News

JME, the market leader in manufacturing and supplying precision X-ray inspection systems for the non-destructive testing (NDT) industry, recently upgraded to the latest version of K8LV from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS). K8LV is an ERP system that offers a comprehensive range of modules to help manufacturing businesses track and trace their stock and communicate across all parts of their operation in real time. Implemented in 2020, JME opted to upgrade K8LV to drive efficiencies and help provide better customer service.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), a member of the Builders Merchants Federation, is delighted to announce it is supporting the BMF’s Apprenticeship Pledge by committing to take on 70 apprentices across 4 Businesses by 2030.

In a bid to take control of the skills gap in the building materials industry and to drive the utilisation of Levy funds across the building materials sector, the Builders Merchants Federation has launched the BMF Apprenticeship Pledge with the stated aim to achieve 15,000 apprentices across the BMF membership by 2030.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), a global ERP and business management software provider for the Distributive Trades, has reached an agreement to acquire Compilator (Sweden, Finland and UK). The acquisition of Compilator is a strategic investment for KCS, supporting its strategy of growth into new regions and further expanding its offering to the automotive industry.

Renowned bathroom, plumbing, and tile merchants, McDaids, have implemented K8 Trader from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) as their new digital business management system so they can improve efficiencies and deliver greater customer service in-store and online.

Industry-leading ERP, retail and business management software provider, Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has partnered with Reality Finance, one of the UK’s leading independent asset finance companies, specialising in IT finance.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has strengthened its presence in the Irish market with the appointment of Michael Twigg as its Senior Sales Manager, responsible for both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Michael brings 19+ years of experience in wholesale and distribution.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), the global ERP and business management software provider for distributors, wholesalers, retailers and the automotive and equipment hire industry, has integrated OnePlace, the online merchant catalogue from NMBS, into its latest version of K8. The flagship ERP solution from KCS helps merchants and distributors trade more profitably, and this innovative step will further help their customers to order products easier and with greater accuracy.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), a global ERP and business management software provider for distributors, wholesalers, retailers and the equipment hire industry, has acquired Palladium Business Solutions, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, along with its successful suite of products. Palladium Business Solutions is a long-established software provider servicing the distribution, manufacturing and accounting sectors throughout South Africa. The new combined business now has Approx. 13,500 customers and 75,000 users, a combined channel of 370 business partners distributing Palladium Business Solutions and KCS products throughout Southern Africa.

This acquisition is a further strategic investment for KCS as they look to grow and provide further expertise and business management solutions for the distribution industry worldwide. In addition, the acquisition heralds a positive new chapter for Palladium Business Solutions as the company looks to build upon its existing success.

At the event, spanning the 2nd and 3rd of March in Stratford-upon-Avon, Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) welcomed over four hundred delegates to its first live UK event post-pandemic. James Mitchell, Managing Director of KCS in the UK and Ireland, opened the conference and set the scene for the two days, focusing on the company's new and exciting digital solutions. 'We believe that digitisation, sustainability and profitability do go hand in hand, and over the course of the next two days, we would like to share initiatives with you that can significantly help your business reduce its carbon footprint, while delivering greater efficiencies and cost savings and helping you grow your profits – a win/win/win scenario!'

KCS staff conducted in-depth demonstrations and workshops on the company's latest mobile and web solutions, including a range of intuitive apps that deliver their customers' efficiencies in all aspects of warehousing and operation management. In addition, KCS showcased many partner solutions, such as their relationship with Phocas, an integrated BI platform that delivers real intelligence from the rich data held within KCS ERP solutions. They also took the opportunity to announce their partnership with the EFT solutions from Dojo and WorldPay for electronic payments, as well as the robotic process automation tools from Apollo that enable everyday tasks to be automated.

Neal Boomer, Group Finance Director at Haldane Fisher explains how K8 has successfully driven many developments over the years as the system has grown. "The openness of K8 provided us with the means of becoming one of the first builders’ merchants in Northern Ireland to go live with a fully-functional and integrated ecommerce website, allowing customers to check stock availability across our branch network as and when they need to."

To find out more, read the full case study.

Leading independent plastics distributor E.Tupling has selected K8 from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) as their new business management system. KCS is an ERP and business management software provider for merchants, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. Having evaluated offerings from multiple vendors, E.Tupling is confident that K8 is the right platform on which to successfully grow their business.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), a leading ERP and business management software provider for distributors, wholesalers, retailers and the plant, tool and equipment hire industry, recently donated 15 PCs to the St. Mary’s Ukrainian School.

Caswellsgroup, a leading supplier of industrial consumables, implemented K8, the flagship ERP solution from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) during the lockdown period and has not looked back since!

To find out more, read the full case study.

