If you do not have a viable Disaster Recovery Plan, statistically the odds are against your business surviving. According to the London Chamber of Commerce, almost 50% of companies do not have a Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery Plan.  Of those without a plan who suffer a disaster:

– 43% never re-open
– 80% fail within 13 months
– 53% of claimants never recoup the losses incurred by a disaster
– 90% of businesses that lose data from a disaster are forced to shut within 2 years
Sources: AVECO & London Chamber of Commerce

An important element of any Disaster Recovery Plan, is thinking through how you will avoid the loss of business data held in your IT systems and how quickly your systems are made operational again if disaster strikes.

Trinity’s Disaster Recovery Hosting Service handles both these requirements. Its main features are:

• Initial Technical consultancy, followed by creation of customer software/data environment on a server at Trinity’s offices
• On-going data mirroring
• In the event of a disaster, rapid switch over to active status with daily off-site back up and an expanded bandwidth link to designated customer premises allowing staff to use their system as normal.

Trinity’s Disaster Recovery Service provides for:

–  a low cost solution offering maximum protection for your Dynamics GP (and other core IT
    systems) without the costs or administrative burden of maintaining duplicate hardware
    servers.

– minimum disruption to your business and communications systems, enabling you to maintain
   business credibility, continuity, goodwill and cash flow by keeping your IT systems up and 
   running.

For more information, click here

JK Foods is one of the UK’s leading wholesalers and foodservice distributors of Chinese and Oriental foods. Commenting on their decision Peter Fairley FD described  importance of IT to the business:  ‘we like to maintain close contact with our customers and that means sales agents on the road visiting customers regularly  taking orders and making sure we are delivering on our promises. To do that job effectively our sales people, either in the office or on the road, need reliable information that can be sorted, interrogated and viewed in ways that suit them. Microsoft Dynamics GP stood out as being particularly strong in this in this area and genuinely easy to use ’.

 Supporting the sales function with a functionally rich order taking environment, including the integration with remote order capture devices, is an important driver for the new system but it is in the area of inventory control and purchasing where the new system is expected to reap the most significant rewards. Peter continues: ‘we are importing many of our products from the Far East and like many food distributors we have to balance economic purchase order quantities against expected sales volumes. On top of that many of our products have a limited shelf life.  Getting the balance right makes a big difference to the bottom-line and as FD I know that’s where we have to stay focused if we are going to continue our success in a tough economic climate. Trinity’s Advanced Inventory Replenishment module for Dynamics gives us a sophisticated tool that I am confident will improve our stock turn without compromising customer service. What’s more Trinity have demonstrated that they really understand these issues and that’s what we need from our IT partner. It’s not just about buying software’.

Commenting on JK’s decision Carl Bolus, Trinity’s Sales and Marketing Director stressed the importance of Trinity’s long association with the Food Distribution sector: ‘I know JK took a close look at the market before choosing Dynamics from Trinity and we are very pleased to emerge as the obvious choice. If you want food distribution expertise and a solution based on Microsoft Dynamics few companies in the UK can match Trinity’s excellent track record. We are delighted to welcome JK Foods as another new customer.’

Click here for further details

For More information please contact:

Peter Tustain   
Trinity Computer Services Ltd
0161 406 2300

“As a family business we recognise that strong customer relationships come from delivering on our promises. We expect the same from our suppliers and having got to know Trinity well over the years, and speaking to their customers, we feel very confident they are the right partner for such an important project.”

The 20 user Microsoft Dynamics GP based system includes a number of industry specific modules from Trinity designed to help wholesalers improve business efficiency and increase sales.  Most customers phone in with their orders and for Stephensons fast order entry was a key driver for choosing the system and featured strongly on their ‘must see’ list when taking up references.  Julian recalls a crucial site visit: “we saw a very fast, sales focused order entry system working well at a business that was very similar to our own. It was clear from the enthusiastic endorsement of the users that Trinity’s claims for the software were justified and we have every confidence that our office sales people will reap similar rewards, including better customer service and improved sales performance.”

Stephensons have a well established Cash & Carry attached to their warehouse in Stockport and for the first time this part of the operation will be on the same system giving managers a ‘live’ view of the business. Benefits will include a stock system that users can trust to be real time helping to improve customer service levels and reducing administration costs.

