North East Companies - Growth Through Collaboration

Leading SAP® consultancy, Absoft, has secured a six-figure, seven-year contract win in the Discrete Manufacturing sector.

The win reflects the company’s strategic focus to drive improvements within the UK’s SME manufacturing market, with the aim of helping the sector realise its full potential.

The contract with Scottish agricultural machinery manufacturer, Marshall Trailers, involves the implementation of Absoft Adima, the company’s pre-packaged version of ERP software technology, SAP S/4HANA. Based on advanced in-memory database technology, it provides real-time analytics and business insight to enable improved business processes and informed decision-making.

As well as implementation, Absoft has also been contracted to provide cloud hosting, remote functional support and technical managed services of the system.

Don Valentine, Absoft’s commercial director, said: “We are delighted to have secured this valuable contract win, which truly underpins Absoft as a leader in tailored SAP solutions. We are particularly pleased that Marshall Trailers has opted for the inaugural implementation of Absoft Adima, as this is a real step change in the ERP market; it’s an affordable, integrated, easy to use ERP system that is available in the cloud and on mobile devices.

“Previously, many UK based SME companies that we have talked to have had a pre-conception that SAP is exclusively the preserve of companies with large numbers of employees and high turnovers. In Absoft Adima, we have deliberately challenged this pre-conception by creating a leaner, pre-packaged variant of SAP to specifically address the challenges of UK-based SME manufacturing companies. The result is an affordable, integrated single system solution for smaller, ambitious companies looking to streamline and optimise business activity.”

Marshall’s business growth plans led to the firm engaging Absoft to help them digitally transform their business, through the implementation of Absoft Adima.

Charles R. Marshall, the firm’s managing director, said: “We needed a solution to support our production growth targets, whilst managing costs. We researched several solutions and concluded that Absoft Adima was the only system that was tailored to support our processes, whilst giving us a future-proof functionality. Absoft’s 20-year track record and experience in SAP ensured we were in safe hands when we selected them as our implementation and support partner.

“As Adima is based on SAP, we can be confident that the solution is adaptable to changes in markets, changes in business models and increases in digitalisation and automation. Along with Absoft’s ongoing support, we know Adima will be key in helping us achieve future objectives.”

Don concluded: “Offering tailored solutions to growth-oriented businesses operating in the discrete manufacturing industry is certainly one area in which we foresee further business success – and this represents another stage of growth for Absoft. It’s an exciting time; not only for our team, who are relishing these projects, but for businesses that recognise that digital transformation is key to future success.”