A significant investment in a Sage X3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system has given Incledon, a member of the DAWN Group, greater control over its 15 000 preferred products. This forms part of a larger rollout across the entire group.

The new ERP system went ‘live’ at the distributor’s Germiston head office at the end of 2015, following an intensive planning and preparation stage over the past two years, Incledon CMO Kelly Wilson explains.
“Given the complexity of the upgrade and our multiple branch network and extensive customer base, as well as our large number of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) distributed through our national footprint, we had to ensure we had done all the necessary planning, ERP design and configuration,” Wilson notes.

“This had to be carried out in accordance with the business’s overall specifications and requirements, the specific housekeeping of master data transfer, best practice modelling and, most importantly, training and acceptance by Incledon operators before we moved over to the new system.”

In addition to the ERP system itself, various value-add ‘smart’ tools were included in the project in order to enhance and improve business processes and management information. These included a demand planning platform to assist the company in managing its vast range of product items, stocked in 16 separate warehouses around the country.

Known as Sage Inventory Advisor (SIA), this business tool will assist Incledon in optimising inventory levels and measuring supplier performance, as well as achieving customer service levels on all stocked items.
The QlikView business intelligence tool had specific dashboard measurements designed in order to enhance management’s view of the key business drivers, and also to provide live data against benchmarks and targets set.

Wilson adds that the new system forms part of a larger standardisation programme for all DAWN companies. “This will allow the entire group to operate from the same ‘smart’ platform, allowing each company to set benchmarks for themselves in their respective market segments.”

Sage X3 ERP is a business management tool that ultimately streamlines business processes, improving quality and productivity, which will assist in keeping costs down and reducing previous complexities in accounting practices. Its built-in functionality and multi-integration of business ERP modules allows for multi-company accounting and reporting, as well as multi-site and even global operations.

“The new system will allow Incledon to boost all of its core business processes, from purchasing to warehousing, inventory management, sales, customer service and financial management, all within the context of a single cohesive business management solution,” Wilson highlights.

Celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, the latest investment reflects the ongoing transformation of Incledon into a leaner and more effective organisation capable of meeting the diverse requirements of its various target markets, from the engineering to industrial, mining, agricultural, OEM,  municipal, civil infrastructure, plumbing merchant and irrigation sectors.

The company’s preferred products include highly-recognised brands of pipes, fittings, flanges, valves, pipe couplings, pipe working tools and threading machines, HDPE, mechanical compression fittings and Electrofusion systems, surface, dewatering and borehole pumps, water meters and plumbing products.
“Incledon distributes products utilised in the conveyance of water, gases and liquids. We have the largest and widest consolidated quality product offering in order to service the industries we operate in.

“We are well-positioned to take advantage of the government’s infrastructure development programmes,” Wilson stresses. Incledon also supplies industry-related products such as manhole covers and frames, in addition to ancillary pipe equipment such as pipe cutting, threading tools and wrenches.