Stephensons are fortunate to have excellent IT skills in the business which proved to be useful when it came to assessing the market and choosing a system from some strong contenders. Julian summarises their decision: “There are a number of IT vendors targeting our business sector with systems that are well proven but looking long term we quickly reached the conclusion that we needed to be with a major player or run the risk that our investment could quickly become obsolete. Microsoft ERP systems turned out to be clear winners. Their Dynamics solutions were functionally richer, easier to use and of course they integrate with all the other Microsoft products that people use every day. In the end it wasn’t a question of whether we went with Microsoft Dynamics, it was which Dynamics partner we go with. Trinity’s focus on wholesale distribution made them the obvious choice”.

Commenting on Stephensons decision Carl Bolus, Trinity’s Sales Director, remarked: “we have kept in touch with Stephensons for over 15 years knowing that at some point they would review their software requirements. We have always felt that we would make a first rate IT partner for them and we are delighted they have now put their trust in Trinity to deliver a system that will provide some significant improvements across the business.”

 Click here for further details

 For More information please contact:

Peter Tustain
0161 406 2300
Trinity Computer Services Ltd

“Dynamics GP has helped improve sales performance and made a substantial contribution in supporting the growth of the company.”
Douglas Dunbar, Financial Director, Leathams Plc

Leathams Plc a specialist in the provision of fine foods to Foodservice, Manufacturing and Retail turned to Trinity and Microsoft to improve business efficiency, sales performance and the control of profit margins.

Business objectives:

• To improve the way data was accessed and maintained
• To provide the all important telesales department with a system that helped them to sell and improve the speed of order taking
• To use targeted Promotions to more effectively sell short dated stock
• To improve margins through more targeted pricing
• To significantly improve journey planning and the use of the delivery fleet

Business benefits:

• 78% increase in turnover; staff levels unchanged
• Organic growth through improved telesales
• More efficient use of the transport fleet
• Greater flexibility in pricing
• Reduced debtor days
• Improved efficiency in all departments
• Informed decision making

Rationale for the Project

Leathams Plc is an independent company with over 170 employees, specialising in the provision of fine foods to Foodservice, Manufacturing and Retail markets across the UK and Eire, with nearly 80% of sales under its own national brands.
A rapidly growing business and an increasing demand for up to date information across all company departments prompted a comprehensive review of IT systems. Douglas Dunbar, Financial Director, and Roland Moorcraft, IT Manager, had a clear set of objectives from the beginning:

• To improve the way data was accessed and maintained
• To provide the all important telesales department with a system that helped them to sell and improve the speed of order taking
• To use targeted Promotions to more effectively sell short dated stock
• To improve margins through more targeted pricing
• To significantly improve journey planning and the use of the delivery fleet
• To give the credit control department a system that allowed them to master debt collection

Catering for Key Business Requirements

Leathams wanted to be certain that they were choosing a system that had a long term future and a sizeable R&D budget. Microsoft stood out as a major player with a very clear commitment to heavily investing in Business Solutions through their Microsoft Dynamics brand. Furthermore the software benefited from being closely integrated to familiar Microsoft products such as Office which were already being used throughout the business. They soon learned that Dynamics was sold through authorised resellers and were directed by Microsoft to Trinity, a well established Dynamics partner with 20 years experience in the food sector and a wealth of industry knowledge.

Driving Growth Through Improved Telesales

Dynamics GP has the tools for integrated EDI systems to manage the trading relationships with the supermarkets, which accounts for a sizeable proportion of turnover. However Leathams also have a thriving foodservice business where the telesales department has a vital role to play. It was in this area particularly that the new system was expected to generate increased sales and improved customer service. Douglas Dunbar, Financial Director, takes up the story:
‘We knew if we could speed up the order entry process in the telesales department our customers would be happier and it would give the telesales team a greater opportunity to do some selling. Using Trinity’s quick telesales module for Dynamics order entry, the software prompts the operator with information that helps them to ‘up sell’ and ‘cross sell’ where appropriate. Also by seeing history we can make sure the customer hasn’t forgotten to order the products they buy regularly. Without doubt the telesales system has made a substantial contribution to supporting our growth since we went live and this was always a key driver for the project.’

