McElligotts is a national company, operating across the all of Australia. In June this year, we implemented a company-wide ERP that allowed us to track and analyse business activities. The ERP has enabled McElligotts to function as a national body in a more efficient and productive manner. Since implementing the ERP, we have seen many benefits for our business and for our clients, as well as streamlining processes for our staff members.
What is an ERP?
ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is a term used to describe performance management software. Also known as business management software, ERP is usually a suite of integrated programs that store data remotely for a business. McElligotts’ ERP features cloud storage, which encrypts and stores data securely. The software’s function is to collect, manage and store business data, as well as interpret it. It can also be used to perform business activities such as orders, purchase orders and payroll.
Using the ERP Nationally across McElligotts:
McElligotts functions as a group of companies around Australia, with a strategic national approach within our workplaces. With a head office location in Melbourne, processes prior to the ERP being implemented proved to be unnecessarily long and disjointed from the project sites. As our ERP is cloud-based, everything is now remotely accessible by our staff; no matter which project site they are located on. This provides multiple benefits for our staff, including a streamlined process, removing extra points of contact between the project site and head office, and creating even less room for error.
The implementation of this software means that McElligotts can present as a unified, national business in terms of financial management. Purchase requisitioning is now a much easier and less stressful process for our staff. They can now make purchases related to the project they are working on, directly from the supply site via the software. This means that staff are immediately able to order supplies needed, ensuring they are receiving them at the worksite. This process is just one that is now end-to-end, rather than having to be a series of step-by-step processes that required communication back and forth from head office. The purchase requisition begins at the site and ends with payment to the vendor.
Financial Management Implications:
An immediate benefit we noticed after implementing this ERP was that we had increased control and visibility of our costs. Supply ordering is now delegated to the team who are on the ground of the project, items are identified as needed and consequently ordered in the quantities needed. The software allows the McElligotts group to have financial freedom within projects, yet to function uniformly in their financial behaviours.
ERP software allows us to complete error-free transactions and enhances our efficiency levels. It also allows us to enhance the level of control that we have, in a singular space, over company dealings. The system operates in real time, allowing us to track project performance against project budgets. We now have one system that is used for our many projects, across many locations. We can analyse data and easily identify areas of company strengths and areas for improvement.
Benefits for the Client:
The ERP has both direct and non-direct benefits for our clients. The most obvious benefit being that due to our increased level of cost control, visibility and efficiency, we are able to offer them competitive pricing. Through the ERP software, we can easily identify overhead costs that we have opportunities to lower and consequently, save money on. The money saved goes to directly lowering pricing we give to our clients.
Another major client benefit is that our process is streamlined and much more efficient. Materials are ordered from the ground and we ensure that all resources required for the job are ordered as soon as they are identified. We streamline our process, cutting out redundant administrative costs. Consequently, we can minimise unnecessary time spent on non-direct aspects of client projects.
Overall, the implementation of the ERP has been incredibly successful within the McElligotts group. There are numerous benefits for our staff, our company and our clients. Operating as a uniformed, national company allows us to easily cut down costs for our clients. Increased financial visibility allows us to continually improve and grow, which is always important to us at McElligotts.
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