Eager to promote opportunities for all, Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) and MAM Software continue to help the non-profit campaign Laptop for Kids by donating re-purposed computers to schools that need them most.

New identity to reinforce growth strategy

Following its recent acquisition by Kerridge Commercial Systems, RNH Solutions will rebrand to MAM Software. The move brings its automotive operations in the UK and Ireland under one unified brand to more accurately reflect its position as the leading provider of business management software solutions for the automotive aftermarket.

Established in 2011, JTD Building Supplies has used the intuitive functionality within K8 from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) to make great strides in its development. Implemented in 2017, K8 is an ERP business management system that uses a comprehensive range of modules to help merchant businesses source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably, and service competitively.

To find out more, read the full case study.

On May 5th Kerridge Commercial Systems, a global provider of ERP solutions, welcomed over 85 delegates to its Konnect Ireland customer conference. Held at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin, the event was attended by companies from the Distributive Trades, Automotive and Rental markets and demonstrated the enthusiasm users of its software have for learning and updating themselves on current versions and options in the KCS software portfolio.

Conference delegates, including companies that were new to the software as well as those who have been using it for years, were invited to discover how the latest technology can help improve business performance, from mobile apps and cloud computing to the latest developments and product road maps. “With over 620 customers in Ireland across our core markets, it’s really great to be able to share what we have been working on for the last few years, what products are coming down the lines, what innovations and importantly what direction we are going in, it’s so important to be able to share this with our customers and Konnect is the perfect platform to do this” explained James Mitchell, UK & I Managing Director.

Customer shopping habits have been shifting for some time, but the past 18 months have really expedited the pace of change. Recent research suggests that over the past year, 46% of consumers have shopped online for a product they would previously have bought in store. The convenience that ecommerce provides is here to stay, and it’s up to your business to make sure you have a platform that is up to the task.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has expanded its offering, not only by providing leading ERP solutions, but also a range of ecommerce platforms that are fully integrated with its software. Many businesses are already reaping the benefits of B2B and B2C online trading by using these platforms, as are their own customers.

Read the full blog post.

An ecommerce website has quickly gone from being a ‘nice to have’ to a crucial tool for staying competitive in today’s market. Regardless of the industry you’re operating in, your customers will expect you to have a website – but what if you’ve never launched your business online before?

Read the full blog post.

In 2020 Terry Howell, an independent family timber and builders’ merchant in South Wales, partnered with Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) to implement their leading ERP solution, K8. The business selected K8 because it is specifically designed and developed for the merchant industry, improving efficiencies and their end level of customer service.

To find out more, read the full case study.

The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in profound changes to the UK tiling industry, and nowhere has this been more clearly seen that in the digital realm.

Some of the changes, such as the growth in on-line tile retailing, would probably have happened in any case. But the rate of change has been quite staggering. One of the UK’s online pioneers saw year-on-year sales leap 85% in the 12 months following the first lockdown, and by a quite phenomenal 120% in the succeeding 12 months. Think about it: already established for several years prior to the Pandemic, this successful 100% online-only retailer has quadrupled its sales in the past two years, despite the upheaval caused by this unprecedented world-wide health crisis.

Back in the 1990s, when I founded ECO - the UK’s pioneering sustainable architecture magazine for professional specifiers – the issue of sustainability barely influenced the major construction and planning decisions. It was one factor among many, and often amounted to little more than greenwash: a nod to a sustainable future while the real focus was short term profit.

Sadly, over the next two or three decades, the tile sector didn’t really embrace the sustainability challenge. While significant steps were taken in terms of energy co-generation, water recycling, etc, there wasn’t a co-ordinated drive to communicate the material’s green credentials. Indeed, much of marketing messaging was poorly researched and of little value. This was a pity, because ceramic and porcelain tiles have compelling green credentials.

Fifty years ago, Tileflair started trading with a small team of four people in one store. Passionate about being the best at what they did, they aimed to create a first-class experience for their customers. Such vision and the desire to deliver top-class service led the company to implement K8, the market-leading ERP solution from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS). K8 helps busy distributors, wholesalers and retailers, like Tileflair, manage their trade and finance effectively.

To find out more, read the full case study.

Users of K8 are able to benefit from EasyAP, a new solution designed to automate supplier invoice processing.

The functionality, which is pre-integrated with the business management software from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), will deliver significant time and efficiency savings to K8 customers. EasyAP eliminates the need for manual invoice processing, allowing businesses to deploy their accounts payable resources elsewhere while significantly reducing their paperwork.

With EasyAP, supplier invoices are downloaded from email and all the details needed to process it within K8 are captured electronically. The system then matches the invoice to the purchase order and automatically populates the necessary fields within K8. Any corrections that need to be made can be entered manually, and innovative artificial intelligent processes enable K8 to remember these for future use.