A fully featured diary system to manage pro-active call outs to customers and prospects allows for targeted promotional activity including campaigns to sell short dated stock. Roland Moorcraft, IT Manager explains: ‘The in-built business intelligence of Dynamics tells us who buys what and how often and just as importantly we can identify what they’ve stopped buying.  We can now generate call schedules and target promotional deals to the customers most likely to buy. This is particularly useful for selling off end of line stock. With the result that we have lower wastage than we might otherwise have.’

Another key feature of the Order Entry module is the option to see the total margin for an order. Roland continues: ‘We look to our telesales people to use the margin information to reach economical order targets. What’s more the telesales software estimates a delivered margin on each order at time of order entry. We are now on top of things in a way that was impossible with our last system.’

Improved Vehicle Loading & Journey Planning

Tony Sherlock, Leathams Warehousing & Transport Manager has been impressed by the Journey Planning & Vehicle Loading module: ‘Since ‘going live’ on Dynamics we have been able to see journeys building up as orders come in to the system. We get early notification if a vehicle is going to be overloaded or going out half empty. The bottom line is we are using the delivery fleet more efficiently and most importantly we are getting our vehicles on the road that much sooner and our customers are getting a better service.’

Flexible Pricing & Improved Margins

Food distribution companies require pricing software that can cope with complex customer deals that need to be managed and maintained with ease. The restrictions of the old system were a headache for the IT department as Roland recalls: ‘The pricing options on the old system were much more limited and it did not have the tools and flexibility to keep pricing up to date. There is now so much more we can do. It means our customers are getting the deals they want on the products that are important to them.’

The flexibility of the pricing has produced some unexpected benefits too: ‘When we bought GP we hadn’t appreciated that Trinity’s pricing module allowed for restricted price lists which effectively controls what you can sell to a customer. It helped us to win contracts by ensuring we only sell the products that are listed in our contract with them.’

Reducing Debtor Days

The original objectives for the Credit Control Department have also been met. The comprehensive nature of the Credit Management module has allowed credit managers to focus their attention on the customers that are deviating from their normal terms of business. As Douglas reports: ‘Previously the debt collection process was more long winded, from time to time this would result in us failing to spot a broken ‘promise to pay’ or quickly highlight a customer whose payment pattern was changing for the worse. Now the software takes the strain and helps to identify the problems early on.  Our debtor days have improved overall.’

More Informed, More Efficient, More Agile

The improvements to the way in which day to day processes are managed by the software have certainly contributed to Leathams continued success but it has been some of the more generic features of the system that have had the biggest impact. Roland explains:  ‘If there was one thing that used to frustrate us most about our old system it was the inability to get to management information easily. Simple reports could take hours to produce and the average user could never dream of generating ‘ad hoc’ queries or reports themselves. It was always an IT function. All that changed when we went live on Dynamics. All users, subject to security permissions, are now empowered to access the data they need to do their jobs effectively. We no longer have a queue of requests for reports because with the tools available in Dynamics, in half an hour, I can teach the average user to do it themselves.’

This system flexibility goes beyond reporting and queries to encompass the ability to add additional fields to the database without the need for programming, Roland continues: ‘Previously if there was some additional information we wanted to hold in the system, say an additional field in the customer master file for instance, it was a programming job that we would have to pay our supplier for and of course we’d have to wait. Now we can do it ourselves and it couldn’t be simpler. Now information that was previously on spreadsheets and scattered across numerous PCs is all in the Dynamics SQL database and it’s available to everyone that needs it. We are better informed as a result and of course that means we all have the potential to do our jobs more effectively.’

Plans for the Future

Douglas Dunbar has the final word: ‘Since we made the decision to buy Microsoft Dynamics our turnover has increased by 78% whilst our staff levels have remained pretty much the same. There is a widespread acceptance in the business that we are significantly more efficient and certainly more informed. Trinity has proven to be a reliable and knowledgeable partner who has helped us make the most of the system and there is still a lot more we can do. I think the Microsoft connection is the icing on the cake for us. If you are spending money on IT you want to be as certain as possible that your system has a long term future and we believe we have that.’

Click here to view the PDF case study

With a product portfolio that is sourced and supplied by manufacturers mainly in the Far East OTL is particularly focused on maintaining the tightest possible control over inventory. Currently this process is managed by spreadsheets but with the business expected to grow further the need for a more sophisticated system has become a priority. A key driver for choosing Microsoft Dynamics from Trinity was Trinity’s focus on providing software that helps importers and distributors to manage stock levels more effectively.

