Brick and block specialists J Medler implements new ERP system from Solarsoft

Solarsoft’s xVP system will automate core business processes and significantly improve stock control, reporting and credit management

J Medler Limited (Medlers), one of East Anglia’s leading brick and block specialists, has implemented a new ERP system from Solarsoft to improve the efficiency of its distribution operations and provide the company’s management team with better reporting information to drive the business forward. The implementation of Solarsoft’s xVP system has helped to modernise Medlers’ IT infrastructure, moving the business from an outdated bespoke IT system to a Windows environment that is easier to use and maintain. The implementation of the Solarsoft system also helps to significantly improve the company’s warehouse management, stock control and financial management.

Medlers is an independent builders merchant, providing services to the construction industry, architects, fellow builders merchants and the general public. The company offers bricks, blocks and roof tiles either from stock or direct to site. With an annual turnover of £15million and stock values of up to £700,000 across its two warehouses, it was critical that the company had an ERP system that could provide real-time visibility of stock levels, and provide greater efficiencies across the enterprise through the automation of core business processes.

Chris Grigg, Company Accountant at Medlers says, "We had previously been using a bespoke IT system which had become outdated and was not very user-friendly. We were also concerned that the system would be unsupported moving forward as it was based on legacy technology. We chose Solarsoft’s xVP product for our new ERP system as it is easy to implement, it is cost-effective and the system is very user-friendly. We wanted to be up and running on the new system quickly and with Solarsoft we were live within just three months. Solarsoft gives us better stock control and management reporting information which means we always have a real-time picture of our business performance – this is something that we didn’t have before."

Medlers holds stock at two different sites in Norwich and the new Solarsoft system allows all staff, regardless of location, to access information centrally, which improves information sharing across the business and reduces manual re-keying of data.

Another major benefit of the Solarsoft system is that it enables the company to process bulk orders more efficiently, allowing staff to ‘call off’ a bulk order against a client’s credit limit. Previously this process involved manual intervention by staff and there was always a danger of information being keyed into the system incorrectly, which prevented the business from having an accurate view of cash flow on a day-to-day basis.

Grigg explains, "Since implementing the new Solarsoft system, we have been able to process bulk orders and keep track of individual client credit limits much more easily. In the past we have always been worried about over-supplying because we have not ‘called off’ bulk amounts correctly but now this whole process is automated."

Commenting on the overall benefits of the Solarsoft system, Grigg concludes, "We now have an IT infrastructure that provides us with better control of the business, and will help us to drive the organisation forward. Solarsoft’s ERP platform is modern, reliable and very scaleable. We also know that there will be regular upgrades to the system, and that extended hours software support is available should we need it. As a business this gives us real peace of mind and means that we can just get on with the job of running the company without having to worry about our IT systems keeping pace."