Growth in activity and personnel was the reason for VandenTempel, wholesaler of test and measurement equipment to look for a new ERP package. Logres implemented SAP Business One HANA to accelerate business processes and provide more insight into operations.

VandenTempel is a specialist wholesaler of test and measurement equipment for electrical infrastructure. The company supplies equipment for testing and maintaining cables, transformers and switching stations, as well as offering consulting, maintenance and calibration services.

Director Matthijs Postma took over the company in 2003 and has since worked on further professionalization and automation.

The challenge: growing with a grip on processes

Previously, VandenTempel worked with Navision, but as the company grew, the limitations of that system became apparent. Efficient planning, better reporting and more insight into core processes became increasingly important.

"Our then-current version of Navision was limited in capabilities and no longer had the functionalities we wanted," Matthijs says. "Planning, for example, was something that Navision did not have enough in it. We wanted a system that not only supported our growth, but was also future-proof."

After a thorough comparison between SAP Business One HANA and Microsoft Dynamics, SAP Business One HANA proved to be the best choice because of its flexible linking capabilities and ability to easily stay up-to-date. Logres, which had previously presented itself, was approached as an implementation partner. "They spoke our language and worked in a pragmatic, no-nonsense way. That gave confidence."

They spoke our language and worked in a pragmatic, no-nonsense way. That gave us confidence.

A challenging implementation

The transition to SAP Business One HANA proved more complex than expected. "The process took longer than hoped," Matthijs admits. "Some estimates were not realistic in retrospect, but that was also down to us ourselves I say right away."

Despite this challenge, Matthijs is positive on working with Logres. "The consultants at Logres are very competent and know what they are talking about. The contact is direct and flexible, which is pleasant."

The payoff: greater insight and efficiency

Since switching to SAP Business One HANA, VandenTempel has made great strides in professionalization.

"Before, we had to do a lot manually. Now quotes are generated automatically and our CRM system has been improved, making it easier for us to set up marketing campaigns," Matthijs says.

"Also, for the first time, we have a graphical dashboard that gives us real-time visibility into our gross margin, cash flow and inventory trends. That gives me control options that I missed before."

In addition, external tools have been linked, such as vPlan for visual planning and Elvy for digital invoice processing. "This has really created efficiencies; we used to have to search endlessly through paper files, now everything is digital and clear."

Future plans

The next step is to upgrade to the latest version of SAP Business One HANA, which includes additional functionality for sales activities. "We will use this to better record and follow up on customer inquiries. With the Boyum integration in Outlook, we can assign tasks directly to our salespeople and account managers. That's another step forward in efficiency."

Despite the challenges in implementation, Matthijs looks back on working with Logres with satisfaction. "The beginning was stressful, but now the relationship is stable and productive. We work well together and can build on their expertise."