KX Network Solutions

Europe’s largest distributor of secondary-source Cisco systems

Company Overview

KX Network Solutions Incorporated in 1996 to supply Cisco, Bay and 3Com network hardware into the open market, KX Network Solutions Ltd is now the largest secondary source Cisco dealer in Europe.Their products typically consist of servers, and routers geared up to Ethernet switching, remote access, ATM networking and security.

KX Network Solutions saw a gap in the market and sought to supply high-end networking equipment at discount prices, a policy that has paid off. The company has grown steadily and boasts a varied corporate customer base that includes blue chip companies, integration partners, distributors, ISPs and resellers. KX Network Solutions also provide logistical services that include network design, project planning, installation, configuration, maintenance, training, spares holding and technical support.

Based in Nazeing, Essex, KX Network Solutions employs over 40 staff who are involved in all aspects of sourcing and distribution.The company is driven by its focus to retain its number one position within its niche market sector.

Time for Change

When you order a product through KX Network Solutions, there is a clause within the terms and conditions that reads ‘it is a condition of the contract that time is of the essence’. Back in November 2003, the company could not have dreamed of making such a bold claim.“Our system was a nightmare” recalls Katie Goodall, Administration Manager.“We were running Pegasus Opera for accounting purposes alongside an Excel spreadsheet to keep control over our stock.”

This absence of integration between the two systems meant there was no capacity for efficient reporting, and subsequently, accounts were still produced manually each month as Pegasus was never 100% in line with the Excel spreadsheets. Staff were in effect doing twice the work for the same end result. Most importantly, the company needed a solution that would deal with its specific needs for stock control, prompting the move towards the implementation of Access Dimensions.

The Search

MD at KX Network Solutions, Alastair Head, went directly to his local Access Specialist Centre through a personal recommendation, and was allocated a consultant who worked with him and Alastair to produce a list of system requirements. Katie says “There were some standard things that we needed. The system needed to be powerful enough to handle all our data, and easy for non-accounts staff to use. User-area defined security was also vital, as well as reporting facilities for stronger management.We knew that Dimensions could offer this, and more. But what really swung it for us was the willingness of the Access Specialist Centre to offer customisation to give the exact system that we wanted, and at a very reasonable price.”

Katie continues to describe their stockspecific requirement.“When the parts come in, we need to record serial numbers in order to track the supplier and allocate positions in the warehouse. Many of our products are ‘bundles’ that can be split into a number of components.We need a serial number for each component so that we can locate it within the bundle for instances where we sell parts separately.” The Access Specialist Centre reassured KX on all these counts, and received the goahead for implementation shortly after.

All Systems Go

The go-ahead fell just before year end, so KX were keen to get the implementation complete before the start of the new financial year. The Access Specialist Centre set about transferring the data from the existing accounting system via Dimensions’ Transaction Broker module, but the transfer of the stock data took a little longer. Katie didn’t trust the accuracy of the data within the spreadsheet and thought it best to complete a full stock count. Although laborious, the complete migration took just two days,“and we knew that by getting it right at this stage, we could be 100% confident in the system thereafter.”

Producing Results

The KX team is delighted with the results. “Centralising our accounts into one system has changed our working practices dramatically” comments Katie. “With the reporting facilities, Alastair is able to check our profit margin at will, which was impossible in the previous system. He can drill-down into the reports and check on sales figures, allowing him to focus in on areas that need attention before the situation becomes critical.Thanks to the Serial Number Tracking module, we have great visibility of all our stock items, and the Intrastat module holds all the information we need to submit the relevant reports to HM Revenue & Customs.The switch to Access Dimensions has led to increased customer satisfaction and has overcome a particular challenge – restoring user confidence.“Not one of them wanted to change” says Katie. “But Dimensions is just so easy to use, and so efficient, that now they love using it.”

She concludes,“We’re still not finished with Access Dimensions – we’d like to customise the system that bit more – and they’ve assured me they can do it. In the meantime, we get great support from our Specialist Centre as we continue to use Dimensions.”

Benefits - Internal

Speed – integration with the PDA software used in the warehouse enables orders to be retrieved from stock and immediately packaged and sent out
Reliability – warehouse staff operate the system with reliable and accurate information resulting in greater customer confidence
Real-time – a link between the sales office and the warehouse means stock is kept constantly up-to-date as picking lists are created with much more efficiency
Visibility – allocation of serial numbers for each component within a stock bundle leads to greater efficiency of order processing

Benefits - External

The combination of accurate information and speed of operation has enabled KX Network Solutions to significantly improve the speed of its service to customers - as well as making reliable delivery promises.These clear benefits have no doubt been a key factor in the company's continuing growth.