An electronic version of the information is immediately stored alongside an image of the original invoice, helping businesses cut down on the need to print, handle and file paper copies.

In the event that a supplier cannot provide a PDF, it is possible to scan in a hard copy of the invoice. EasyAP then automatically populates the fields within K8 using these details.

James Mitchell, Managing Director UK & I at KCS, commented: "We recognise that time and efficiency savings are high on the agenda for our customers - as is the need to operate sustainably. EasyAP is the latest functionality within K8 that will help them achieve this.”

"The manual processing of supplier invoices can take several hours - especially for our larger customers - so we are excited to offer a solution that will speed up this process. We are proud that this solution is another great example of where Sustainability and Profitability can go hand in hand. Sustainability as this product will encourage the digitisation of a traditional paper process and profitability as this solution will reduce the admin time and physical resource (paper/ink) used.”

Sustainability: it became the topic of 2021 and is set to continue in 2022, as it is a subject the industry has embraced. We recognise that it doesn’t have to be a choice between being profitable or sustainable, we believe they go hand in hand. Marginal gains taken now can make a real difference and investing in technology is a simple way to start the sustainable journey.

Read the full blog post.

Stoke-based tile and bathroom company, Hyde Park Tiles, have transferred their business software to K8 Trader by Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS). A family business with stores in two locations, Hyde Park Tiles offer a tailored range of products to meet the tastes of an ever-changing market.

To find out more, read the full case study.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) are proud to be one of eleven organisations to be named as Business Champions in the final round of the Construction Leadership Council's (CLC) CO2nstruct Zero programme. Initially launched in March 2021, CO2nstruct Zero unites pioneering organisations that are leading the way in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions. 

RUK is a growing heating and plumbing company based in Durham. Providing training and merchant services, they primarily sell heating and plumbing supplies over their trade counter. Ambitious about the future, RUK aims to deliver supplies to tradespeople on-site as well as sell nationally online. However, they need a comprehensive EPOS system to grow, which explains why they've migrated their system to K8 Trader from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS).

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), a global distributor of business solutions for the distributive trades, is pleased to announce the acquisition of RNH Solutions.

Your business relies on customer data and records. So, ask yourself. What happens to your livelihood if disaster hits and you lose valuable data? Would you be able to recover your operation quickly? Data failures may sound like distant events that will never happen. But their effects are real and have proved devastating for many businesses.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) to demonstrate how its solutions can improve efficiency for merchants by digitising essential business processes with the latest version of K8.

Kerridge Commercial Systems will be appearing at the 2021 NMBS Trade Exhibition, held at the CBS Arena (formally Ricoh Arena) in Coventry on 8 & 9 September 2021.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the latest version of K8, and discover how processes can be digitised to deliver great customer service with a range of integrated apps and ecommerce solutions.

From digital proof of delivery, to digital receipt management and to remote order entry for the sales team, the innovative ERP application is designed to help builders’ merchants streamline and improve their day-to-day operations, managing core processes with ease.

Builders merchants can open up new channels to market with K8’s integrated, easy-to-use, sophisticated ecommerce solutions. Making selling to both trade and consumers online simple, whether that be through K8’s WebPro or through Amazon with the K8 Amazon Connector. Businesses can trade anywhere, any time, on any web-enabled device and online orders can be received directly and seamlessly into K8 for easy onward processing.

Paula Hayter, New Business Sales Director said “We are delighted to be back at the NMBS Trade Exhibition this year. It presents the ideal opportunity for us to meet customers and suppliers face to face. It allows us to discuss the latest version of K8 and how it can help merchants and suppliers streamline operations, deliver digital strategies and compete better in the connected world.”

Visit Kerridge Commercial Systems on stand 232

Kerridge Commercial Systems Ltd (KCS) is pleased to announce that it has concluded an agreement with BSS, part of the Travis Perkins group, to implement its flagship K8 business solution across the entire BSS estate.

Independent decorators’ merchant Reeds of Wantage has been using K8 Trader for almost three years. During this time, the software has supported an almost doubling in turnover and helped the business trade through the coronavirus pandemic - something that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible. The company is now looking forward to reaping the benefits of ecommerce as it transitions to a digital future.

To find out more, read the full case study.

From reducing risk to identifying new initiatives that will save you time and money, your business is constantly moving forwards – but are you taking the right steps to ensure your ERP solution keeps pace? Look after your system, and it will look after your business. Here are our 5 reasons why you simply can’t afford to run an outdated software solution.

Read the full blog post.

