Change is an integral part of business. Whether it’s handling internal growth, keeping up with external developments in industry, or with the latest software innovations, how a trading entity copes with change can help to define its success.

Sehmi Builders Merchants decided it wanted to future-proof its business in a challenging trading environment, through scalability and inter-branch connectivity, as well as enabling it to keep up with the latest industry best practice.

The company, established 25 years ago, has grown into a successful independent builders merchant in the south of England, with branches in Southall, Wembley, Reading and Slough.

While Sehmi faces the same operational issues as every builders merchant, from ensuring effective stock and delivery management to efficient transport and delivery of goods, it was the growth to a multi-branch company which posed a particular business challenge.

Scalability

Harpreet Sehmi, Sehmi’s branch and IT manager, said K8’s impressive scalability was the key to its inter-branch connectivity.

“As Sehmi added new branches we were able to easily expand our operations through the K8 system’s bolt-ons such as the bar code feature, the excellent accounting and delivery management side of the software,” he said. “A further benefit was that we no longer needed to carry stock in all our branches.”

Prior to installing K8, Sehmi used a generic, hardwired and character-based system.

When Sehmi moved over to K8, it could keep up to date with the latest IT innovations, benefiting from additional features such as screens which could be tailored for individuals.

Mr Sehmi remembers the company being particularly impressed with “the ability to change the status of an order line to generate back-to-back purchase and inter-branch stock requests” as an effective measure of security and efficiency.

“K8 provided transparency and efficiency, made trading easier, allowed us to generate more sales and improved our overall business,” said Mr Sehmi.

Key benefits

He highlighted the key benefit areas as stock control, being able to check the sales/stock history of items, providing insight and analysis into core lines – showing what’s selling and what’s not.

“Streamlining the multi-branch system and increasing transparency means that stock is only carried in relevant branches, and it allows us to carry out PPI [perpetual product inventory] stock takes, which are much more convenient.

“It’s improved our delivery management considerably. It has handy features like the loyalty card system, while proof of delivery documents and document scanning has all but eliminated our need for a filing system – a huge time-saver.”

He said the fact that K8 was a continually evolving product meant that Sehmi had future-proofed its business.

Mr Sehmi said the company’s return on investment could be clearly measured through improved efficiency, shortened debtor days and increased revenue generation.