Business Challenge
Growing business with limited functionality from legacy system. Required the ability to automate manual processes and provide a structure for future growth.

Solution
Verde with Greentree

Business Benefits

• Reliable user-friendly system Increased efficiency through automated processes
• Improved process workflow
• Better management through highly accessible and comprehensive view of financial activity
• Increased plant management and cost tracking resulting in reduction in costs and better productivity

The Full Story

Innovation is part of a long tradition at Smith & Davies, one of New Zealand’s most successful privately owned family businesses. For the past four decades this leading cartage, civil and logging contracting firm has been involved in almost every major project in the Auckland region; including Auckland’s Sky Tower, Americas Cup village, Gulf Harbour and Westhaven Marina developments. Ongoing investment in the latest technology while adhering to family values has proved a winning formula that has ensured ongoing business success.

In 2002 Smith & Davies management saw in a new era of innovation by investing in Verde’s Greentree solution. The company was using DOS-based CBA, but Director Graham McKinnon says it was increasingly limited in terms of functionality. With the business poised for further growth, it was time to introduce the flexibility and user friendliness of a windows environment. Verde was selected based on the fit of their Greentree product coupled with the ability tailor Greentree to provide a solution specific to Smith & Davies requirements.

Verde’s solution for Smith & Davies has contributed to the success of the business and is well suited to the haulage industry. McKinnon says, with Verde their new solution has been “a smooth ride” and has provided for a far more efficient workplace. Process workflow within the firm is one of the most significant improvements from the Verde solution. Says McKinnon, “since deploying the system we are now generating much bigger revenues, but with fewer staff. Verde’s solution has effectively saved us a staff member.”

Tailoring the system to Smith & Davies specific requirements has been an important factor in getting the right solution. Along with the base financial package and Job Costing module Verde tailored the system to include an internal transaction entry function. This allows the firm to post a cost to a customer’s job and at the same time to show the revenue from that job to a plant item. The result is a saving on re- keying data while providing a more accurate view of the company’s financial position at a given moment.

Plant management generally has been improved by the Verde solution, as has job costing now that the firm is better equipped to track costs on a daily basis.

Graham McKinnon says, “Verde demonstrated a thorough knowledge of our business needs and they are experts in the technology they work with, it means we get more than just a product. Verde continue to work with us to improve our business and our processes.”

Smith and Davies management is committed to a programme of continuous process improvement and again Verde is assisting by combining process improvements with technology solutions that work hand in hand. Currently Verde is working on a GPS based dispatch system that will automate, centralise and track the management of trucks, drivers and jobs to increase Smith & Davies productivity and profitability.

McKinnon concludes, “our whole system will become much more visible at every stage of the process. Once complete it will allow us to give more accurate quotes for jobs and be more efficient about carrying out those jobs. That’s going to be great for our business because we will be able to provide an even better service to our customers”.

About Smith & Davies

For more information about Smith & Davies visit: www.smithanddavies.co.nz