Snell transforms operations with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

For many years, Snell had depended on a legacy implementation of Microsoft Dynamics GP along with a complicated set of integrations to their standalone warehouse management and procurement systems, and website. By 2020, it was apparent to all that their ageing ERP hindered business growth.

Sam Galloway, Snell’s Commercial Manager, says that stepping up their technology game was essential. 

“We had very clear business objectives, including reducing the risk and complexity posed by our legacy environment. We wanted to focus on business improvement rather than putting out technology fires. Our vision was to implement a single cloud-based enterprise solution to support our needs – one that would allow us to grow rather than constantly distract us with issues.”

While they considered a range of solutions, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365 F&O) was a logical choice given its capabilities and Snell’s predominantly Microsoft environment. 

It was also time to find a new technology partner to support Snell’s vision.

“When the GP consultant we relied on went out on her own, it put us at the crossroads of some big decisions,” says Galloway. “We could stay with the same partner and double down on customisation and keep going. Or rip the Band-Aid off and figure out how to future-proof the business while removing a risky reliance on a small pool of individuals and their knowledge of our integrations."

“We decided it was time to find a partner with the proven skills, wide-ranging resources, and support infrastructure to implement what we needed and keep improving the platform into the future.”

Having previously engaged Fusion5 to implement Dynamics 365 CRM, choosing them as their implementation and support partner for D365 F&O was a natural next step. 

After establishing Snell’s business and operational requirements, Fusion5 proposed that the new ERP would deliver (on top of a comprehensive range of financial functions) supply chain and sales capabilities, as well as Power Platform. Big Commerce integration would be added later to support a new website.

The next question was how the project would be delivered. While a few features were earmarked for progressive roll-outs, Snell was keen to quickly take advantage of the new platform.

“We decided to go with a big bang approach,” says Galloway. “We’d jump in boots and all and cut over from our old website and systems to a new e-commerce store and ERP in one go.”

It was a bold decision, but it paid off, says Galloway.

“It required a lot of effort and change management from our perspective and that of the Snell/Fusion5 steering committee. And we knew it would never be perfect on day one. But it pushed us to clean up our master data, including supplier, product, and customer codes, and remove data that wasn’t helpful to the business.

“We prioritised what we needed to manage in terms of risk – the biggest threat being operational failure. We did lots of testing, developed comms plans, took a multi-pronged approach to engaging with customers and suppliers, and provided lots of staff training to get buy-in to our vision.

“And it worked. Spending time on change management meant fewer issues to sort out, and they all tended to be small ones.”

The D365 project was Galloway's first ERP implementation experience, and it was a steep learning curve.

However, he says, “The results of working with Fusion5 speak for themselves. The implementation was successful, despite us doing it mid-Covid. We're comfortable with how it's working for us and get positive staff feedback.

“D365 F&O has been a game changer for us,” says Galloway. “The cloud infrastructure and replacing disparate software with a single seamless platform (without risky integrations) all sold us on the solution's value. It helped eliminate the stress of middle-of-the-weekend integration failure and took a lot of weight off our shoulders.”

Operational improvements include rules restricting which products a customer can buy, a process Galloway says was previously managed by referring to notations against each account. “Many of the improvements were small, but they add up in terms of how efficiently we now operate. We’ve been able to replace our reliance on employees’ memories with failsafe controls. And we no longer make all those little operational mistakes, which pleases our customers as well our team members who had to sort the issues out afterwards.”

Charlotte Ashmore, Snell’s Marketing Manager, says that Fusion5’s work enabled the business's new website to bridge the physical and digital disconnect they’d been living with.

“By integrating the new ERP with the website, the website is now an outward and accurate reflection of how we do business. It can handle really complex customer requirements in the B2B space. So if a customer can only purchase certain items or has preferential pricing, that’s exactly what they see on the site.”

Galloway says the primary benefits they’ve realised from the Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations project are security and risk mitigation.

“I know that sounds obvious, but I think many New Zealand businesses out there are probably guilty of kicking the can down the road and being happy with what they've been doing. They probably underestimate the risk of catastrophic failure in case of a cyberattack or natural disaster.

“While yes, we are now inherently more efficient, the value for Snell is around that peace of mind, the security, and the infrastructure on Azure – which does a better job of protecting us than we could ever do ourselves. With a unified platform, we can run the entire business without integrations – a huge selling point for us!

“Our senior management sleep better at night knowing we are safe and have a partner who knows us inside out - and is there for us.”