Another notable software feature designed to reduce the administration associated with importing goods from abroad is Container Management. Reducing the burden of paperwork and speeding up the process of building and receiving container loads is an important part of OTL’s drive for greater efficiency.

We need a fully integrated ERP system capable of handling financials, sales and purchase order processing etc and there are plenty of systems ‘available that can do the basics but we also needed software capable of getting our inventory levels spot on. In this respect Trinity had much more to offer than the other suppliers we looked at. We believe their Advanced Inventory Replenishment for Dynamics will allow us to become a lot smarter at forecasting demand and this could save us a significant amount of money.”

Phil Jennings
Financial Director

The sales process has not been neglected either and the system will provide a host of new features to help build on OTL’s excellent reputation for customer service. This includes a highly functional Telesales program designed to make sure smaller clients get the same regular contact and attention as the major supermarkets.

Carl Bolus, Trinity’s Sales Director, was delighted to welcome OTL as an important new customer in the Importers & Distributors sector. “OTL are a highly successful company operating in a difficult market and we are delighted they have placed their trust in Trinity to help manage the next phase of their development. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

More information about Trinity solutions around Microsoft Dynamics is available at:
web: www.trinitycomputers.co.uk tel: 0161 406 2300

Find out more about OTL’s new Dynamics-based solution from Trinity by clicking here.

Manchester UK – Wallaces Express , Scotland’s largest independent Wine and Spirit Wholesaler based in Irvine, Ayrshire has announced the purchase of a Microsoft Dynamics GP based system as part of a major upgrade of the company’s applications software systems. Wallaces longstanding IT supplier and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Trinity Computer Services, will be supplying software and services required to implement the new solution.

The new fully integrated 60 user system will cover all aspects of Wallaces’ business including financials, order processing, inventory management and purchasing, logistics and Business intelligence. The new system will be a major move forward for Wallaces in IT terms.  “ We’ve had Trinity’s DrinkMaster software installed for over 14 years and that software has served us very well as a company ” said Managing Director,  Brian Calder. “Trinity’s new Dynamics based solutions will provide us with many improvements in inventory management, pricing and promotions and the Business intelligence software will make access to key information much easier than with our old systems. We expect the new software to make a major contribution to helping us to control costs and lift customer service levels in the highly competitive market  we’re now operating in.”

Wallaces Express supplies the licensed trade throughout most of Scotland and Cumbria and aims to provide a complete range of products from wines and spirits to soft drinks and from packaged, draught beer to glassware and snacks. Wallaces was originally established in Ayr in 1875 as a retailer but evolved over the following 100 years into a major drinks wholesaler. By concentrating on customer service and support, the business has grown to be the largest Independent Wine and Spirits Wholesaler in Scotland. Six strategically placed depots enable the company to provide the service levels expected from a small local business at prices equal or better than those of larger national suppliers.

Commenting on the new system, Purchasing Director, Chris Cosh said ” Apart from the immediate major software improvements, we recognise the importance of the new solution to us as a  platform product enabling us to adopt a wide range of new applications that will lift business productivity and efficiency. For example, after the initial phase of implementation we will quickly move onto an integrated Bond management solution. Trinity’s warehouse management and mobile sales solutions are also part of our longer term IT plans.”

Trinity have been a major supplier of IT solutions to UK drinks distributors for nearly 20 years and have been using Microsoft Dynamics as a basis for these solutions since 2002.

“We are delighted that Wallaces have taken this major step forward with their IT systems. DrinkMaster has been a great product for our Drinks customers but our new Dynamics based software now provides a radically improved solution offering up to date Microsoft technology combined with major enhancements in functionality for wholesalers. We are looking forward to working with Wallaces over the coming months to deliver another successful GP solution.”

For more information please contact:

Carl Bolus,
Sales & Marketing Director, Trinity Computer Services Ltd
carlbolus@trinitycomputers.co.uk
Tel: 0161 406 2300
Web: www.trinitycomputers.co.uk

Wallaces longstanding IT supplier and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Trinity Computer Services, will be supplying software and services required to implement the new solution.

Click here for further details

Broxburn’s existing IT supplier and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Trinity Computer Services, will be supplying the hardware, software and services required to implement the new solution.

