Having evaluated a number of possible solutions, All Trades Supplies elected to work with Kerridge Commercial Systems as the business seeks to “build success from scratch.”
Founded just over a year ago, All Trade Supplies has emerged as a dynamic builders’ merchants business, supplying a comprehensive range of materials, with a primary focus on general building materials along with specialist ranges in Roofing, Civils, Plumbing and Heating. The company “faced the monumental task of building its operations from the ground up,” but Kerridge Commercial Systems’ K8 software is said to have offered a robust, fully integrated ERP solution tailored to meet the company’s unique needs.
Using two decades of industry experience to his advantage, Luke Owen has taken on a vast spectrum of responsibilities within his role as Commercial Director of the merchant firm. When choosing a software solution, he, along with the team at All Trades Supplies, evaluated various options, ultimately deciding on K8.
Luke recalls: “KCS got my vote because of the flexibility and functionality within K8 alongside its user friendly interface and I liked the fact that there was a big team of specialist people behind the software. When talking to them about various scenarios, they had a good understanding of merchanting and their specialist area.”
The “straight-forward nature of K8’s navigation and the understanding KCS demonstrated of the builders’ merchant industry” additionally played a pivotal role in their decision-making process.
Enhanced efficiency
For example, the integration of K8 marks a beneficial step in digitising the business; enhancing efficiency, whilst allowing All Trades Supplies to achieve “a higher level of control and visibility across its supply chain.” The software’s intuitive sales order process not only simplifies order processing but also contributes to improved financial management, as confirmed by Luke: “The sales order system is so simple to use and provides efficiencies that allow more time to focus on our customers and their needs.”
This feature optimises stock, links selling prices to cost prices, streamlines data upload, facilitates direct customer communication and dynamically adjusts stock levels. As a result, businesses can make informed pricing decisions and adapt quickly to market changes.
Another noteworthy aspect of the software lies in its potential to facilitate the strategic reallocation of staff to positions that better align with the company’s envisioned future. For example, K8 “automates intricate tasks and background processes, liberating employees to focus on delivering outstanding service to customers.”
On this, Luke envisions that its capabilities will pave the way for the company to “employ fewer people in the wrong roles and more people in the right roles, such as customer-facing ones.”
Furthermore, All Trades sees K8’s potential as “extending beyond the basics, offering a wealth of functionalities” that the company has yet to fully explore. For example, the software features the ability to integrate with various other KCS apps and web trading platforms, which is something the merchant will be reviewing as the business grows as part of its digitisation strategy.
Overcoming challenges
And this is not to say that transitioning to a digital system presented some challenges to begin with, especially for a team that had been hitherto accustomed to traditional methods. Luke admitted: “It’s always a challenge when adopting new ways of working and new IT systems but the team has fully embraced using the K8 system even though we had some challenges in the earlier days.”
However, the collaboration with the KCS team is said to have become “a testament to the power of teamwork and support.” With professionals on-hand through the set-up process to offer advice and expertise, new users can “rest assured that they’re in the best hands when navigating the complexities of transitioning to a digital system.”
Reflecting on the collaboration with the KCS team, Luke concludes: “It’s been great for us to find a system that can help us out by doing the hard work in the background. I certainly think K8 will make a lot of our processes a lot more efficient.”
James Mitchell, Managing Director of Kerridge Commercial Systems UK and Ireland, added: “We consistently aim to empower businesses and the fact that K8 has been able to do this for a relatively new business, such as All Trades Supplies, demonstrates its versatility as a solution tailor-made for a diverse range of enterprises.
“From simplifying the sales order system to streamlining efficiency in price updates, we’re thrilled that K8 has given this company a leverage in efficiency. We can’t wait to see how its journey continues.”
