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SnT Global successfully rolls out ASP-Based ching to Microsoft Dynamics AX

“With Microsoft Dynamics AX, our clients get important business information and up-to-date reports and analyzes through the Customer Self Service Portal. This helps them make the right decisions quickly, improves productivity and efficiency, and enhances their overall business.”

- Aaron Lim, Chief Operating Officer, SnT Global Sdn Bhd

SnT Global’s roll out of a customer self service-based solution to its clients encountered difficulties during the implementation process. The Java-based ERP system did not lend itself easily to customization and this delayed the deployment of the solution for its clients. SnT Global decided to bite the bullet and drop the ERP solution in favour of Microsoft Dynamics AX. Unlike the previous Java-based system, Microsoft Dynamics AX is user-friendly and easily customized and this resulted in a speedy deployment. Through the Customer Self Service Portal, Microsoft Dynamics AX provided SnT Global’s clients real-time connectivity across their businesses, bringing with it tremendous efficiency and productivity gains. With up-to-date reports and analyzes, SnT Global’s clients can make the right decisions quickly.

Situation

SnT Global Sdn Bhd was established in 1999 to provide e-logistics solutions and services to manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers and freight forwarders who were looking at ways to reduce logistics costs.

The Malaysian company, then known as Ship'nTrack Sdn Bhd, was founded by David Wong Nan Fay who was inspired by the Internet revolution and saw an opportunity to make e-commerce a reality for companies. From being an applications software provider of system solutions, the company has since evolved into an eFulfillment Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) solutions provider. It now offers logistics solutions in areas of contact center management, lead logistics management and after-market service management.

Ship'nTrack was renamed SnT Global to reflect its corporate dynamism and global presence. Starting with only three employees, SnT Global has since grown from strength to strength and now has over 300 employees. In offering a host of solutions, SnT Global sees itself as a part or an extension of its clients. “We believe in helping our clients make timely and accurate business decisions,” says Aaron Lim, SnT Global’s Chief Operating Officer.

“For our clients, this will translate into a healthy profit margin, better visibility and brand awareness as well as increased shareholders value without adding capital investment or manpower,” he adds.

More than three years ago, SnT Global decided to offer a Customer Self Service-based solution to its clients. For this offering, it selected a Java-based ERP system developed by a local company. However, SnT Global soon ran into difficulties during the implementation. “Firstly, it didn’t quite work out as the fit for the logistics space wasn’t there. It didn’t have a trading and logistics bias,” says Lim.

SnT Global also discovered the solution did not lend itself easily to customization. This became a major issue because the vendor’s difficulty in customizing the solution delayed the deployment process.

“Typically, a lot of customization is required for an outsourced type of implementation. Essentially, we have to customize an ERP engine to suit multiple customers on their Customer Self Service Portal.”

“The vendor was committed to doing it but when push came to shove, they did not have the resources to handle the customization. The customization was overly complex for them,” he adds. Ultimately, Lim says these customization issues “set us back about six months.”

SnT Global realized it had a major problem on its hands which needed a speedy resolution. It decided to bite the bullet and drop the ERP solution.

Solution

To replace it, SnT Global evaluated various established solutions including SAP and Microsoft Dynamics AX (formerly Microsoft Axapta). SnT Global then decided that Microsoft Dynamics AX would serve as the ideal system for its ERP offering.

Lim says Microsoft Dynamics AX was chosen because of its ease of implementation and the availability of local support. In contrast, he says that SAP had a longer implementation time frame and greater complexity in customization.

Designed for midsize and larger companies, Microsoft Dynamics AX is a multi-language, multicurrency ERP solution. Its core strengths are in manufacturing and e-business, and it includes strong functionality for the wholesale and services industries. The Microsoft Dynamics AX system, which is linked to a Microsoft SQL Server database, is hosted at a datacenter in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. The clients’ users may log in to the Customer Self Service Portal via any internet explorer.

SNT Global went live with its Microsoft Dynamics AX-based ERP in 2004 and now has clients in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China and Taiwan. The solution provides end-to-end business support from financial, customer relationship and human resource management; business analysis; global support; technology; manufacturing to distribution, and from SnT Global's business orientation, supply chain and project management.

SnT Global engaged Prorsus Sdn Bhd, a Microsoft Certified Business Solutions Partner, to deploy the Microsoft Dynamics AX solution and handle the necessary customizations. Lim confirms that Prorsus has provided very good support.

“With Microsoft Dynamics AX, we have had no problems with modifications. Unlike the previous ERP solution, there was no customization that we couldn’t handle,” attests Lim. In fact, the deployment was slightly ahead of schedule.

“We also developed additional modules unique to the way we do business, and these are plugged into Microsoft Dynamics AX. This brings value to the whole solution.”

