Bespoke warehouse database system fulfills workflow and processing requirements, when off-the-shelf software wasn’t a good fit.
About
Tecserv Ltd, based in Harlow, Essex was established in 2000 by Managing Director, Glenn Bailey. His aim was to provide an expert handling service dedicated to the UK photocopier market. This service was geared to companies deciding to opt out of running their own logistics.
The Challenge
Initially a two-man operation, the business has grown substantially and is now one of the UK’s leading photocopier handling specialists. Services include building, installing, removing and storing photocopiers.
The operations team were reliant on a series of Excel spreadsheets and Excel add-ins to record stock movement of photocopiers, plus new and used parts. Excel had served TecServ well over the years as the business expanded a systemised solution was required.
Dean Chisholm, Deputy Managing Director of TecServ, was the inspiration behind the idea for a bespoke system. Having looked at off-the-shelf packages he found they either failed to meet TecServ’s criteria or included unnecessary, expensive features.
The Solution
The bespoke warehouse management system now enables stock to be instantly booked in and out with each item being tracked by a serial number and exact warehouse location.
Quick reporting functionality includes collection request reports and user defined reports based on set parameters such as storage dates, serial number and customer name. Reports are directly saved in Excel or pdf formats and shared with customers.
Created with the end users in mind the new internal system easily manages customers and pricing rates via look up tables.
Additionally, billing reports by customer are generated with calculated values to improve and support the invoicing process.
The Results & Benefits
- Management visibility – instant access to stock levels and status at the press of a button.
- Quick reporting – saves time and improves collaboration
- Billing Reports – helps speed up the invoicing process
The Technology
Microsoft ASP.NET 4.5
SQL Server