Overview
Country or Region: India
Industry: Services

Customer Profile
Apex Corporation, an earth moving machine spares parts dealership employs over 65 skilled personnel. It annual revenues in 2007 -08 were INR 40 crore
(U.S.$ 8.4 million approximately) with 65 employees.

Business Situation
Apex was using Oracle and a D2K based custom application to manage its commercial requirements. However, the disparate applications were not able to match the demands of the company.

Solution
With the help of Microsoft® Certified
Partner, Samadhan, Apex Corporation
implemented Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV
4.0 with SP3 to automate all its business
processes, manage inventory efficiently
and gain insight into business.

Benefits

• Provides real time, reliable data

• Improves inventory management

• Facilitates reporting

•  Increases customer satisfaction

• Provides data security

“We have been able to do away with 3 disparate applications. Without the constant need to find and collate data, the performance of the team has increased by 20 percent. And employee morale has improved significantly too.”
Apex Corporation is a dealership of spare parts of earthmovers and other industrial machines from global brands such as Rockwell Automation, Atlas Copco and Canon Technologies. It was using an Oracle and D2k based custom application along with Microsoft Office 2003 to manage its daily business requirements. However amalgamating business data from three different locations and four business units from disparate systems was a time-consuming and tiresome. In order to streamline the flow of information and centralize data, the company worked with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner, Samadhan, to deploy Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 with Service Pack 3.0. The new solution facilitates reporting, streamlines information flow, and manages inventory efficiently.
The increase in collaboration and real time information ensures that the management team is able to take quick and informed decisions.

Situation
Apex Corporation India has the workforce of around 65 employees and annual revenues of approximately INR 40 crore (U.S.$ 8.4 million). It deals with three primary businesses:

• Dealership of earth moving machine spares parts of Rockwell Automation;

• Industrial machines of Atlas Copco

• Sale of all products of Canon

Apex Corporation was using Oracle 8.0 along with D2k based customized solution along with Microsoft Office 2003 to manage the organizations operations set across three business units and multiple locations.
The disparate applications and lack of consolidated business information required a lot of manual effort and additional resources. Lack of timely updated and related delays hampered business progress and decision making.
Another challenge was maintaining inventory which would run into millions at any given point in time for the three principals – Rockwell Automation, Atlas Copco and Canon. To manage inventory, Apex needed to track stock movement for each brand for each machine and also its cost and selling price.
From the management’s perspective, sales trends are important, which it was unable to get in time. Especially for Canon and the eighty-odd photocopier machines in use at various organizations, it was important to understand consumption of consumables issued by the service engineers.
The need for an integrated solution was obvious. “We felt that an integrated solution will give us visibility into the business to exploit opportunities and prevent losses,” comments Gian Taneja, Managing Director, Apex Corporation.

Solution
Apex Corporation evaluated a number of solutions including SAP B1. It finally approved Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 with Service Pack 3.0, as the solution best suited the company’s requirements. Microsoft® Certified Partner, Samadhan implemented the solution. “Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0
was the obvious choice, a global brand with local support for implementation and training. In addition, the solution covered all processes along with the relevant reports,” explains Gian Taneja, Managing Director, Apex Corporation.
The implementation started in August 2007, and within 8 months the solution went live in March 2008 as per plan. The solution was deployed simultaneously at three locations, out of which two units are in Jamshedpur, and one is located in Ranchi. The modules implemented were general ledger, sales and
receivable, purchase and payable, inventory, CRM sales and marketing, support services, and payroll.
The solution was customized to meet the functional requirements of Apex. Some unique customizations were done to add significant functionalities in the areas of reports generation, facilities for the comparison of data and its analysis.
Apex Corporation installs photocopy machines at customer locations. The running cost and maintenance charges of the photocopy are borne by Apex. The bill is raised for total number of copies taken at a fixed rate per copy. This requires the organization to take the meter reading for all 80 photocopiers installed at multiple locations and customers. Then invoices were raised, but due to manual processes it was normally delayed by 5 days. Dynamics NAV has been customized to automate this process. Among the other key customizations accomplished are:

• Data for salespersons and service engineers is automated. This management can compare performance against targets

• Similarly, area-wise targets against actual analysis is reported on a monthly basis

• Study of accurate data from departments such as electrical, mechanical and office automation presents the clear picture of overall sales and services area wise

• Service, sales, purchase, salesman performance analysis reports have been customized

Benefits
Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 is a comprehensive solution that assists the company to benefit consistently from immediate access of accurate information. Gian Taneja, Managing Director, Apex Corporation states, “We have been able to do away with 3 disparate applications. Without the constant need to find and collate data, the performance of the team has increased by 20 percent. And employee morale has improved significantly too.”

Provides Real Time, Reliable Data
Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 provides centralized control. Thus real time and accurate information on all counts is present through out the organization. Consequently business processes are simplified and
reliable data improves decision making capabilities. Moreover, there is no backlog of data. “We have a deeper insight into our organization. Availability of data helps us to identify new business opportunities,”
comments Gian Taneja, Managing Director, Apex Corporation.

Improves Inventory Management
Inventory management plays a vital role at Apex Corporation. As Apex maintains an inventory for more than U.S.$ 250,000 (INR 1 crore). Hence tracking the items on the basis of brand, machine, and value is absolutely vital. Gian Taneja, Managing Director, Apex Corporation remarks, “With the pressure on profitability increasing everyday, Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 helps by providing new tools to manage inventory which are key for successful and profitable business.”

Facilitates Reports Generation
Dynamics NAV 4.0 provides tools for creating reports for all processes and data points. The reports are detailed, crystal clear and self explanatory. “The time spent earlier in collating information, generating reports is successfully utilized in other value added tasks to contribute in the profitability of the company,” comments Gian Taneja, Managing Director.

Increases Customer Satisfaction
With updated data and reports available all the time, Apex customers’ have also benefited immensely from the solution. They are able to immediately access information that helps the business in taking quick decisions and update themselves.

Provides Data Security
The solution assures the management of total data security. It presents hierarchy levels to ensure that the management has the access to confidential information while middle management can view and retrieve the data required by their role. With password protection at every level, only authorized personnel can track and review. “Microsoft® Dynamics™ NAV 4.0 runs our entire business and gives us a comprehensive picture of the business,” comments Gian Taneja, Managing Director.

About Samadhan
Samadhan is an Information Technology Consulting Company set-up in 1989 in India. It is one of the premier solution providers of eastern India. The business interests vary into a wide gamut of activities ranging from ERP solutions and software development,. It provides innovative and state-of-the-art infotech solutions and products. Since its inception, Samadhan has rooted itself in high-quality software development principles and an unwavering commitment to delivery. These twin strengths enable Samadhan to adapt smoothly to the rapid evolution of technology while maintaining constant focus on the changing business needs of its clients. Its expertise is in many industries including the government department, public sector, healthcare, financial services, retail and distribution, manufacturing, telecommunications and high technology.

Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which means less of a learning curve for your people, so they can get up and running quickly and focus on what’s most important. And because it is from Microsoft, it easily works with the systems that your company already has implemented. By automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship, and supply chain processes, Microsoft
Dynamics brings together people, processes, and technologies, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your business, and helping you drive business success.
For more information about Microsoft Dynamics, go to:
www.microsoft.com/dynamics

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426- 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and
Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:
www.microsoft.com

For more information about Samadhan products and services, call +(91) 9204066516 or visit the Web site at:
www.samadhanindia.com

For more information about Apex Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. products and services, call +(91) 9204066516 /0651- 2430969

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