Simplicity works for BE Group – because they do it right. BE Group works in a very competitive industry, so keeping costs low is important. That’s why they chose Microsoft’s free document solution for their ERP output – even though the software has many limitations. Thanks to good advice from Tabellae and lots of testing, they made a smart and safe decision. Martin Axelsson tells their story.
Results:
- Maximum value from a software with limitations
- No License Cost
- Pure Microsoft stack
About Be Group
BE Group is a trading and service company, offering a broad range of steel and aluminium products. The customers mainly operate in the manufacturing and construction industries in Sweden and Finland. BE Group has around 600 employees and operations in Sweden and Finland. Previously running AX 2009 with SSRS, BE Group has now upgraded to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management –using MS Configurable Business Documents to manage their ERP output efficiently.
Supporting digital transformation and improving operational efficiency
To support their digital transformation and improve operational efficiency, BE Group is rolling out Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&SCM with CE and various integrations. For instance to production systems, invoice matching, finance, credit check, procurement, etc.
“We just went live with the first country: Finland. The document templates, that Tabellae created, will be used to roll out in next country: Sweden.”
POC = a well-considered move
The choice of Electronic Reporting/Configurable Business Documents wasn’t given from the start.
“Our ERP vendor, Columbus, recommended using it as a cost-effective alternative. Previously, we used SSRS for our reports. We received valuable guidance from Tabellae throughout the process on how to handle the limitations and after Tabellae conducted a successful Proof of Concept (POC), it became clear that CBD was a viable solution. We chose CBD to reduce costs and avoid concerns about future licensing fees”, Martin Axelsson explains.
Successful Implementation of Microsoft Configurable Business Documents
BE Group, in collaboration with Tabellae, has successfully implemented Configurable Business Documents.
“The collaboration with Tabellae has been excellent. Their consultant ensured we had regular follow-ups to keep everything on track, which gave us a clear overview of progress and observations points throughout the process.”
Martin Axelsson
IT Business Partner Manager, BE GROUP
Traditional industry with simple document needs
In the steel industry, customers tend to be traditional. “We still print picking lists and packing slips physically. We work without sophisticated customer messaging or complex setups which is a main reason why we believe we can fit into a simple document solution. But it requires us to keep the documents simple in the future.”
We accept the limitations
“So far, we haven’t encountered many limitations with CBD. Right after go live we did face some challenges related to performance and speed, but these have provided valuable lessons. Tabellae’s highly skilled consultant has helped us find effective workarounds, and we are confident that Tabellae’s consultants have the expertise to resolve issues and find solid solutions going forward.
In the future we might run into a need for, for instance, certificates of origin and consistence – and maybe documents will be more digital in the future via EDI and digital storage, where we do not see the
physical document. It could change but at the moment our document needs are rather stable”, Martin
states.
Great collaboration with Tabellae
“The collaboration with Tabellae has been excellent. Their consultant ensured we had regular followups to keep everything on track, which gave us a clear overview of progress and observation points throughout the process”, Martin ends.
Martin’s advice to others:
- Clarify your requirements
Consider the balance between flexibility and cost. Get help to make a clear list of pros and cons between software options. - Understand customers value
What are your customers willing to pay for? - Test as much as possible
You can never test too much. Thorough testing helps catch issues early and ensures consistent quality. - Use experts
They know the pitfalls and the possibilities.BE Group proves that simplicity works, with the right software mapping and project approach.
