Kerridge Commercial Systems
Making Tax Digital
With changes coming into force relating to the way VAT registered businesses have to file their VAT for periods including and beyond 1st April 2019, Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has developed a series of software changes within its K8 solution to allow merchants to submit their VAT return directly from their ERP system — in line with these new regulations.
The new ‘Making Tax Digital for VAT’ requirements stipulate that VAT registered businesses with taxable turnover above the VAT registration threshold must keep records in digital form and file their returns using software.
Historically, VAT returns were prepared and filed via the HMRC portal but the key difference under the new regulation is that the software which businesses use must now be capable of keeping and maintaining the digital records, preparing VAT returns using the information maintained in those digital records, and communicating with HMRC digitally via its new Application Programming Interface (API) platform.
KCS’s new desktop application will enable merchants to simply integrate directly with HMRC via this new API and once the VAT return has been completed within K8, it will be made available to the new program for onwards transmission.
Epicor
Commerce Connect for BisTrack
With e-commerce becoming increasingly vital to the business growth strategies of builders’ merchants, Epicor says that its next-generation software solutions make it easy for merchants to establish an online storefront and serve customers more efficiently and effectively.
Epicor Commerce Connect (ECC) for BisTrack is described as a robust cloud-based e-commerce platform that delivers a ‘consumer-like’ and fully branded e-commerce site that satisfies the expectations of the growing number of ‘digital-first’ customers who prefer to transact and order online.
“ECC for BisTrack can help a merchant build an online presence for a much smaller investment than a bricks and mortar showroom,” says Mark Hughes, Regional Vice President UK & Ireland. “It can help them compete with Internet-only retailers who are making waves in the marketplace but don’t have the distribution, knowledge, and expertise builders’ merchants can take advantage of.”
The ECC platform extends Epicor BisTrack with a tightly integrated e-commerce business solution that eliminates multiple product databases and the need for duplicate data entry. Integrating with business processes in real-time, all information is mastered from the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and completed online transactions are automatically reflected.
Border Merchant Systems
Mobile App
Back in 2015, Border Merchant Systems launched two mobile ‘Apps’ for integration with its CounterAct Software — ‘Mobile Stock Checking’ and ‘Supplier Purchase Orders’ — which assist companies to better manage the process of stock data capture and purchase management.
Bristol-based Bowland Stone is one customer to see the benefits of using the Mobile Stock Checking App. MD, Ian Elston, said: “We hold stock at multiple locations in the Bristol area. The mobile stock app has helped improve stock control and made the process of collecting the information a lot easier.
“We can count stock at the point of view, and the data is easy to scan and enter. There is no need for paper forms or data replication as the information integrates with the CounterAct Software and we have a completed stock take immediately on the system. This has freed up manual hours and greatly enhanced the previous, often arduous, task of stock checking.”
Border states that it is currently developing further apps, with Ian adding: “We will certainly be embracing further Apps from Border in the future. We are particularly interested in the POD App for delivery recording, which is on the development roadmap.”
