Sydney – 25 September, 2012 – Hastings Deering, which forms part of the Malaysian Sime Darby Group, is set to implement Microsoft’s Dynamics AX 2012 (ERP), to deliver an end-to-end system across ten countries to fulfil the requirements of the business and its customer base. The company, one of the largest Caterpillar dealer networks in the world, made the decision to deploy the 10,000 user Microsoft business solution, as part of a wider transformation project to meet the demands of the mining and resources boom and support its future growth.
The company, in conjunction with its sister dealerships in Asia, is expecting substantial growth in the next 18 months in order to reach its goal of becoming a three billion dollar business, and plans to double its workforce within the next two to three years. The company’s previous core business system only covered 40 per cent of their processes and was supported by a number of additional applications. As a result, Hastings Deering needed to determine how to scale and handle its growth.
“The choice of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is part of a comprehensive strategic vision for our company, which sees Microsoft as a key partner for stability, trust and innovation,” said John Birch, CIO at Hastings Deering. “We counted on our Business Project Teams to find a unified solution that was innovative and easy for our employees to use. The solution needed to transform IT into a genuine asset for our company, as a way of managing equipment sale and rentals, parts sales, inventory and workshop services; as well as the specifics related to all of our lines of business.”
With over 23 branches, 26 sub–branches and more than 4,000 employees, Hastings Deering was looking to adopt a unified and easy–to–use solution that could be adapted to the needs of the business. “Our ERP system runs the processes that the entire company uses every day. It’s our life blood – we depend on it,” said Birch. “Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 will empower our employees to be more productive while enabling us to derive the insights necessary to respond quickly in an ever–changing world of business.”
The performance, scalability, ease of maintenance and the wealth of functionality in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 led to it being selected over SAP after an extensive search by the company. Central to this capability is Xapt Corporation, a specialist Dynamics partner who will provide Caterpillar specific Dynamics modules and heavy equipment domain knowledge. Microsoft’s Consulting Services Division will provide implementation services and partner with Hasting Deering as they take a phased approach in rolling out the new system, which is expected to be completed in the next 28 months and will support 10,000 users.
“Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is a new generation of business application that sets customers free and puts them in control of their business,” said Thomas Gudman, Director of Dynamics, Microsoft Australia. “This is a cornerstone win for Microsoft and Xapt in the Asia Pacific region. Dynamics AX 2012 will help Hasting Deering to simplify decision-making, be more agile and succeed in any environment.”
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About Microsoft: Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. For more information about Microsoft Australia please visit www.microsoft.com.au
