Tractamotors

The largest independent distributor of tyres in Ireland, Tractamotors, has taken their long-standing partnership with KCS to the next level by integrating K8, the flagship ERP system from KCS, with its innovative ecommerce and mobile application software, as well as its third-party business intelligence integration from Phocas Software. The Cavan-based business has enjoyed much success, expanding to operate several sites in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. The business has also integrated K8's comprehensive stock functionality with the powerful suite of business intelligence tools delivered by Phocas Software to trade profitably and efficiently with businesses all over Ireland and the world. 

We've been with KCS since 1986, so 38 years. Naturally, we're delighted with the software. Around 70 per cent of our business is wholesale, so from a distribution point of view, we find the KCS system excellent.

Ciaran Murray - IT Manager for Tractamotors

One of the most significant benefits the company has relied upon with K8 has been the analytics and comprehensive stock control, which helps the company see what stock needs ordering in advance.

Managing our stock level can be difficult because lead times can take months. With tyres, for example, we're ordering from South Korea, Hungary, India and China, often 3-6 months in advance. So, as you can imagine, there can be huge logistical difficulties, alongside concerns about having enough tyres in stock to meet demand.

Ciaran Murray - IT Manager for Tractamotors

'That's why we love the insights and intelligence that we get from the K8 data warehouse,' Ciaran highlights, referencing how K8 helps predict inventory needs based on past sales and seasonality factors. The forecasting capability within K8 allows Ciaran and his team to satisfy customer demand while never overstocking, keeping the company profitable over time. 

Also, by integrating K8 with Phocas, Ciaran and Tractamotors can take instant snapshots of their performance, which they can then slice and dice for further insight or measure again in real time whenever they want. Phocas's striking graphics make such numbers-backed insights understandable at a glance, and its intuitive accessibility makes sharing these valuable reports between departments easy.

Such confidence and trust in the KCS eco-system of ERP systems, apps, and integrations mean that Ciaran and his team have also taken advantage of the ecommerce opportunities offered by WebBuilder and WebPro, two of the B2B and B2C web trading products from KCS. As a result, Tractamotors runs a fully integrated trade portal where existing customers can log in 24/7 and place orders. These automatically populate into their K8 system for onward processing, saving Tractamotors money in administration and processing time.

Tractamotors also use ePOD in Northern Ireland, delivering all the tyres using their own vehicles. The software's functionality and ease of use help them get their deliveries out on time and minimise incorrect or misdelivery. It has also minimised the administrative burden in the office. 

'Over the years,' Ciaran concludes, 'we've found that when KCS rolls out a solution, it works well. Overall, we're very, very happy with the company.'

'We're delighted that Tractamotors are continuing to grow their relationship with KCS,' says Mick Forrest, Director of KCS in Ireland. 'It makes us proud to have such a long-standing customer, and it's a testament to the reliability and performance of our systems that they're looking to implement to two new mobile applications. Smart technology and business intelligence are the future, and integrating mobile working with the main ERP system helps customers like Tractamotors save time and money across their enterprise and offer an enhanced service to the customer.'