Fenton Packaging, a national packaging stockist and distributor, is reaping the benefits of up-to-date, accurate insights into its sales activity after renewing its focus on Vecta over the past 12 months. The business intelligence (BI) tool is now benefiting every area of the organisation, saving considerable amounts of time and eliminating manual data input processes.

To find out more, read the full case study.

Effective and controlled stock management lies at the heart of any successful distributive trade business. After all, the difference between having too much stock and too little can prove financially, logistically and reputationally damaging for a company – so taking steps to prevent this happening makes sound business sense.

Having an ERP solution in place that’s specifically designed for the distributive trades is critical. After all, you need software that understands the way in which you operate, and offers the functionality you need to stock more efficiently and effectively.

To find out more, read the full blog post.

“It was the breadth of functionality offered by K8 Trader that made it appealing.”

Dene Evans, Partner, Devant Designs

Devant Designs, a family-run tile supplier based in Hereford, is expecting to benefit from considerable time savings across its business with the implementation of K8 Trader. The 35-year-oldcompany identified that the manual processes it previously relied upon were no longer sustainable, so went in search of ERP software with sector-specific functionality to automate its core business functions.

The past 12 months have proved just how essential it is for businesses to prepare for disruption. One term you might have encountered recently is ‘circular economy’ - and it’s considered one of the core ways in which companies can build resilience, while enhancing their environmental credentials.

But what exactly is a circular economy? And how can ERP software help businesses like yours prepare for a more sustainable future?

To find out more, read the full blog post.

The need for flexible, forward-thinking ERP software has never been greater for businesses. Companies have had to adapt to changing circumstances over the past year - and in many cases, their ERP solution has been integral to making this happen.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) provides software that has helped companies trade in different, smarter ways. There are several key features of its ERP solutions that have made this possible, by equipping users with the functionality they need to future-proof their operations.

To find out more, read the full blog post.

Since we first started to computerise processes almost 30 years ago, the digital revolution has grown to transform almost every aspect of business – and even whole industries.

Laptops for Kids is a charitable organisation that facilitates the distribution of used digital devices to enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in remote learning. Giving them access to the technology they need, free of charge, means they can complete homework tasks that would otherwise not be possible without a computer.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has extended its online trading offering with the launch of K8 Sales Rep Portal, a quick-to-deploy, web-based product that allows field sales teams to take orders while working away from the office. The site can be accessed from anywhere with a suitable internet connection and can be used on smartphone and tablet devices.

Independent electrical wholesale distributor Eyre & Elliston first adopted our software in 1998. The company has gone from strength to strength and upgraded over the years to operating with K8, our flagship solution for electrical wholesale, across its entire branch network. It’s the complete business solution that has become embedded in the company’s operations, and will continue to do so.

To find out more, read the full case study.

All the discussion around digitalisation of the electrotechnical sector, but what does it really mean for your business? If you think digitalisation only means a fully-functioning ecommerce website that will take months to develop, will soak up your team’s time – if indeed you have digital in-house expertise – and your cash too, not so.

Digitalisation is a much broader term that is as much about using digital systems to improve processes and automate your business, minimising paperwork and giving you and your team the freedom to concentrate on developing your existing customers and finding new ones.

Oswestry Kitchens & Bathrooms has selected K8 Trader to position the company for success as it prepares to open in the coming weeks. The start-up favoured the feature-rich ERP software from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) over other solutions specifically designed for its industry due to the wide range of functionality it offered.

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has appointed Tim Bennett as its Partner Alliances Manager, where he will be responsible for accelerating relationships with key partners across the KCS group.

Rovic Tiles, a major distributor of quality ceramic and porcelain tiles, has enlisted K8 Trader to support its continued expansion. The business will replace its existing business management software with the cloud-based ERP solution from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) in the coming weeks, which it hopes will bring tangible benefits across the business.

At Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) our people are at the very heart of our business and we recognise mental health issues are a normal part of life. We all have a personal responsibility to look after our own wellbeing as well as the mental health of those who we work with and care for. As a Leadership Team in the UK business, we continuously work towards ensuring we do the best for our people. Being in a pandemic and now in a third national lockdown, supporting our people has never been more important.

“We worked in partnership with KCS to develop a solution whereby we had a mass amendment ability within the projects module. We can now identify a project, select the changes that need to be made and use that application to bring up all those orders and associated lines.”

James Cave, Senior Business Analyst, EH Smith

Ensuring customers can deliver great service with maximum efficiency is at the heart of the partnership Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) offers to its customers. This means providing the tools they need to source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably and service competitively in their respective markets.

Independent merchant Grant & Stone has always considered itself to be ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. There was no better time to go digital than in 2020, a year in which businesses faced both challenges and opportunities. Those with an online presence fared better than most.

To find out more, read the full case study.