Boosting competitive advantage with IT investment

In developing Ecopac Power's new OnOrder system DBL has provided a comprehensive solution integrating everything from quoting through sales, purchasing, stock control, delivery and invoicing to financial control. To maintain key functionality the new software also interfaces into Sage, which is now only used for general accounting.

Steve Oxby, Financial Director at Ecopac Power, said: "Our overriding aim was to speed up the process from point of order to point of delivery to enhance customer service and we have achieved it thanks to our ongoing investment in a bespoke IT solution. The DBL team is inherently flexible and welcomed our input at all stages of the design and implementation process. In fact, I don't think we could have found an IT partner more responsive to our needs or committed to helping us achieve our goals."

The switch to a customised system that meets Ecopac Power's particular requirements became necessary after growth in LED drivers saw the company's turnover rise by nine percent in 12 months. That said, an increase in order numbers has been accompanied by a drop in average order values, making it essential to process orders speedily and accurately.

Steve Oxby added: "In response to market forces, our business is evolving and this has created a particular challenge. It's increasingly important to improve traceability, particularly on stock control and sales order processing. Since the new system went live availability is up by 11% and we can be certain that 83% of the time products will be in stock."

Ecopac Power's portfolio numbers some 13,000 lines and the business holds £2m of stock at any given time. Since many items are on long lead delivery times, better use of data was essential to help manage stock levels and with full cross linking, all information is now readily accessible in a single, integrated IT system. The ability to create and maintain more accurate customer profiles, monitor order patterns and predict purchasing requirements is enabling Ecopac Power to improve its response and maximise profitability through increased efficiency.

DBL has been supporting Ecopac Power since 1997 and managing director Dave Barrett has attributed the strength of the partnership to the company's approach to problem solving.

He said: "Ecopac Power takes full advantage of the flexibility we offer and, as a result, is reaping the benefits of an IT system that is a perfect fit for its business now yet also has the capability to cope with future business developments."