Ox Tools UK Reaps Rewards of Cloud ERP Solution and Recommends Global Strategy to Other Subsidiary Businesses

Ox Tools, a world-leading manufacturer of hand tools, diamond tools, workwear and safety products, is delighted with its decision to implement a complex digital transformation project with business software partner BrightBridge, and urges other businesses in a similar siloed position to make the switch.

One year after the ‘go-live’ of its cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution – NetSuite OneWorld – the firm is not only reaping the rewards of consolidating disparate financial, stock and CRM systems, but also the global firm has visibility over all its subsidiaries. Plus, Ox Tools UK no longer requires significant resource to tend on-premise servers.

Donovan Payne, Director at Ox Tools, explained: “By having one central solution – NetSuite – we have naturally benefitted from more automated, slicker and accurate processes and accessing it from smartphones on the move is extremely useful. However, our primary aim was to gain visibility over each corner of the business and be 100 per cent sure that the data painted the true picture – with BrightBridge’s expertise we have certainly achieved that.

“The UK subsidiary was previously siloed from the rest of the global business in its architecture; now having spent 12-months having consolidated accounts with the other OX regions we can see, predict and strategically do so much more. I would recommend any companies in a similar position to plan their global platform transformation – it has been a game changer and a move that has become increasingly vital as global economic turmoil and supply chain challenges continue.”

Ox Tools’ UK subsidiary is in-part driven by operations, decision making, and in-house software developed in Australia, which is where the company was founded in 1974. Therefore, the design and execution programme for the chosen solution – Oracle NetSuite – required meticulous planning, open communication with teams across the world and reliable connectivity with multiple systems.

BrightBridge is the only European partner of both Oracle NetSuite and leading API integration platform Jitterbit, so Ox Tools was confident in its ability to unify all external system data with the cloud ERP solution rapidly. The data assimilation included areas such as pricing and inventory, and Jitterbit negated weeks of intricate coding. Furthermore, BrightBridge has a wealth of experience with resolving rebate challenges through automation and has also developed a custom-made interface for managing multiple shipping carriers within NetSuite; both solutions were integral to streamlining Ox Tools’ business processes, creating greater efficiencies and negating the potential for manual errors.

Ox Tools selected Oracle NetSuite because it was already implemented across the other subsidiaries. However, finding the right expert partner to design and execute the sophisticated system was a more demanding process. Ox Tools turned to BrightBridge due to the Leicestershire-based company’s focus on clients within manufacturing, retail and distribution.

Donovan added: “We were focused on the solution benefits at the start of our digital transformation project, and the company already had confidence in NetSuite. However, we quickly realised that it was equally as important, if not more, for our UK implementation partner to have specific sector expertise, possess in-depth knowledge about third-party tool integration and be easy to get along with. When we met the BrightBridge team, we simply knew the partnership was the right fit for us.”

Ian Robertson, Sales and Marketing Director at BrightBridge, said: “Ox Tools came to us with a number of specific implementation and integration challenges at a time when they were also feeling the challenge of not being able to find the right solution provider. We were able to quickly illustrate our team’s skills and experience of working on similar projects as well as build that all important rapport, giving them the utmost confidence in our ability to deliver.

“Our unique NetSuite app partnerships and own custom-made solutions allowed us to design the architecture rapidly and to confidently drive the project forward for Ox Tools. This digital transformation project is a great example of productivity enhancement and global strategic change we’re delighted Ox Tools are just as happy with the architecture 12-months on.”

For more information, please visit www.brightbridgesolutions.com, or follow BrightBridge on Twitter – @brightbridge_uk – or LinkedIn.