Intact

EEC Hardware

 

Introduction

When EEC (ARRO) Hardware Store moved to their new state of the art premises in Balbriggan, they decided they also needed a new financial system to give them a leading edge over their competitors. The solution they chose was Intact.

 

Company Background

Established in 1998, EEC Hardware is one of Ireland’s leading hardware stores. Selling to both the wholesale and retails sectors, EEC supply building, DIY, gardening and household products to customers nationwide. The company is managed by a two man partnership namely, Seamus Ennis and John Clayton who work with their 25 person team to operate the daily running of their business.

 

The Need to Change

Upon their move to new premises in February ‘06, the management team had decided that they had outgrown their TAS system and it was time to install a new, more robust and flexible system to drive their business forward. Based on the sheer volume of stock, control was becoming an issue that was proving too big for their previous TAS system to handle.

EEC decided to go with Intact based on a recommendation from an independent associate.  Seamus was impressed with Intact’s reputation for strong customer retention,  “My associate informed me that Intact has the ability to continuously enhance the software to keep up with  their customers every changing needs.  This ability keeps their customers from looking elsewhere! Based on this, we decided Intact was the software to power our business”.

 

Project and Implementation Process

EEC needed a package that was flexible enough to cater for their specific needs; EEC required a lot of the standard features but needed slight variations of what was available in standard financial packages. “All the other packages we considered promised the sun, moon and the stars but Intact was the only one that could deliver” says Seamus. The EEC project went live in April ‘06.  The process involved installation, staff training and post launch support. During the installation phase, Intact consultants were on site to provide reassurance and helpful hints that would allow them to get the most practical use out of the system.

EEC staff found the advise provided by Intact’s consultants helpful as they provided useful information along with peace of mind.  As installation can be a daunting experience for staff, it was important they felt at ease with their consultant. Like any installation, EEC experienced some teething problems along the way but these glitches were soon fixed to suit the personal tastes of their staff.

 

The Future

Seamus understood the amount of learning that was needed regarding the system and forecasted that it would take two years to maximise the productivity of the system. Further training was also going to be an option once they got to grips with the basic features of the system.  EEC’s main ambition from the system is to utilise the various management tools available to help them make better decisions for future growth and to be able to help spot flaws in their operations early.

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