Epicor Software Corporation, a global leader in business software solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail and services organisations, today announced that Badgequo, a UK-based manufacturer and distributor of cosmetics and toiletries throughout Europe, has selected the Epicor next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to support its aggressive growth plans over the next five years.
Badgequo has already achieved fantastic growth since being purchased by Kai and Linda Arter in 2006. The company has gone from seven to 26 employees, and revenue has grown 60% in the last three years to £8m (GBP), with 2013 revenues expected go above £10m (GBP). The company has its head office and warehousing in the UK, an office in Hong Kong, remote workers in Spain, France and Italy, and recently opened a new subsidiary in Germany with five employees.
“When we purchased Badgequo the company had just a simple sales ledger application, so we moved quickly to implement an ERP solution, but it has been difficult to keep it updated to reflect the process and other changes in the business as we have grown,” said Kai Arter, group managing director at Badgequo. “We deal with major high street retailers where quality of service and on-time deliveries are critical. We are achieving this but it is arduous work, so we need to move to an ERP system that will deliver consistently in these areas with minimum effort.”
Badgequo imports many of its products from China, so supply chain visibility has become a key issue, with delays potentially impacting large orders if stock is not allocated correctly. Additionally, Badgequo employees work throughout Europe and Asia, so it is critical they have access to Badgequo’s ERP solution whether they are in the office or on the road, something not currently possible.
“We have visibility of our supply chain now, but it is a complex process to access the information and analyse it before we can act,” explains Arter. “We need to get to a position where we have instant and perfect visibility of whether stock is allocated, on the shelf or on the water, and when it will become available.”
Badgequo reviewed the entire ERP market before selecting Epicor, which it believed offered the best value for money and feature set for the company’s long-term future. One of the most impressive features was the way that software could be delivered remotely to all its offices and home users through a variety of devices. Currently Badgequo remote users cannot access their ERP solution, leading to importing or rekeying of information in the UK. With Epicor ERP, sales teams throughout Europe will now be able to advise customers about real-time stock availability and confirm expected delivery dates at the same time as orders are placed. Suppliers will also be directly updating the system through the Epicor Portal Supplier Content Pack, ensuring full visibility of the supply chain.
“Epicor ERP will give us extra flexibility and functionality at a price the competition could not match - it will grow with us and change with our processes, without the need for expensive customisations or modifications,” added Arter. “In some ways it is a sledgehammer to crack a nut right now, but it is excellent value for money compared to the competition. It will allow us to implement features we’ve not used before such as HR management, product development workflows and others, at no additional cost.”
“When your business is growing at the rate of Badgequo, you need systems that work for you, not against you,” said Malcolm Fox, director, product marketing for Epicor. “The challenge is that when growth is strong, there is never a good time to replace systems. At Epicor, we’ve designed our solutions to scale and evolve with companies so that customers see us as a long-term partner, and can get up and running as soon as possible, with best practice processes for vertical markets available straight out of the box.”
