S&P Coil takes K3’s cloud-based Syspro ERP system

The cloud-delivered ERP solution is being provided as a fully managed solution by K3 Managed Services, which also covers disaster recovery, security, scalability, regular updates and enhancements. "We needed a solution that would enable [the company] to move forward and it was important that the software would adapt to the evolution of the company," explains Ali Soomro, MIS project manager at SPC. "We've seen our work volumes increase and Syspro will allow us to scale up and improve our efficiencies. This is particularly important, as we operate just-in-time business processes and we need these to be effective," he adds. Just as important, Soomro outlines two important data security reasons for opting for a cloud solution: rapid data recovery, as Syspro can be restored within 24 hours; and limited data loss, because the system backs up automatically every 15 minutes. "I wanted to get away from the blame culture associated with ERP systems, whereby a problem results in a non-productive situation where the user's IT department blames the vendor and vice versa," states Soomro. "By having K3 Managed Services hosting and managing the Syspro deployment for us, we can monitor how effective it is for our business. If there is a problem, we know that K3 will resolve it for us. We have 24/7 support and this frees our internal IT team from general system and network management and troubleshooting." And there is another point: S&P Coil is looking to expand over the next few years, adding workforces in several countries. By going for a cloud solution, adding new users to the company IT network becomes easy and fast. The idea of having mobile access to the business IT network is another aspect, according to Soomro. "By having Syspro deployed in the cloud, we are able to easily add new sites to the solution. It just makes our whole working infrastructure so much easier," comments Soomro. "Staff can access the cloud from anywhere on a multitude of devices so it helps us to continue to move forward without having to constantly return to the office for menial administrative tasks." The new system was introduced in two phases. Phase one was the installation of the cloud-based Syspro software, while phase two covers the implementation of the hosted data exchange, email system and file storage, converting the firm to a full cloud-based software environment. Phase one took 12 months from start to finish. S&P Coil Products in Dubai was the first site to go live with the new cloud system, with the UK Leicester site three months later. Phase two is underway, with the objective of having all sites in the cloud by the end of the year. Additional sites such as India will be added as required. # "We have been impressed with Syspro since we went live with it in Leicester and in our Middle Eastern offices," says Soomro. "So far, we have integrated our sites in Leicester, Dubai, Saudi, Qatar and our workshops in the Middle East. We are also looking to expand the business into India."