Lim says Microsoft Dynamics AX is flexible as clients could pick and choose the modules they require. In addition, it can be used by both small and large companies. “It is scalable for use by 10 users to 1000 users or more and its core architecture is configured for multilingual international operations; multi currency transactions while maintaining multiple operations.”

Benefits

Integrated Productivity
Microsoft Dynamics AX is an all-in-one solution that gives SnT Global’s clients real-time connectivity across their businesses, bringing with it tremendous efficiency and productivity gains, through the Customer Self Service Portal.

With a central data capture, re-keying in of data has been reduced substantially, thus enhancing data integrity. Since all Microsoft Dynamics AX modules are part of one system and database, a transaction in one module is automatically updated in corresponding accounts in the general ledger. This automatic, real-time updating of information ensures timely and accurate reporting.

“With Microsoft Dynamics AX, our clients can get important business information and up-to-date reports and analyzes through the Customer Self Service Portal. This helps them to make the right decisions quickly. Not only does it improve productivity and efficiency, it enhances their overall business,” he adds.

Stable and Reliable
In running the Customer Self Service-based business, SnT Global needs its systems to be extremely stable and reliable to ensure its clients’ business is not disrupted. After running Microsoft Dynamics AX for over 2½ years, Lim can testify that it is an ERP system which is highly stable and reliable.

“In our business, system uptime is of vital importance and Microsoft Dynamics AX is close to 100 per cent. Its engine is very stable,” Lim states. “So far it hasn’t given us any problems in terms of stability or downtime. That means it hasn’t disrupted our business operations or that of our clients,” he adds.

Lim says it would be disastrous if its ERP system was prone to frequent downtime. ““If there’s any downtime, our clients would be very upset and our service level would be affected.”

“After running Microsoft Dynamics AX for 2½ years, we are very happy with the system. And we don’t have complaints from our clients too,” he adds.

Rapid Speed-to-Market
As an e-solutions provider with customers across the region, SnT Global’s business success rests on its ability to speedily customize the various requirements from its clients. In Microsoft Dynamics AX, SnT Global has an ERP platform which is flexible, stable, and easy to customize.

“Speed of implementation and customization not only affects our business, but more importantly it also impacts our clients as well,” explains Lim. He says that any acquisition of new clients typically required a fair amount of customization work. This process is expedited with Microsoft Dynamics AX as it comes with a user-friendly customization tool.

The MorphX Development Suite enables programmers and system administrators to add and modify functionalities and have these changes appear within the system immediately. MorphX is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which integrates different functions such as designing, editing, compiling and debug-ging. This allows for fast and efficient customization and development.

While the previous ERP system hampered SnT Global from quickly expanding its business, Microsoft Dynamics AX enables it to reach new markets quickly. Lim says Microsoft Dynamics AX’s ease of implementation and customization enabled SnT Global to roll out its services in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in just three months.

Subsequently, it was able to speedily replicate the business for the China and Taiwan markets. “It took us just three weeks to roll out the system for China and two weeks in the case of Taiwan!,” he adds. With Microsoft Dynamics AX, SnT Global has no worries about extending the service to more countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lower Support Costs
Microsoft Dynamics AX’s integrated development environment and powerful, easy-to-use tools help developers cost-effectively implement, customize and maintain the solution.

In addition, Microsoft Dynamics AX’s seamless integration with widely used Microsoft products such as Microsoft Office, SQL Server, Exchange and BizTalk Server contribute to lower implementation costs for multiple countries.

The user friendliness of the system also enables SnT Global to keep its IT team lean. Lim says that if SnT Global had chosen a solution like SAP, it would probably have needed up to 30 per cent more IT resources to support the system.

Overview
Country:Malaysia
Industry: Information Technology

Customer Profile
SnT Global Sdn is an eFulfillment Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) solutions provider. It offers logistics solutions in areas of contact center management, lead logistics management and after-market service management.

Business Situation
SnT Global’s roll out of its customer self service solution was delayed because the Java-based ERP system did not lend itself easily to customization. This prompted SnT Global to look for a new ERP solution.

Solution
SnT Global selected Microsoft Dynamics AX because of its ease of implementation and the availability of local support. The Dynamics AX system is linked to a Microsoft SQL Server database and is hosted at a datacenter in Cyberjaya.

Benefits

Integrated Productivity
Stable and Reliable
Rapid Speed-to-Market
Lower Support Costs

For More Information
To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com/malaysia

For other case studies in this series, visit www.microsoft.com/malaysia/business/casestudies

For more information about Prorsus Sdn Bhd’s products and services, call +603 7491 0790 or visit the Web site at: www.prorsus.com

For more information about SnT Global’s services, call +6(03) 5882 9100 or visit the Web site at: www.shipntrack.com