ASSA ABLOY (case study)
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Assa Abloy, a global leader in security hardware, faced challenges with its outdated ERP system, necessitating a transition to Microsoft Dynamics AX for better integration and reporting capabilities. After a phased deployment, the new system significantly improved operational visibility, decision making, and employee morale, particularly during a peak business period. The collaboration with Intergen was pivotal in ensuring the success of the implementation and establishing a framework for future deployments across the Asia Pacific region.
ASSA ABLOY (case study)
- 1. MANUFACTURING/RETAIL case study Looking for the single point of truth ASSA ABLOY Locked and loaded for growth “Three months after ‘go live’ we’re in way better shape, and morale and confidence in the business is growing – and all this happened during the busiest three months in the company’s history.” Ken Dick Chief Executive ASSA ABLOY NZ THE SITUATION The pain ASSA ABLOY is the global leader in door and window security hardware with global turnover in the billions of dollars. With 30,000 employees and around 15,000 products, ranging from traditional padlocks to locks operated by smart phones, and with clients in the public, commercial and domestic sectors, the company’s systems and processes are many and complex. By 2009, ASSA ABLOY’s ERP system was no longer sufficient to keep track of production, inventory, transactions, and communication between divisions and business units. Moreover, the many databases within the enterprise were not integrated, making it difficult – and in some cases impossible – to generate the kinds of reports needed by a modern global business. By 2009 ASSA ABLOY’s ERP software, which had been in place for 20 years and had been through numerous upgrades, was no longer fit for purpose and would soon no longer be supported. The time had come for a completely fresh look at what was needed. After an extensive selection process, ASSA ABLOY global selected Microsoft Dynamics AX as the new Enterprise Resource Planning software in the Asia Pacific region. After challenges with their initial partner, ASSA ABLOY selected Intergen to complete the New Zealand and Australian implementations.
- 2. The technology The delivery The Business Case Microsoft Dynamics AX offers Enterprise Resource Planning solutions for a world-wide, real-time view of production, order processing, and inventory management, sales tracking and much more; supported by other ERP applications software and a common database maintained by a database management system. While Intergen had the technical skills required, “they also understood our business and added value in ways that we hadn’t anticipated at the start,” says Ken. “We also acknowledge that it took us 20 years to get our previous system working. I see another six months of fine-tuning the new system and allowing people time to adjust to it. ASSA ABLOY decided to take a phased deployment approach, implementing Dynamics AX across its whole business, with an expectation that their deployment of 10,000 users would be one of the largest in the world. Intergen’s involvement in the first Dynamics AX 2012 deployments (New Zealand and Australia) and the development of the APAC template was a key building block for the future. The gain Ken Dick, ASSA ABLOY NZ CEO, sums up the resulting system as, at last, providing the company with a “single point of truth”. “As businesses mature – and we’re part of a large global organisation – information comes from several fronts,” he says. “We’re chasing seamless flow. That calls for a system that allows transactions to flow between customers, suppliers and regional reporting. “We saw immediate improvements from day one. It started in the manufacturing side of the business where Microsoft Dynamics AX provides a more precise and clear real-time view of what’s required, when and where all the necessary components are – and the state of the whole transaction.” ASSA ABLOY also has the benefit of an APAC ERP template, jointly developed with Intergen. This template defines the processes, policies and methods by which all APAC deployments will be completed. “This project was unbelievably huge for us and represents a significant change to many of the ways we do business. Three months after go-live, we’re in way better shape than we were before, and morale and confidence in the business are growing – all at a time that, coincidentally, was the busiest period in the company’s history.” Robyn Walker, ASSA ABLOY New Zealand’s ERP Project Manager, says: “Intergen provided a very high standard of AX consultants which contributed significantly to the success of the project. The quality of their development was very good.” The Business Value »» The ability to integrate and manipulate information from multiple databases Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 »» The ability to generate and share new report templates among ASSA ABLOY offices »» Consistent, accurate and reliable reports »» Better strategic decision making »» Better customer service CHRISTCHURCH The Engine Room »» Expandable report lists as new areas of need are identified »» Swifter operational decisions – daily, weekly, monthly – as trends emerge AUCKLAND As with any large global organisation, information comes from many sources. Unless it’s integrated it’s difficult to provide the accurate reports needed in the modern business world or to co-ordinate between divisions. ASSA ABLOY sought enterprisewide, seamless transaction flow – between customers, suppliers and regions. And that’s what Intergen and Microsoft Dynamics AX delivered. DUNEDIN MELBOURNE PERTH With Intergen staff working across organisations of all sizes and types, our offerings include portals, content and collaboration solutions, Microsoft Dynamics financial and relationship management, custom software development, management consulting and hosting services. REDMOND SYDNEY WELLINGTON