Toby Electronics one of UK’s leading distributors of electronic components.

  • The electronics distributor explains why it’s pushing its ERP system to the limit

    Established in 1983 and based in the UK in Banbury, Toby Electronics distributes electronic components such as connectors, LEDs and PCB hardware

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Toby Electronics is one of UK’s leading distributors of electronic components.

Established in 1983 and based in the UK in Banbury, Toby Electronics distributes electronic components such as connectors, LEDs and PCB hardware. Its franchised suppliers include some of the world’s leading connector manufacturers, and it also sources an extensive range of components direct from suppliers in the Far East.

It has 23 employees and big ambitions for the future. At present Toby is largely a B2B company, but it is in the process of building a new website with an improved online shop which will integrate with eBay and Amazon.

““…Fortunately we have now found a solution that ticks all the boxes and will support a simultaneous upgrade to our accounts system so all orders can go through the same channel.”

Toby-Electronic-SAGE-ERP-X3

Project background

Toby Electronics had been using the same enterprise resource planning (ERP) system Sage Line 500 for ten years, in this time the company has grown in size and ambition. It had strong growth forecasts which depended on increasing their product portfolio and entering new markets, which its current ERP system was not designed for. With this in mind, Toby Electronics’ IT manager, Paul Donnelly, had been intent on upgrading for a number of years and had been fastidious in finding a solution that matched the company’s needs. They turned to K3 to embark upon a system migration and take better control of their growing business

Toby Electronics Group requirements

Improving integration
Toby Electronics had been looking to upgrade and integrate its website into the main accounting system for the 12 months prior. “Before we started this process the online shop and ERP system operated separately, which meant the team spent hours manually reconciling everything. It also made it impossible to track real-time stock levels, which is vital to ensuring our ecommerce customers get the best experience.”

A transparent implementation
However, Donnelly recognised that timing was of the essence. “Upgrading an ERP system was no mean fit. It consumed a lot of time and work, going to the very heart of what a company does and its ability to fulfill customer orders. This is why I held back. Fortunately we have now found a solution that ticks all the boxes and will support a simultaneous upgrade to our accounts system so all orders can go through the same channel.”

The firm had been clear that it didn’t want anything overly complicated. “We’ve done a lot of scoping with support from K3 who helped us to identify the best solution for our needs. The Sage X3 Standard edition meets our requirements perfectly. It’s powerful, quick and stable. While the out-of-the box version puts some of the onus on us to deliver part of the implementation, I’m happy to take on the responsibility – it keeps costs down and it’s the best way to learn after all.”

Download the full case study to understand more about the business requirements, solution and positive outcomes achieved by Toby Electronics.

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Solutions delivered

  • Sage X3
  • Managed services

The K3 service benefits

  • Effective and easy to use – A library of integrated processes
  • Share data and processes between sites whilst respecting local business rules