Gower Chemicals, a leading chemical supplier, partnered with Sharp to modernise their operations and overcome limitations in their legacy system. Dafydd Parkman, Technical Sales Manager, shares how Sharp’s expertise and the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central have transformed reporting, inventory control, and operational efficiency.
The Challenge
- Outdated legacy ERP system lacking functionality
- Limited reporting capabilities
- Time-consuming manual processes
For over two decades, Gower Chemicals relied on an ERP system which over time became increasingly unfit for purpose. As the business evolved, the system’s limitations became more apparent, particularly in reporting, inventory control, and operational efficiency.
“We were very limited in the reports we could generate and, simple tasks required navigating through multiple, time-consuming steps” Dafydd explained. “We’d have to extract information into Excel and then manually interrogate every line, which as you can imagine is hugely time consuming.”
A lack of real-time visibility led to frequent phone calls as teams struggled to access the data they needed. “We needed insights into product performance and customer sales to grow the business,” Dafydd explained.
The Solution
- Implementation of a tailored Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central solution
- Tailored Power BI reporting developed by our experts
- Streamlined inventory and batch traceability
- Ongoing support and roadmap planning
We quickly identified Business Central as the ideal solution for Gower Chemicals. The implementation focused on improving reporting, simplifying operations, and enhancing user experience.
“Sharp helped us tailor Power BI reports to our specific needs - things like tonnages sold to certain customers or units of measure,” Dafydd said. “Now we can generate these specific reports instantly without spending days to sort it.”
Business Central also transformed inventory control and production planning. The team can now track orders from planned to finished goods, improving traceability and reducing reliance on manual communication.
The user-friendliness of Business Central has made training both existing and new staff straightforward. “It really takes the pressure off when we can onboard new team members onto a user-friendly system.”
Our team continue to provide Gower Chemicals with dedicated Business Central consultancy, supporting both their day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning. This includes the adoption of CRM functionality to enhance customer relationship management and data visibility across departments.
We're also working closely with their operations team to implement a fully digital goods inwards and outwards process, using handheld scanners to streamline inventory tracking, reduce manual errors, and improve overall warehouse efficiency.
By aligning technology with business goals, we're helping Gower Chemicals future-proof their systems and unlock greater value from their Microsoft ecosystem.
The Result
- Real-time reporting and data visibility
- Improved operational efficiency and user experience
- Strong partnership and continued innovation
- Clear traceability simplifies audit processes
“The reporting has been a game changer. I used to make six or seven calls a day to track orders, now I can just log onto Business Central and see it in real-time,” Dafydd shared. This has enabled better collaboration across their two sites and has “freed up time to focus on other important tasks.”
Building on that efficiency, Bill of Materials management is more flexible, allowing quick adjustments without affecting downstream data. “Having an efficient bill of materials process is essential to our business and Business Central has delivered exactly that,” Dafydd noted.
Audit processes are now faster and more transparent, with full traceability from quote to finished goods. Batch processing has also been streamlined, staff can easily manage planned and released orders, saving time across daily workflows.
Looking to the future, Gower Chemicals plans to expand its use of Business Central with our continued support. “Sharp plays a prominent role in our digital transformation. They really put the effort in and it’s no stretch to say how knowledgeable they are. I’m really looking forward to our continued partnership.”
