Universal Cycles Ltd
Industry :
Cycle Importer & Distributor
Scenarios :
Distribution & Operations
Company Profile
Formed in the early 70’s, Universal Cycles is now the
leading distributor of cycles in the UK
Introduction
Replacing Tetra Chameleon 2000 system with Navision
Attain provides Universal Cycles with significant reduced administrative
costs
Universal Cycles is an independent family owned business and is currently
the leading distributor of cycles in the UK. The Rayleigh based operation
specialises in the importing and distribution of adult and children’s cycles
from its purpose built distribution centre in Essex. The company recently
acquired the rights for cycles and accessories for Muddy Fox mountain bike
brand.
The company operated with a variety of administration
processes consisting of manual and electronic systems. These included
financial, distribution and stock management processes based on the Tetra
Chameleon 2000 UNIX based system. The main issue facing the company was the
hidden costs of maintaining a variety of disparate systems. The key
requirement was for a solution that provided a visible flow of information
across the company about what was really happening to their customers and
inventory. The target was to ensure that the selected system supported all
operations in ensuring timely deliveries of quality products.
Working with Cambridge based Anglia Business Solutions the company deployed
a state of the art system tailored specifically to meet the needs of the
business. A totally integrated Navision Attain solution provided the base
for a powerful management information platform. It provided the company with
improved access to up to date information and assisted in greatly reducing
the current administrative workload. The system has helped to radically
improve the company’s efficiency by reducing much of the previously
unproductive data duplication tasks while providing instant information on
significant business trends to facilitate executive decision making.
The Selection Process
The company needed a flexible powerful modern company wide business
management system capable of meeting its very specific requirements. Apart
from the normal financial and distribution reporting requirements, the
system also had to cater for a number of applications specifically
configured to how the company worked.
The Business Solution
Universal Cycles selected the Navision Attain ERP system as the platform of
choice based on its combination of powerful functionality and integrated
development facilities.
As Chief Accountant, Tony Brown explained, “We were very impressed with the
standard functionality of the Navision product. However, it was the ability
to change it to how we wanted to work that really appealed. We spent a long
time being restricted by the inflexibility of a standard package. We did not
want to find ourselves in a similar position in future as the company
expanded.
We were also influenced by the in-depth Navision knowledge and consultancy
skills provided by Anglia Business Solutions. We already had a successful
working relationship that spanned ten years and they quickly got to grips
with what we were trying to do and could advise us on the best way to
achieve our objectives.
Detailed discussions with our staff defined how the complete system would
work for us. From this analysis, Anglia developed working prototypes that we
were able to test to ensure that our business objectives were met. The
complete solution was fully tested using data transferred from our old Tetra
system. Once we were satisfied that we had covered all of the requirements,
we went live. We encountered a few problems during the transition but the
support from Anglia has been invaluable in enabling us to resolve the issues
and get the most out of the system.”
A key requirement of this solution was the provision of a Warehouse Picking
Screen that allows the warehouse to select all sales orders for despatch
sorted by either trade or catalogue customer. Sales order lines are only
shown where there is sufficient stock for the order to be shipped.
Functionality is also provided which allows the despatch of trade orders to
be reviewed and authorised on a customer-by-customer basis.
A further requirement for this solution was to automate and centralise the
storage of carrier information and the printing of standard carrier
labelling and barcodes. This involved consolidating the carrier information
held on three separate systems and providing the data capture and printing
functionality from within Navision. Data capture is provided for standard
carrier details such as delivery address and shipment weight. Additional
fields were created to input information such as delivery phone number,
package type, destination depot and consignment insurance type. In addition
to facilitating the printing of standard labelling, each carrier label
needed a bar code. Each consignment number is converted into a barcode using
the Code 128 Standard. The resulting barcode is printed on a laser printer
using Code 128 fonts.
Further tailored functionality was also provided including, available stock
calculation, rules for reserving stock for key clients, enhanced product
technical specifications and the simplified entry and valuation of freight,
insurance and duty charges.
Business Benefits
The new management reporting system has already provided Universal Cycles
with significant advantages over the previous method of operation. It has
greatly reduced the data duplication activities throughout the organisation,
which has improved the accuracy of information.
As Data Processing Manager, David Bullen explains, “Our previous variety of
systems was a real obstacle to our growth plans. It meant that we had great
difficulty in ensuring that our inventory was at the right levels to meet
our client delivery commitments. In addition our users’ keyboard skills had
to be exceptional in accessing the various modules of the old system.
Navision Attain allows them to access information from any part of the
system. This has resulted in a massive saving in time. We also found it very
easy to tailor all of the screens to meet the needs of individual users.”
Bullen continues, “Working with Anglia Business Solutions in a partnership
arrangement meant that we could explain what we wanted and they did the
rest. The complete system was delivered to timescales and within budget. It
has exceeded our expectations and is already proving to be a significant aid
to our expansion plans. Apart from releasing a significant amount of working
capital, the report writing features means that we now have access to an
unparalleled level of accurate and timely information. This is proving vital
in allowing management to identify significant commercial trends and thus
identify and target our future growth opportunities”.
Services Required
Navision Attain Solution Model
Project Management
Business Consultancy
Navision Attain Bespoke Design
Navision Attain Programming & Testing
Navision Attain Integration & Testing
Ongoing Maintenance & Helpdesk Support
Software & Hardware
Navision Attain
SQL Server