The pandemic fueled a surge in pet ownership and spending that has not slowed. Globally, pet product sales reached $200 billion in 2024. The pet care market is expected to expand at ~6.8% annually in the coming years, and online pet food and supplies are forecasted to reach $28.8 billion by 2025. On the website of one of the world’s most respected pet care companies, you’ll quickly learn how much they genuinely care about pets. The company’s nearly 20,000 associates spend their days (and nights) thinking about the pets of the world and how to improve their lives through nutrition, medical care and innovation.
Anyone who has ever depended on the love and companionship of a pet can attest to that. And that love and friendship are found not just through dogs and cats. In 2003, the company purchased a manufacturer and distributor of treatment, testing, and nutrition products for indoor aquariums and outdoor ponds, which has passionately supported the aquatic industry for decades. With dozens of global patents for breakthrough innovations, the company continually seeks new ways to enhance and simplify the fish-keeping experience, while expanding the hobby.
The Challenge: Disconnected Legacy ERP Systems
According to the company’s IT manager, what differentiates the company from other providers is research and development (R&D) — the science and quality behind the products. “The products actually do what they say they do,” he said. “The FDA regulates our medications and food products, and other products like algae killers are regulated by the EPA — more so than any other Petcare group.” The brand is a premium one, so the company needs to maintain its integrity. One avenue for accomplishing this is through technology. After completing a Microsoft Dynamics NAV (NAV) upgrade in 2015, the company realized that it was already behind the curve and decided to upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC). That was one issue.
In addition, the company’s UK location was on a different database, which would lose support for its hosting platform and needed to be upgraded. With this, it took the opportunity to move everything to the U.S. database. It immediately realized cost savings by utilizing the same add-ons, including EDI, Demand Planning, and EasyPDF, by sharing support costs and by optimizing licensing.
"I loved the way Greg and the entire ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert team were always not only there but involved in providing educational opportunities and willing to talk to anybody looking for help… When I talked to our senior management team about that, it was really a no-brainer."
- IT Manager
Finally, while the company had a good relationship with its Dynamics partner, the partner was not equipped to handle increasing complexities due to growth and significant changes. In short, the company and its subsidiaries needed to be on the same modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with strong manufacturing capabilities and on a single database — and they needed a partner that could handle the many diverse and complex needs that would come with it.
The Solution: Unified Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Platform
The IT manager was familiar with ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert and impressed with what he saw. He became convinced after meeting Partner and ERP Microsoft Implementations Leader Greg Kaupp at another company that was evaluating NAV partners and then seeing the ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert team interacting with users at the annual NAV/BC User Group conference.
“I loved the way Greg and the entire ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert team were always not only there but involved in providing educational opportunities and willing to talk to anybody looking for help,” said the IT Manager. “When I talked to our senior management team about that, it was really a no-brainer.” After an in-depth discovery and analysis, the ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert team began executing a multi-stage plan to get the entire organization on the same track, including:
• Upgrading the company to Business Central
• Moving the company’s UK operations to its U.S. servers
• Merging all databases
• Upgrading the new, central database to Business Central
• Implementing ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert Channel Sales Manager (CSM), an integrated management tool that connects a sales platform like Amazon with Business Central, allowing them to manage every aspect of its eCommerce business in one place
• Ensuring the company’s manufacturing requirements were accounted for, including integration with key tools like Lanham’s EDI and eShip
The Success: Reduced Costs and Expanded eCommerce Opportunities
Aside from saving money on Business Central licensing, support, and add-ons, the company will never have to go through such a significant upgrade process again, as they elected to sign up for ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert’s upgrade subscription plan to stay current.
The company is also venturing into new markets and expanding eCommerce with the support of ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert’s Channel Sales Manager (CSM) product, opening the door to additional revenue. One very exciting new channel is Shopify, which ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert enabled with a customization to Business Central. Pet supply stores select three products from a list on Shopify, which then sends a “box” order to the company. The order is matched with an assembly bill of material (BOM), which is picked, packed and shipped.
What's Next
The next step is to move the most recent acquisition from a legacy AS/400 system to Business Central, merge it with the company, and ensure all systems, including add-ons, are elevated for Business Central so that the entire organization stays current. Every step the company takes provides new opportunities for revenue while keeping customers happy and its hard-earned reputation in place.
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