GPS - Green Power SolutionsA successful partnership – GPS and Communicat
Green Power Solutions has two major product lines. First as a providers of the biodiesel power generation equipment for mission-critical power supply including major events and mining in remote areas. Secondly, GPS produces recycled biofuel from waste oils. Green Power is a high-tech company that operates around the clock, 365 days of the year. GPS decided it was time to apply their high-tech approach to their business management systems, and that’s when they started talking to Communicat.
The company spent seven decades producing top quality food and streamlining production. The next step would be to streamline supply chain management and business workflows. The company was using multiple different systems which involved duplication of work and delays obtaining management information. We really needed one integrated system. According to Ben Knipsel, the company’s accountant:
MYOB Premier was easy to use and value for money, and our other software worked well, but having multiple systems was the downfall. In the end, I guess we just outgrew both of our systems. We needed data to be readily available across the business, not just at the top. And our existing systems just could not manage that.
Challenge
For many years GPS had used a combination of MYOB Premier Accounting Software as well as other software, databases and spreadsheets to track their operations. The system worked well when the business was small. As the company expanded they found that the daily operations and end-of-month processes had become laborious and complex, and the workload kept increasing as the business expanded. There was a lot of time wasted with double-keying information between multiple systems.
In 2013 the company was on he verge of a major major expansion. They identified that in order to successfully manage their expansion they would need to improve their management information systems so that the staff could spend less time on paperwork and spreadsheets, to save and make time for running the business. The new system would need to tie all the data together in a single integrated database with automated workflows and management reports. The system would need to be available around the clock within the office and from remote connections.
Richard Williams, General Manager of Green Power Solutions tells the story of the MYOB Exo system that was implemented by Communicat in 2013.
“We were spending far too much time re-keying data between MYOB and spreadsheets. We knew there had to be a better way.
We were recommended to deal with Communicat to develop a plan to improve our systems.”
Solution
“Communicat worked with us to analyse our needs and provide us with their recommended solution. We are gaining enormous improvements in our efficiency and access to information. We now have highly efficient and automated systems and management controls. This makes it easy to maintain management controls and customer service while we can focus on growing our business.”
“MYOB Exo is a powerful system but we needed help to ensure we could put the system to the full benefit for our business. We have worked closely with Communicat and together we have achieved our goals.”
Benefits
Richard explained that:
“There are many benefits with the new system. Compared with MYOB Premier, our new MYOB Exo system is so much more flexible and efficient. Now we have real control of our accounts data. It is much easier to find and track transactions.
Previously we had information stored both in MYOB Premier and other locations. Now, all the information is stored in one place… an integrated system. Now we can query a client or supplier and all the history is there.
Our generators are the primary source of our income and therefore it is vital that revenue is accounted for accurately. In the past we manually tracked the chargeable usage for these assets, which was very time-consuming. Now, with our MYOB Exo integrated system, our generators are embedded into the finance (Exo) and operations (4HIRE) software, sharing the same database. This provides us with accurate and automated billing, with no risk of over or under-charging. This has been a massive time-saving. We have eliminated the end of month bottleneck.
Audit trails are improved. If any changes need to take place the system tracks all of the changes.
Searching for data is very easy. Now, when customers call us with queries, the information is very easy to obtain. Previously the client would phone us and we would put the call on hold or call the client back later. Now we can call up all the information on the screen and give an immediate answer.
It is a much more professional way to operate and to deliver higher levels of customer service.”
“Communicat have set up the system, menus, screens and reports so that it is a custom-fit to our business.”
“We have streamlined and automated our work, eliminating a lot of manual work and spreadsheets. With our MYOB Exo system It is as if we employed another person.”
“Communicat’s support has been great and that has been the biggest factor.”
When we need support we call the Communicat Team. It only takes minutes to get an answer. That has been a massive benefit. We don’t need to worry about whether a question relates to hardware, software, printing or whatever. The team at Communicat work out those issues and make the system work successfully across the board.
“Our system runs entirely on the Communicat Private Cloud. Connections are fast and give us no lag. We have been quite surprised how fast the screen response is, there is no delay at all.”
When we are at the office, at home or travelling the cloud makes it really easy and has helped our business greatly. We heard a lot of good and bad things about the cloud. For us the experience has been very positive. We operate a customised system on our own personalised “private cloud”.
“Having one company supporting our MYOB Exo system and also our cloud network means we don’t need to worry about computer-IT systems at all. Backups and support are all taken care of by Communicat.”
We never get involved in problems between hardware and software since it is all taken care of by the same company – Communicat. The fact that we have outsourced our IT gives us more time to focus on servicing our customer needs around the clock and on growing our business.
“Summing up – we are very happy. Communicat’s support has been exceptional. We now have a system that provides us with high levels of efficiency and management control over our business. The system is powerful but also very simple.”
I would definitely recommend MYOB Exo and Communicat to any organisation that requires a powerful integrated system to streamline their business information workflows, management reporting, cloud and network support.”
Before
- GPS had separate systems for operations and accounting. This was fine when the company was small, but the company was about to launch a major expansion and the old systems were simply not going to be practical in the future.
- With the multiple systems there was duplication of work as the different systems did not “talk to each other”. This caused major workload problems and inaccuracies with end-of-month billing processes.
- GPS was a high-technology company with the emphasis on reliability and efficiency. It was time to bring those high ideals to the company’s business processes.
After
- One central database, as a single source for all information.
- Automated billing processes provided major efficiencies – it was as if we employed another person.
- The system was customised to suit our business, with important functions available at the touch of a button.
- Operating on the Private Cloud meant that we were no longer tied to the office. We could access our information in the office, at home and from anywhere in the world.
- We outsourced our Information Technology to Communicat, and that gave us more time to run our business. Backups and security protection are all automated.
- It was a great decision to have one company taking care of the MYOB Exo software, the hardware, network and communications. We always know who to call and support is fast.
- Our management reports are customised and when we want to conduct further analysis we simply export to the spreadsheet view. We can then produce budgets and import them back into Exo.