Achieving Operational Excellence at AGC

Accouter Group of Companies (AGC) resolves operational and technological inefficiencies with Versatile Commerce’s Microsoft Partner Solutions.

Business Challenges

Navigating complex international operations with disconnected systems

Accouter Group of Companies (AGC) is a leading provider of luxury interior design and property services. Since the opening of their London interior design studio in 2012, the internationally award-winning company has transformed exclusive spaces into exceptional homes for high-profile individuals worldwide.

With a dynamic portfolio and a rapidly expanding international client base, AGC required an integrated, robust and scalable enterprise solution to manage their diverse operations and enhance collaboration across its geographies and teams.

AGC was grappling with several operational challenges that were impeding their ability to scale effectively:

Fragmented Operations: AGC’s operations were spread across multiple systems, each handling different aspects of the business. They had separate solutions for warehousing, accounting, and customer relationship management (CRM), resulting in a lack of a unified view across these operations. This fragmentation presented an opportunity for optimising business operations with comprehensive and unified system.

Lack of Unified Financial Reporting: Although their existing systems were functioning well, AGC recognised the need for a more integrated solution to improve operational visibility and efficiency. The company needed to consolidate their financial reporting and operational data into a single system, allowing them to generate one unified set of accounts across different regions and currencies.

Collaboration Barriers: The lack of a unified operational platform hindered the interaction of teams from different locations. This led to communication and collaboration challenges, negatively impacting project timelines and client satisfaction.

It was then that Versatile Commerce came on board to align the company with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, a comprehensive cloud-based ERP that ensures automated and improved operations for AGC.

Solution

Implementing a comprehensive ERP solution

Seamless Transition and Positive Progress

Versatile Commerce joined the project after the initial implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, with around 20% of the project already completed. We took over from the previous vendor, ensuring a smooth transition and a focus on successful delivery of the project from that point forward

Project Go-Live in Four Months

Our experience and expertise as Microsoft partners enabled the team to successfully implement and go-live within four months. This rapid deployment helped ensure quick improvements in operational efficiencies with minimal disruptions to AGC’s operations.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Deployment

Key Modules implemented:

Finance: Centralised financial management, enabling real-time tracking and reporting across regions

Inventory Management: Streamlined inventory control with real-time updates ensures accurate stock levels and reduces waste

Supply Chain Management: Enhanced supply chain visibility, optimising the procurement process and logistics, especially for international operations

Warehousing: Integrated warehousing solutions that provided AGC with real-time inventory tracking, efficient storage management, and streamlined order fulfillment processes

Integration with Salesforce

Versatile Commerce integrated Salesforce with Business Central, synchronising CRM data with the ERP system, thus offering AGC real-time, comprehensive visibility of customer and operational data. This ERP-CRM integration enables real-time data sharing across departments, especially those involved in customer interactions and sales. It allows teams to instantly access accurate, up-to-date information, improving decision-making, enhancing customer service, and streamlining sales processes.

By unifying data, the integration reduces manual data entry, minimises errors, and ensures alignment between customer-facing and back-end teams, leading to better customer experiences and more efficient operations.

Azure Cloud Infrastructure

The ERP solution was hosted on Azure Cloud for its flexibility, security, and reliability. Azure enabled AGC to scale without the infrastructure constraints or cost limitations. Additionally, Azure's advanced security features ensured compliance with regional regulations, strengthening overall data protection.

Power BI for Enhanced Reporting

To empower AGC with actionable insights, Versatile Commerce integrated Power BI with Business Central. This enabled AGC to generate detailed, real-time reports on various aspects of their business, from financial performance to supply chain efficiency. The ability to visualise data and derive insights allowed AGC make informed decisions swiftly.

Continuous Improvements

After the go-live, an additional three months were spent stabilising the system. This phase involved fine-tuning the setup, resolving any issues that arose during implementation, and ensuring all system components were functioning properly. By the end of this stabilisation period, AGC was fully prepared to roll out the system across all their affiliated firms globally.

After the go-live, the team dedicated an additional three months to optimising the system. This phase involved fine-tuning the setup, addressing any issues that emerged during implementation, and ensuring all system components were functioning optimally.

Comprehensive Training and Support

On-site training sessions were conducted, and 10 key users were thoroughly trained in the ERP system's operations. Additionally, ongoing support was provided to resolve any technical issues and ensure the system's optimal performance over time.

Seamless Transition and Positive Progress

Project Go-Live in Four Months

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Deployment

Key Modules implemented:

Finance: Centralised financial management, enabling real-time tracking and reporting across regions

Inventory Management: Streamlined inventory control with real-time updates ensures accurate stock levels and reduces waste

Supply Chain Management: Enhanced supply chain visibility, optimising the procurement process and logistics, especially for international operations

Warehousing: Integrated warehousing solutions that provided AGC with real-time inventory tracking, efficient storage management, and streamlined order fulfillment processes

Integration with Salesforce

Azure Cloud Infrastructure

Power BI for Enhanced Reporting

Continuous Improvements

Comprehensive Training and Support

Outcomes

Operational efficiency and enhanced collaboration

The implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, coupled with Salesforce integration and Azure Cloud hosting, delivered significant improvements in AGC’s operations:

Improved Operational Efficiency: AGC saw a significant improvement in operational efficiency as the unified ERP system eliminated the need to manage multiple standalone systems. This led to benefits such as shorter cycle times, fewer errors, and streamlined value chains in areas like finance, inventory management, supply, and warehousing.

Enhanced Collaboration: As a result, all teams operated on a single platform, further enhancing collaboration among AGC offices in different regions. This improvement led to better project coordination, increased decision-making speed, and more standardised service delivery.

Scalability for International Growth: Equally important, the cloud-based infrastructure provided AGC with the flexibility needed for its rapidly expanding global operations. Serving as a communication tool across a vast international network—from the UK to the UAE—the system effectively addressed the needs of a global business and facilitated proposals for a worldwide market.

Real-Time Insights and Reporting: The next integration involved Power BI, which granted AGC real-time data access and reporting capabilities. This enabled them to make informed decisions, effectively manage and allocate resources and assets, and respond swiftly to changes in market conditions.

The implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, coupled with Salesforce integration and Azure Cloud hosting, delivered significant improvements in AGC’s operations:

Why Versatile Commerce?

AGC chose Versatile Commerce for our expertise in rescuing complex, incomplete projects and turning them into success stories. As Microsoft Partners, we have extensive experience with all Microsoft products, including Microsoft Dynamics 365. This along with our expertise in cloud solutions, bespoke application development, and system integration, enabled us to deliver a customised ERP system that met AGC’s unique business needs. Our commitment to AGC’s business needs, along with value-added solutions and ongoing support, enabled AGC to fully optimise their ERP system for business growth.

Let's Connect

Digital Transformation Starts Here

Schedule a free discovery call to unlock the potential of your business.

Schedule a free discovery call

Let's Connect

Digital Transformation Starts Here

Schedule a free discovery call to unlock the potential of your business.

Schedule a free discovery call

Let's Connect

Digital Transformation Starts Here

Schedule a free discovery call to unlock the potential of your business.

Schedule a free discovery call

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Versatile Commerce is an innovative bespoke software development company headquartered in the UK with offices in the US and India. As strategic partners in our clients’ digital transformation journeys, we're dedicated to achieving tangible results and getting them future ready.

Email: hello@versatilecommerce.com

Phone: +44 333 006 2294