NaviTrans is implemented in World Transport Overseas

Svetlin Peshev, the CEO of World Transport Overseas company, shared experience of one of the transport-forwarding companies. Told about the reasons of the choice of the ERP solution NaviTrans based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, its integration with other systems, about difficulties at implementation and about advantage for the company and its partners.

• Mister Peshev, why the management of WTO decided to trust in the ERP solution?

• I will not hide that it was the hard solution. Implementation of new schedule system and resource management is a solution which should be carefully deliberated as it influences both processes and resources of the company, and all our appearance, and prepares us for future changes (investments, partnership, organic growth, etc.).

In this sense it is worth to remember that WTO has the offices in several European countries, and the solution should be applied well abroad. In the final choice the following factors prevailed: first NaviTrans the vertical solution based on the ERP system of Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The product has the know-how from transport companies, generally from Central and Northern Europe. Thus, we invest in a new ERP system and at the same time we receive set the practician of a company performance in our industry. Secondly, completely we will combine a product which we selected and it is integrated with all products of Microsoft corporation.

At the same time, NaviTrans and its platform give practically opportunities for integration into other ERP solutions of our partners – clients, agents and suppliers. It means that we can easily integrate our systems through EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) so that "pour" information between them in real time. Think what surprising opportunities for improvement of service quality and increase in efficiency open in this way.

And still, NaviTrans allows to create the numerous automated reports which give us information as about results of a company performance (this standard for the majority of such solutions), and about our workflows. The last the most important because thus we learn not only that we reached, but also as we reached it. Thus, we can optimize processes that in the long term means higher quality of service and more predictable for our clients.

• Whether there were moments when you thought that you can stop on other system?

• After a choice is made and we felt confident in the solution, we stopped looking for other options and did not distract the attention, and focused on using it with the maximum effect for the company.

• How preparation of introduction of a system to operation was long? How in practice did it occur?

• Active preparation for system implementation lasted slightly more than 6 months. I will specify the most important steps according to our experience.

First, the purposes and terms of the project were determined together with our contractor by implementation - FTS. Defined key users who cooperated with the contractor for setup of separate working system modules. Together with them also instructions were developed for users. Then also necessary managerial reports were defined. Implementation was gradual, since the module of financial accounting. Together with our supplier of the web solution add-on modules were developed for electronic trading. It, in a nutshell represents interactive information exchange with our clients in real time via our website. At last, after implementation the joint statement on acceptance of a product was prepared. Further steps, for example, creation of a system of automatic information exchange with our prime vendor were also defined. Of course, we cannot claim that our approach is only correct. We consider that each company should construct the plan according to their resources and time frames.

• What changes in the organization of a company performance of WTO were made in the course of implementation and what help was received from experts of FTS?

• There is a lot of changes, and they were demanded from our party. Alignment of processes and deadlines of processing of loads between offices WTO, creation of a single system of communication (internal and external), good struturirovanny document flow and, not least, good financial statements were our main objectives.

Transition was not a lung and the main load fell to our employees who had to care for that changes remained inside and did not bring discomfort to our clients and suppliers. Consultants of FCS were near us throughout all way which we passed.

• Hard was to adapt the employees to work in a system?

• Any changes in an organiztion are perceived difficult. In our case the scale of changes (practically all processes in the company were affected) was huge. We expect that process of adaptation can last at least 6 months after final system deployment and we consider it normal.

• It was difficult to integrate a system with other software solutions which you use? And with the systems of your partners?

• One of our purposes was to reduce use of local IT solutions to a minimum and to cover 90% of information needs with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and according to NaviTrans. It is the only way for achievement of desirable improvement in performance of work and standardization of processes. I think that we on the right track. We already plan creation of a system of automatic information exchange with our prime vendor to facilitate our work and to increase quality and timeliness of providing information for our clients.