The firm replaced its SAP-based system following the merger of Konica and Minolta in a bid to consolidate and update its ERP system. Prior to the merger, Minolta was using an SAP system while its partner, Konica distributor Bodenhoff, used part of the Microsoft Navision solution and a bespoke, Unix-based system. The Danish branch had to decide which of these would best meet its business needs.
Some of the people now working for Columbus IT Partner had been part of the team that implemented an earlier version of Navision for Minolta across Eastern Europe. So they had experience with the solution and an understanding off the business. As the Danish branch considered its options, a project to update and refine the solution used in Eastern Europe had begun.
“The decision to take Navision was due to a combination of facts,” said Ari Einarsson, IT manager at Konica Minolta in Denmark. “Konica and Minolta were merging, we needed a new ERP system, and there was a project in Eastern Europe aimed at creating a unique Konica Minolta core version of Navision, which would address the specific issues that apply to the printer/copier business.”
The Eastern European core version contained part of the system the Danish branch needed, and its history meant that Konica Minolta could count on the experience of Thomas Ajspur, international sales manager for Columbus.Having assessed whether Navision could match its needs, Konica Minolta turned to Columbus for a deeper analysis, and to implement a tailored version of the solution.
“Because they had people who have worked on the previous Eastern European project, they had an in-depth understanding of the industry, which was invaluable,” said Einarsson.
The core solution executes the basic functionality that Konica Minolta needs. Einarsson explained: “Normal servicing arrangements, and the service management part of the standard Navision package, are calendar-based, assuming that servicing will be at regular intervals. But a printer/copier ages according to the number of prints it takes, not the number of years it is connected to the network.”
Even though both types exist most of Konica Minolta's service agreements are, therefore, based on a per-copy or perprint amount rather than a fixed monthly payment. The solution would need to be flexible enough to provide these sales and service management capabilities. Columbus implemented a solution based on the Microsoft .NET Framework. By Web-enabling Navision, this allowed Konica Minolta to implement a Web shop and a Web-enabled service system, where customers can log errors. The solution has streamlined the flow of information across other systems in use, including customer relations management systems and technician systems.
The solution went live on 1 July 2005, and it is already clear that users find it easier to start getting to grips with its familiar user interface. Staff joining through the merger came to learn to use SAP at the Danish branch less than a year ago, so there is a clear comparison between learning experiences with the two systems. “It is