Easby Electronics migrates to K8.09 - Oracle Fusion Accounts

Easby Electronics is based in Richmond, North Yorkshire. The company is a well-established stockist and distributor for a wide range of electronic components, capacitors, connectors, relays, resistors, and semiconductors.

Easby Electronics has enjoyed a long relationship with ADP Commercial Systems (formerly Kerridge Computer Company). It first implemented ‘ Revision 7’ in 1990 and has been early adopters of new ADP software releases ever since. For example, when ADP’s K8 product was launched in 2002, Easby was one of the first users to implement it. Easby constantly evolves its IT environment and is always keen to keep up with new ADP developments that meet business needs.

Oracle database introduced

ADP K8 is now available with the industry-leading Oracle 10g relational database. Easby Electronics has recently taken advantage of this new version and completed a 28-user single site implementation.

For Tim Morris, managing director of Easby Electronics, the migration to the latest ADP solution (K8.09), gave an opportunity to combine the marketleading K8 trading system with world-class database technology from Oracle.

“ The initial investment in hardware to upgrade to K8.09 was comparatively small. I was able to continue using my existing Linux server and all that was required was additional memory and storage,” he says.

New General Ledger and performance improvements

One of the main reasons for upgrading K8 was to use the new general ledger. Since completion, Tim has also noticed a real improvement in performance. For example, the end-of-day processes now take less than half the time to complete. Also database access using anO DBC tool to connect third party applications is far quicker.

“My users found it easy to adapt to the upgrade, as the K8.09 trading
functionality has a similar look and feel to the K8.07 version,” says Tim.

Another impressive area is the cashbook facility, which provides a true multicurrency treasury system and processes transactions in real time. The new system can import statements, reconcile tills, allocate cash, and deal with petty cash transactions. While previously bank reconciliation was “always a major headache” with delays of two months, the new cashbook brings that forward to just two days. That’s eliminated a “lot of clerical time.”

Tim thinks that chasing customers for money is easier too. Easby now manages customer debt before it becomes due through pre-defined action lists in the improved Credit Chase facility. An on-screen telephone list assists staff with chasing calls and logging responses.

A renewed confidence in ADP

The newly-upgraded software provides more day-to-day information online without having to refer to predefined reports. For example, the company’s trial balance is available in a ‘workplace view’ and may also be drilled down to document level.

The main reason for Easby Electronics’ upgrade was to take advantage of new financial features and implement the Oracle 10g database. These plus other software improvements are now having a positive effect on the business. Highlights include enhanced sales order processing and purchasing along with rebates and buying terms. Even small things - like ‘display order history’ to show all documents in one place - are making a big difference.

“We thought that implementing Oracle would require a lot of assistance but we found the opposite. Much tighter integration of customer relationship management within K8.09 will also allow Easby to develop improved business processes,” says Tim. “The ADP Commercial Systems implementation team understands my business and I have worked closely with the same consultants for many years. Their experience and smooth running of the project gave me confidence - and ensured a very positive end result.”