Customer Story

FPE Seals

The combination of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Lasernet, along with the addition of Lasernet’s Excel Add-In, has resulted in a future-proofed document management solution that exceeds FPE Seals’ exacting requirements.

"We have been able to produce and distribute documents that are tailored to our needs and distributed via multiple formats depending upon the need of the business unit."

Industry
Engineering, Industrial Sealing Solutions

Location
Darlington, United Kingdom

FPE Seals streamlines with Microsoft Dynamics365 & Lasernet

FPE Seals, a worldwide distributor and manufacturer of polymeric seals and hydraulic cylinder parts, provides market-leading products to meet the urgent needs of engineers, repairers and resellers.

With a global order book, FPE Seals operates from a number of branches across the UK, including Swan Seals in Aberdeen, as well as a branch in The Netherlands.

With a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, FPE Seal prides itself on delivering quality, personal and efficient service. With its global offering across all industries, FPE Seals understands how important it is that products arrive as quickly as possible to its customers via its same-day dispatch service.

Lasernet already a trusted solution

With numerous sites using multiple off-the-shelf and bespoke systems, FPE Seals wanted to support its plans for growth and streamline the business.

In order to achieve this, FPE Seals knew they needed to implement one single solution that was accessible across all sites. After exploring the market, Microsoft Dynamics 365 was chosen as the company’s new ERP solution.

With specific document creation and distribution requirements, it was highlighted from the beginning of the project that SSRS was unsuitable and that FPE Seals needed a document management solution to provide users with the flexibility to create and edit their own documents, and then distribute them according to their varying requirements. Already in place at one of the group’s other companies, Lasernet came highly recommended.

No need for programming

All changes in legislative requirements can be met by changing documents in-house. Saving time and money

Brand Rich Documents

Brand rich documents are created, edited and distributed according to FPE Seals' varying global requirements

Excel Add-In

Access to all Dynamics data, without needing to expose it through entities or make additional configurations

From two weeks to no time at all

The initial implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 took 9 months and now has approximately 70 users. Lasernet is in place to generate everything from picking notes, quotations, works orders and bag labels, to invoices and statements.

Some of these documents are physically printed on a variety of devices across multiple sites, where others are distributed electronically. For the first time ever, all FPE Seals’ documents can be customised in-house, enabling the user to tailor the document and distribution process to the business unit’s requirements.

FPE Seals is also making use of the Excel add-in to access all of the data within the Dynamics 365 tables and not just the provided Dynamics 365 entities. The add-in provides users access to all of the data in Dynamics 365 without the need to make data visible through entities, which can be costly and time consuming as discovered previously when a user needed one field exposing in an entity. It previously took 2 weeks from initial discussion to the entity being ready. Now FPE is able to do this in no time at all and at no extra cost.

Chris Hewitt, Financial Controller, FPE Seals, stated: "The interface is very intuitive; the level of control is excellent plus with the addition of the support and Knowledge Base website we have been able to produce and distribute documents that are tailored to our needs and distributed via multiple formats depending upon the need of the business unit."

A future-proofed solution was born

As a result of implementing Lasernet alongside Microsoft Dynamics 365, FPE Seals achieved a future-proofed solution that meets its exacting business requirements.

"When a new client comes to us following a recommendation, we see it as a big compliment. It’s exciting to see FPE Seals using Lasernet so comprehensively and recognising its true potential.

With the addition of the Excel Add-In, FPE Seals have been able to transform their processes, saving time and ultimately money" said Nick Collard, Partner Sales UK and Benelux, Formpipe.

With the ERP solution working across all sites as desired, Lasernet is allowing users to create and customise documents without the need for costly programming, and react quickly to ever-changing customer and legislative requirements. As both Microsoft Dynamics and Lasernet are scalable, they will be able to continue supporting the organisation as it expands and enters new markets/territories.