Kuipers BMH

About Kuipers BMH

Kuipers BMH (Building materials and stone) is one of few remaining independent wholesalers of building materials in the northern part of the Netherlands. Not affiliated with a specific brand or a specific buying organisation, but simply operating from one’s own extensive experience and knowledge in this industry.Two linked software applications, an accounting software system and an order processing application, had to make way for K8 Babbage of Kerridge Commercial Systems. Kuipers had now been working with the ERP solutions of KCS for almost a year.

We were in search of a total package which would allow us to choose what functionalities we would or would not be using. Often you will find a basic system with the possibility to keep adding and paying for additional modules. We wanted to be able to choose what we want to use.

Jan Kuiper - Kuipers BMH

Kuipers BMH has the ambition to hold a large and accurate range of stock available in each branch, ready for customers operating in the professional building industry. The trading company established in 1998 has grown into an organization of around 60 employees and operates from multiple locations spread throughout Overijssel, Drenthe and Groningen.

Why ERP Software?

Better access to information and efficiency improvement in inventory management and order processing were the underlying reasons for the company to look to implement a full ERP solution. Also there was a need for CRM functionality to be able to deal with customer information in a structured way. In addition, they did not want to rely on a small software developer anymore because of the great risks that could arise.

Specific business processes that were improved

KCS was selected by Kuipers BMH as the ERP partner because of the very broad basic functionality to streamline a not too rigid product strategy (with information about product type, species, units and to set up and maintain such), as well as the smart and easy-to-use methodology to handle orders. Nine months after K8 went live and was implemented in all branches, the organisation is even more confident in their earlier decision to choose KCS as a partner.

Results

• More efficient inventory management, including inter-branch orders
• Time savings order fulfillment
• Better and faster insight in debtors
• Improved access to company wide information

Not only the order processing process is more efficient, there is less need for customer aftercare and there is no longer a need for phone calls to different branches to check the stock of a specific product.

In practical terms some things were already improved, but the decision to choose a system with access to much basic functionality from the start and not to be dependent on consultants who have to deploy yet another module, turned out to be a smart move.

In nearly all areas improvement is already measurable; also the credit management is much more comprehensive. In the future, when more data will be added to the system, they will also make use of the possibilities of forecasting in K8.

For the team of Kuipers it is clear that they have chosen a software developer that is not operating from a theoretical perspective, but one that has over 40 years’ experience in developing software for wholesalers in building materials.

Experience at Kuipers provides new K8 functionality for similar organizations In the short term, Kuipers BMH will start using a completely redeveloped K8 functionality for project management. During the selection process and purchasing process the decision was made to take the input and knowledge of Kuipers in to consideration and redevelop the ‘Project Management functionality’ and roll out the improved version of Projects in the standard software of K8. Michiel Bakker, General Manager of KCS in the Netherlands, underlines the importance of close cooperation between partners;

This clearly shows that we are not just a software vendor, but really a partner. We think about development opportunities and if we believe that a certain functionality should be available for more customers, then we make it available to all customers within a new release after our development and testing phases.

Michiel Bakker - General Manager at KCS Netherlands

Highlights

• Nine months after Go-Live the organisation is even more confident in their decision to choose KCS as a partner
• In nearly all areas improvement is already measurable
• Redeveloped K8 functionality for project management in collaboration with Kuipers BMH