revolved around the issue of host reliability and dedication.
"We wanted to feel sure that we would receive the level of dedication from E-Know that we would expect from an in-house IT team," said Davis.
"The test of a good ASP partner is how quickly and effectively it can respond when issues need resolving.
E-Know has not disappointed in this respect.
Indeed Maclaren Europe and E-Know have forged a very strong professional relationship since working together.
We simply pay E-Know a competitive fixed monthly fee for the ASP hosting service, and know E-Know staff will be on hand if any problems occur.
With a rapidly growing business you have to be able to rely 100% on companies you partner with.
I'm glad to say E-Know has never let us down.".
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