Perfect basis for future growth

The right partner

The company's rapid growth, ongoing internationalization, and the establishment of international branches – 14 to date – brought the company's previous IT solution to its limits. "A new solution was urgently needed. Axapta 3.0, our former system, was no longer able to handle our company's growth. We were only able to process a limited number of orders per day. That is why we wanted to speed up our processes, so that we would be able to handle all customer requests at the accustomed pace," explains Robert Schillinger, CFO at BITO-Lagertechnik Bittmann. A modern, fully integrated ERP/ MPC system was needed to optimize workflows and support the consistent, efficient handling of all processes. The right software, namely Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, and the right partner were soon found. "With Sycor, we found a service provider that is able to offer everything from one source and will allow us to work together over the long term. The soft skills such as the personal impression, reliability, and professionalism convinced us as well," Robert Schillinger explains. Comprehensive support for the project team was provided by Denis Klaar, Head of IT and Process Management at BITO. A lot of time was saved on coordination, thanks to his effective groundwork and the precise definition of system requirements. 

Optimized processes

The project focus was on standardizing the item and product structures, mapping the modified order processing procedure, and differentiating between the standard business and projects. Implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX also involved the company-wide introduction of manufacturing planning and control. The Sycor project team succeeded in meeting the company's operation-specific requirements in a straightforward manner during the implementation. "We were able to make central processes such as order processing and production planning more intuitive. Both processes now run considerably faster as a result. At the same time, our employees are relieved of duplicate work and routine activities," Robert Schillinger emphasizes. During the complete introduction of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 – from project management to consulting to training – Sycor was also asked to carry out individual adaptations and to integrate third-party systems such as the "Lasernet" output management system.

Next step: rollout

"We have been using the new ERP system for some time now, and are extremely satisfied with the results of this cooperation. We now have a future-ready, redundant system that lets us profit from new developments quickly and securely, and thereby continue to make better use of our IT system,” says Robert Schillinger. The company views the rollout of the Microsoft solution for the 14 branches as the next logical step. This too will be done jointly with the Gold-certified Microsoft partner, Sycor.