From siloed finance and sales to one integrated solution

Introduction

C-Kore Systems Ltd build and rent modern testing technology for the subsea industry. Originally part of Zetechtics, a leading supplier of subsea control systems for the oil and gas industry, C-Kore launched as an independent company in 2012.

C-Kore is dedicated to improving the lives of subsea engineers by bringing fast, modern and reliable testing techniques to the offshore industry.

The company builds products from core components, specifically for their customers’ requirements, then rent these out for the desired timeframe. Once this comes to an end, the product comes back into stock and is broken down into the original component parts which can be used again.

Challenges facing C-Kore

C-Kore’s legacy systems were inherited from their parent company, Zetechtics, but as they started to see more business success as C-Kore alone, they needed to implement a new solution that better fulfilled the needs of their growing business.

With their old systems, they were facing the following challenges:

• They needed a system that could meet their current needs but also with potential for growth, scalability and added functionality in the future
  
• The old system was tailored to Zetechtics’ needs, which is a sales business. C-Kore, on the other hand, are predominately a rental company; they were spending a lot time trying to work around the old processes as there was no room for enhancement
  
• Finance and sales teams were siloed and there was no integration between their systems; there was a lot of manual work, with C-Kore’s office manager having to create quotes for the sales team. This was making tasks laborious and counterproductive
  
• The old system couldn’t keep track of stock effectively, so, C-Kore’s team were spending significant time each month reconciling stock
• The old system couldn’t handle the treatment of sub-assemblies as fixed assets. This meant C-Kore were having to do laborious, manual processes each month for asset tracking and depreciation

Why C-Kore chose Microsoft Dynamics 365

C-Kore were looking for a system that could:

• Be flexible and grow with their business as their needs change
  
• Remove siloes between the finance and sales teams
  
• Streamline and optimise their business processes
• Integrate seamlessly with Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE), where they store customer data
  
• Remove many of their manual processes including creation of sales quotes and management of shipping orders
  
• Work for a rental business while staying as close to a standard version as possible
  
• Support excellent customer service and keep track of customer/product history
  

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ticks all of these boxes (and more).

C-Kore's implementation journey

We worked closely with C-Kore to understand what worked for them as a business and what didn’t. We listened, we adapted, and we ensured that our implementation approach would be successful for their goals.

The implementation of Business Central coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant the process would be remote. This brought an unexpected benefit to C-Kore – they’re a small business and need to maximise the time of all their employees. The flexibility remote working provided meant they could fit meetings around their other business critical tasks.

With weekly catch-up meetings that allowed C-Kore to raise any issues – and get them resolved quickly – and a clear line of communication to the right people, the implementation ran smoothly.

Prior to go-live, C-Kore were also able to conduct a trial run with the system, allowing them to check processes and make any necessary adjustments before go-live.

While there was a tight schedule and some challenges along the way (as with any implementation), we kept the project on time AND on-budget.

One of the biggest challenges was moving data from their parent companies CRM system to CE in the cloud as they needed to keep the records of all customer correspondence, but this was done successfully with no records lost.

Benefits

Here are some of the further benefits C-Kore are seeing since go-live:

• The solution has helped C-Kore provide excellent customer service by keeping accurate customer records including past correspondence and customer requirements 
• They now have a suitable automated accounting solution for all their assets, including the individual components, removing the need for manual intervention
• C-Kore’s team are no longer spending time trying to keep the system operating as it should be, it’s now maintained by Columbus
• Day-to-day processes are more streamlined, which means C-Kore can easily produce assembly orders, book in stock and build and ship items
• They can also easily produce the necessary paperwork ahead of shipment and send it to their customers. This helps put logistics in place earlier, making life easier for C-Kore and their customers
• Having their own system separate to their parent company means C-Kore can enhance their own processes and flows to fit business needs
• The sales team can now create quotes themselves, saving time for both them and the finance team
• More accurate reporting and stock visibility
• There’s room to grow and enhance the solution in the future as C-Kore’s business needs change
• C-Kore are on an evergreen solution which automatically updates when Microsoft release new fixes, features and functionality
• Round-the-clock support from Columbus means C-Kore can get answers quickly to any queries they have or challenges solved

"Columbus have taken us from a legacy system to a modern cloud-based solution that helps to run our business effectively", said Greg Smith, General Manager at C-Kore.

"We’re saving a lot of time by basically not double checking that our system is doing the right thing anymore", said Greg Smith, General Manager at C-Kore.

Working with Columbus

"The professionalism and quality of expertise from Columbus’ consultants helped drive the project forwards in the direction we wanted it to", said Greg Smith, General Manager at C-Kore.

C-Kore were looking for a partner who could support them through this transformation process, not just a ‘quick-start’ implementation.

We were chosen to be their partner because of the following factors:

• Our vision of how to execute the project successfully
• Our professionalism and how we put our customers’ needs first but also challenge their ways of thinking
• Our background, knowledge and expertise
• Our people, who are well organised and will go above and beyond for our customers
  

"Overall, we’re really happy with the outcome. Columbus managed the implementation very well, on-time and on-budget, even with refinements", said Greg Smith, General Manager at C-Kore.

By working with Columbus, C-Kore were able to implement an integrated solution that deals with both halves of their business. Sales can now easily create quotes and the finance team can monitor sales order confirmations as they enter the system, saving everyone time. 

Ultimately, Columbus helped C-Kore meet all their requirements on time and budget, as well as setting them on a path to future growth with a scalable solution.

To find out more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central – the solution that helped C-Kore streamline their processes – download the guide below. You’ll learn about its features and how it can solve industry-specific challenges so your business can focus on innovation and growth.