Based near Atlanta, Georgia, Exhausto sources and configures high-temperature ventilation systems for customers across a range of industries. An aggressive adopter of new technology, the company sought to upgrade its Microsoft Dynamics® NAV solution to take advantage of user interface enhancements, improved integration capabilities, and the introduction of the three-tier solution architecture in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009. Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner ArcherPoint helped Exhausto implement Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 and integrate the solution with its proprietary FanCalc application, as well as E-Ship and Advanced Forecasting and Procurement (AFP) from Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Lanham Associates. By using Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 together with these tools, Exhausto gains from stronger productivity, improved customer service delivery, and increased agility.

Situation

Founded in 1990, Exhausto configures and distributes high-temperature ventilation and cooling systems used in restaurants, hotels, and other structures. The Atlanta, Georgia–based company has 20 employees at its headquarters and seven additional field sales and product design personnel dispersed throughout the United States. In 2008, Exhausto will post U.S.$10 million in revenue from sales to customers throughout the United States and Canada.

The company originally implemented Navision® enterprise resource planning (ERP) software—now Microsoft Dynamics® NAV—and pursued successive upgrades as new versions became available. In addition, Exhausto developed a Microsoft® Visual Basic® application called FanCalc and integrated it with Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0. Establishing a link between FanCalc and Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 has proven critical to the company’s success over the years, and the company is always looking for ways to enhance the integration of these systems. Furthermore, Exhausto uses Microsoft Dynamics CRM to manage its customer correspondence and service delivery efforts, and relies heavily on productivity tools in the Microsoft Office system, including Microsoft Office Outlook® and Microsoft Office Excel®.

Eager to stay current on the latest technology, company leaders evaluated the prospect of upgrading Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 to the latest version of the software. In particular, they sought to take advantage of user interface enhancements, tighter system integration capabilities, and changes to the system architecture offered in the latest system release. But, Exhausto executives also needed to justify the cost of the implementation.

With the three-tier architecture of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009, it’s easier to provide reliable remote system access to employees worldwide, which means we can pursue growth with more confidence. Steen Hagensen, President, Exhausto

Solution

After calculating potential gains in efficiency, productivity, and customer service, and projecting improved long-term growth capacity enabled by the new solution, leaders at Exhausto opted to move forward with implementing Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009. “Upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009, with its enhanced flexibility and all of its innovative features, was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” says Steen Hagensen, President of Exhausto.

The company engaged Microsoft Gold Certified Partners ArcherPoint, an Atlanta-based value-added reseller specializing in Microsoft Dynamics solutions, and Lanham Associates, a global independent software vendor. With prerelease access to the software through their participation in the Technology Adoption Program for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009, ArcherPoint and Lanham Associates helped Exhausto become one of the first companies worldwide to go live with the new solution.

ArcherPoint helped Exhausto link Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 to Microsoft Dynamics CRM and an upgraded version of Exhausto’s proprietary FanCalc application. The ArcherPoint team also implemented the E-Ship and Advanced Forecasting and Procurement (AFP) solutions from Lanham Associates. Built inside the database in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, these solutions ensure that Exhausto forecasts and receives the right product at the right time to efficiently fulfill and ship orders globally for its more than 300 independent sales representatives.
 
Tight System Integration
For Exhausto, one of the key enhancements to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 is increased support for connecting critical business systems. The tight integration between the company’s FanCalc application and Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 made it possible to fully automate the conversion of bills of material into sales orders. Because data is shared between the two systems in real time, changes made to pricing or product configuration specifications in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 are instantly available in FanCalc.

In addition, Exhausto relies on tight integration between Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM to track customer data throughout the sales life cycle. “Because we can access order information right alongside detailed customer history data, we can provide fast, accurate customer service, which has become one of our major competitive strengths,” says Hagensen.

Enhanced Interface
For Exhausto, one of the most compelling improvements introduced in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 is the Microsoft Dynamics RoleTailored user interface, which enables the company to customize views in the solution to provide employees with individualized Role Centers. This helps employees throughout the organization find the information they need in less time. Now, rather than opening up one module to monitor inventory levels and a separate module to view delivery schedules, production employees use the Role Center to access all of the information they need in a single interface.

Role Centers help Exhausto employees quickly find information.

Remote Access to the ERP System
ArcherPoint helped Exhausto implement a single, on-premises instance of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 and deploy the solution to 20 employees at its corporate headquarters facility. Exhausto also provides sales and product design personnel dispersed throughout the United States with remote access to the system. Previously, Exhausto used Terminal Services on Windows Server® 2003 to provide remote system access. With the new three-tier architecture of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009, remote users can connect directly to the server, which enables faster system response times, helping employees maximize productivity and increase their capacity for real-time collaboration.

Upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009, with its enhanced flexibility and all of its innovative features, was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Steen Hagensen, President, Exhausto

Benefits

With Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009, Exhausto benefits from increased individual and team productivity, and improved customer service. In addition, by upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the company strengthened its competitive advantage and its ability to capitalize on growth opportunities.

Increased Productivity
Exhausto produces up to 5,000 customer quotes a year, maintaining all of this data in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009. Because the solution interoperates more completely with the company’s existing systems, including its proprietary FanCalc application, sales staff can generate customer quotes in less time, reducing production lead times and accelerating order processing. In addition, the RoleTailored interface lets employees across the organization access the information they need with greater ease, resulting in faster task completion. For example, buyers can focus on forecasting and procurement, which facilitates planning for assembly of complex ventilation systems that require long lead times. And, employees in shipping can focus on exactly what must go out the door each day. Access to customized role centers also helps them in quickly prioritizing shipments and preparing the correct international shipping documents required by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Better Customer Service Delivery
By integrating Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the company gains a comprehensive view of each customer relationship and provides faster responses to customer inquiries. Linking the two systems enables Exhausto to provide customers with current information regarding warranty claims or billing status while maintaining a complete record of all customer interactions. “The tight connection between Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM lets us quickly merge data between the two systems,” Hagensen says. “Now, we’re able to devote fewer resources to customer service activities while providing a better customer experience.”

Greater Agility, Stronger Growth Potential
The flexible three-tier architecture of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 means that adapting the system to meet changing business requirements is a much more cost-effective proposition for Exhausto. This year, the company plans to open a sales office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and will provide employees there with remote access to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009. “With the three-tier architecture of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009, it’s easier to provide reliable remote system access to employees worldwide, which means we can pursue growth with more confidence,” says Hagensen.
 

Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which means less of a learning curve for your people, so they can get up and running quickly and focus on what’s most important. And because it is from Microsoft, it easily works with the systems that your company already has implemented. By automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship, and supply chain processes, Microsoft Dynamics brings together people, processes, and technologies, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your business, and helping you drive business success.
 
For more information about Microsoft Dynamics, go to:
www.microsoft.com/dynamics

For More Information
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/

For more information about Exhausto products and services, call (770) 587-3238, or visit the Web site at:
http://www.exhausto.com/

For more information about ArcherPoint products and services, call (678) 389-4283, or visit the Web site at:
http://www.archerpoint.com/

For more information about Lanham Associates products and services, call (678) 379-4200, or visit the Web site at: 
 www.lanhamassoc.com

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.