Manchester, UK – Broxburn Browns Ltd, Scotland’s leading wholesale egg merchant, has announced the purchase of a Microsoft Dynamics GP based computer system as part of a major modernisation of the company’s applications software systems. Broxburn’s existing IT supplier and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Trinity Computer Services, will be supplying the hardware, software and services required to implement the new solution.

The new fully integrated system will cover all aspects of Broxburn’s business including financial ledgers, pro-active telesales, pricing, order processing, purchasing, and business intelligence.

“We have used Trinity’s FoodTrader software for the last 7 years,” said Judy Harman, Director. “We were happy with this software but the new system will be a major move forward for Broxburn in IT terms. Dynamics GP will provide us with a platform which ensures that we can remain up-to-date, maintain our competitive edge and deploy systems that will help our staff ensure that we continue to deliver quality service to our customers”.

Broxburn Browns supplies retailers and caterers throughout Central Scotland and specialise in the supply of eggs, cooked meats, and provisions which are delivered via their own fleet of temperature controlled vehicles. The company was established in 1982, and are an independent, family owned business. Based in Newbridge, near Edinburgh, the company prides itself on its high levels of customer service and its ability to react quickly to ever changing customer demands.

Commenting on the new system, director Philip Carmichael said “We are confident that the investment we are making will provide us with many improvements and savings in our day to day activities, benefiting our customers and providing us with information that we require to manage the business. By moving to this new technology platform we expect to be much better positioned to control costs, increase revenue and help maintain customer service levels in the highly competitive market we operate in”.

Trinity has been a major supplier of IT solutions to UK Food distributors for nearly 20 years and have been using Microsoft Dynamics as a basis for these solutions since 2002. Trinity Sales Director, Carl Bolus, said “It’s good to be working with everyone at Broxburn Browns again implementing this new system. Compared to their old software, our Dynamics based solution will provide Broxburn with important new distribution functionality as well as major advantages in terms of business intelligence, Office integration and ease of use. It will also substantially increase their options for IT deployment in the longer run.”

For more information please contact:

Carl Bolus, Sales & Marketing Director, Trinity Computer Services Ltd
web: www.trinitycomputers.co.uk
tel: 0161 406 2300

Click here for further details

Manchester, UK – GC Birchall Ltd, food wholesalers based in Burnley, Lancashire, have announced the purchase of a Microsoft Dynamics GP based solution as part of a major investment in the company’s IT systems. Microsoft Gold Certified partner, Trinity Computer Services, will be supplying software and services required to implement the new solution.

The fully integrated system will cover every aspect of the business including finance, telesales, purchasing, logistics and business intelligence. A key part of the new system and a major driver in the decision to install new software is the installation of warehouse management software from Accellos. “With our business volumes increasing rapidly over the last few years we have found it more difficult to cope in the warehouse with only manual systems in place.“ says Justin Birchall, Operations Director. “The new software will make it easier to locate stock and, overall, help us to work much more efficiently across all warehouse operations.” The Dynamics GP system will initially cater for 20 office users and 12 users in the warehouse.

GC Birchall was established in 1939 and became a founder member of the Country Range FoodService group in 1992. The company supplies a full range of ambient, chilled and frozen foods to over 1000 catering and retail establishments throughout the north of England. GC Birchall operate from locations in Burnley, Durham, Sheffield and North Wales, and has an enviable reputation for delivering bespoke customer service to the independent catering industry where service levels are arguably the most demanding in the FMCG sector.

Commenting on the new system, Louise Birchall, Sales Director, said, “Apart from major improvements in the warehouse, we see the new system leading to substantial improvements in many areas of our business, particularly purchasing, pricing and ease of access to key business information. These will make big contributions to our business performance over the next few years.”

Birchall’s implementation partner, Trinity, has a wealth of experience in the distribution sector stretching back over 25 years. “We are delighted that Birchalls have chosen Trinity to supply their new IT solution” says Carl Bolus, Sales Director for Trinity. “This is an important new installation for Trinity and a major step for Birchalls. Dynamics GP will give them access to a range of new technology which will help improve efficiency in many areas of their business and, in the long term, will open doors to many IT options which would not have been existed with their old system”.

For more information please contact:

Carl Bolus
Sales & Marketing Director
Trinity Computer Services Ltd
carlbolus@trinitycomputers.co.uk
0161 406 2300

Microsoft Gold Certified partner, Trinity Computer Services, will be supplying software and services required to implement the new solution.

Click here for further details.