Microsoft reselling partner, Centerline ERP, implemented Microsoft® Business Solutions–Axapta® for Nova-Tech. Midwest Data, one of the Willmar Poultry companies, then implemented the remaining companies, with assistance from Centerline on customizations. With this, Willmar Poultry gets lot benefit:
- Ability to interface various modules for different companies on a selected basis
- Customizable for proprietary companies
- Staff savings
- Significant paper savings resulting from the ability to drill-down
Willmar Poultry Companies, founded in 1945, is one of the largest turkey poult producers in the United States. They also operate several diverse companies related to the production of turkeys and other livestock, as well as Midwest Data that provides billing and financial solutions for the Willmar Poultry Group and for 90 telephone companies and small businesses. Willmar Poultry wanted a solution that would operate on a single database and be able to manage their multiple and diverse operations.
They wanted a solution strong in both manufacturing and financials. With the help of Microsoft reselling partner, Centerline, they implemented Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta for Nova-Tech (an affiliated manufacturing company). With assistance from Centerline, Midwest Data then coordinated implementation for the remaining companies. Willmar Poultry appreciates the ability to interface various modules for different companies on a selected basis. They have realized money savings from staff reductions and from the ability to drill-down to access information rather than having to print reports.
Situation
Willmar Poultry Company, founded in 1945, is one of the largest turkey poult producers in the United States. Willmar Poultry consists of several privately held businesses positioned to serve the turkey industry and data processing customers in Minnesota and nearby states.
Willmar Poultry is affiliated with eight companies including:
- Nova-Tech Engineering: manufactures and markets high-tech hatchery automation equipment worldwide
- Epitopix: produces patented vaccines for the poultry, dairy, and swine industries
- WilPro: purchases and resells the production for commercial meat birds on 15 independent turkey farms in southern Minnesota
- Willmar Poultry Farms: raises turkeys in 100 barns on 35 farms
- Farm Service Elevator: a feed mill
- AgForte: operates a hatchery in Minnesota, 15 farms and a hatchery in Missouri, and a farm in Kansas
- Willmar Poultry Company/PALS: operates four hatcheries and serves as a distributor for equipment, medications, and supplies for turkey producers, dairy operators, and hog producers
- Midwest Data: provides billing and financial solutions for the Willmar Poultry Group, 39 telephone companies, and 50 small businesses
Hatcheries affiliated with Willmar Poultry hatch over 90 million eggs annually. Affiliated farms raise approximately ten percent of these poults into young birds; the remaining 90 percent are sold to other major turkey producing companies.
Willmar Poultry began their software search looking for a solution that would operate on a single database and manage their multiple and diverse operations. They wanted a solution that could reduce development costs, hardware costs, and paper output. They also wanted to streamline data entry and reporting, increase flexibility and functionality, and improve data access and decision making capabilities.
They determined that they needed a solution using a Microsoft® SQL Server™ database, the GUI environment of the Microsoft Windows® operating system, and one that would perform well in remote situations. They wanted a solution that was strong in both the financial and manufacturing arenas required by their diverse companies.
Willmar Poultry began their software search in January of 2000. While they did the traditional analysis of companies, they also utilized "The Accounting Library" software to determine requirements and compare software packages. Willmar Poultry explored and rejected several software options. Each solution was strong in either financials or manufacturing; but none had strengths in both of these areas. They decided to continue their search.
Solution
Nova-Tech had been approached by Microsoft reselling partner, Centerline ERP. Centerline proposed Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta® as the answer to the needs of all the affiliated companies. Willmar Poultry looked at Microsoft Axapta and invited Centerline for an interview and demo.
"The salesman said Microsoft Axapta had both [financial and manufacturing] and we didn't believe him. We asked him to prove it," says Scott Norling, MIS Director. "When Centerline came out with a demo, we couldn't believe how much this solution had in both areas."
It was important for Willmar Poultry to select software that was capable of providing them the freedom to operate the way their businesses needed, not the way the software dictated. "We weren't seeking a template or off-the-shelf business model offered by some software publishers," says Norling. "We needed a solution with the technology that could adapt to our business processes, not the other way around. Microsoft Axapta offered this freedom and capability."
Since implementing Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta, we are now able to combine our financials with information from other applications to effectively write reports that bring everything together.
Scott Holmgren MIS Coordinator, Willmar Poultry Company
In addition to handling the complicated financials relative to its multitude of companies, Willmar Poultry liked the functionality, price, and ease of integration provided by Microsoft Axapta. The functionality of the MorphX Development Suite provided Willmar Poultry with the ability to adapt the software to the specific requirements of each company's industry.
"The MorphX tools allow us to create extended data types that are used to develop new tables, screens, and classes of information quickly and easily," says Scott Holmgren, MIS Coordinator.
Microsoft Axapta also met the 3-Tier requirement for Willmar Poultry's remote companies.
While Centerline ERP took the lead for the Nova-Tech implementation in February 2002, Midwest Data did the analysis and took the lead for the remaining implementations with assistance from Centerline as needed. Following the Nova-Tech implementation in February 2001, AgForte, a new acquisition, was implemented in the Summer of 2001. The rest of the companies, including WPC/PALS went live in the Fall of 2002. Centerline ERP and Midwest Data both assisted with customizing the solutions for the various companies.
Since the original implementation, Willmar Poultry has successfully applied two service packs to the solution. These upgrades have been easily accomplished due to the "layering of technology," reports showing modified objects, and the "compare and move" functionality of Microsoft Axapta. Willmar Poultry expects to see payback from their software and implementation costs within two years. They will also achieve additional cost savings by performing their own upgrades on the software. "With Microsoft Axapta's integrated tool set, we have the freedom to perform these upgrades on our own without costly third party consultants," says Norling.
Willmar Poultry has 650 employees and 92 defined users; they are licensed for up to 40 concurrent users.
Consolidation of Applications into One Database
When using a mainframe/PC solution it was impractical for Willmar Poultry to combine data and get reports with information from both systems. Microsoft Axapta provides the ability to interface various modules on a selected basis for the various companies comprising Willmar Poultry. The new software also enables integration with data from the previous solution.
"Microsoft Axapta provides us with the multi-company platform we need as we work with the proprietary terminology of several diverse companies," says Norling.
Staff Savings
Microsoft Axapta's inter-company functionality has allowed Willmar Poultry to reduce accounting staff by 25 percent for savings of over $80,000 annually. It also prevented them from having to add additional staff when they acquired AgForte.
Ability to Drill-Down
We are just as excited about what Microsoft Axapta has in the financials as we are about its manufacturing components.
Scott Norling MIS Director, Willmar Poultry Company
Willmar Poultry previously used "tons of paper, the huge green bar stuff". "With the drill-down and lookup features of Microsoft Axapta, that's changed," says Holmgren.
The old software required the company to either purge data every three months or to purchase more drives. Since mainframe drives are expensive, they opted to purge files. Since implementation, Willmar Poultry is able to maintain their data files; this provides them with a longer history of transactions for data lookup, problem resolution, and inventory purposes.
"At times, I used to spend days and even weeks compiling sales data on just one product; I couldn't do any ad hoc queries," says Holmgren. "Now, everything is right at my fingertips and the fingertips of other users. They can easily dump everything into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and run with it."
Microsoft Business Solutions offers a wide range of integrated, end-to-end business applications and services designed to help small, mid-market and corporate businesses become more connected with customers, employees, partners and suppliers.
For more information about Microsoft Business Solutions, go to:
http://www.microsoft.com/BusinessSolutions
