McGuffie Brunton sees upturn as acquired integrated apps start to pay off

SME manufacturing ERP and e-business systems firm McGuffie Brunton, which is 20 years old this year, says the breadth of its newly acquired and now integrated additional applications for Syspro’s Impact Encore ERP system are proving attractive – both to existing and new users. Last month McGuffie acquired former Impact reseller and human resource (HR) software developer MDF Systems and its Equator suite, which offers integrated time and attendance, payroll, personnel and shopfloor data capture, and has been particularly successful in the airlines sector. And earlier this year it bought South African warehouse management software company Mannex and its ‘Wherehouse’ WMS and some of its people. Additionally, the firm has developed its e-business and CRM (customer relationship management) sides, the latter now with the ‘Achiever’ suite, and has a commission-based partnership with South African Optimus Inventory – the inventory optimisation and reduction IT firm also working closely with ERP developer and Oracle partner SSI in this country. On the WMS side, contracts have already been signed with rubber mat and baby product manufacturer Canon Avent, while Bob Martin and Ralex Systems have signed for the Equator HR and T&A Impact extensions. On CRM, lighting manufacturer Chelson, Centriforce and Karton Healthcare are also recent new contracts. And on e-business, although evidently not going so fast, McGuffie has a contract with Ericson antenna provider, Precision Antennas. Meanwhile, Impact user KSR Automotive in Scunthorpe is upgrading, re-implementing and extending its Impact ERP system to improve manufacturing production and the links into its warehousing and distribution: sales director Howard Joseph expects an order for the McGuffie WMS to follow. “We’re going for manufacturing companies with big distribution problems,” says Joseph. As a result of all the activity, Joseph says the firm – somewhat unusually at the moment in this sector – is on target for its 2001 growth and revenue figures: turnover for 2001 will be around £6m. With a client base of 550 in the £5m to £35m turnover range, one third of its income from license fees and support, and the sheer spread of ROI-generating additional applications for users to go for, it’s not difficult to see why the firm is seeing success. What’s equally interesting is that, according to Joseph, the firm “could have done £1.2m more business last year” had it not been for project cancellations. Joseph puts these down to the number of US-owned and US-facing manufacturing companies in the US which had budgets and projects cut with the downturn in the North American economy. Meanwhile, next month Impact Encore developer Syspro is set to formally launch its e.net.solutions COM component-based rewrite of Impact Encore – with the emphasis on re-useable code and serious openness. McGuffie and the other Syspro resellers and their users will have a lot to go for.