Aussies knockout big players in ERP deal

Aussie developer Pronto Software has scored a deal with Kincrome Australia to supply enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, beating big vendors like SAP and Microsoft to the punch.

Hand-tools business Kincrome Australia has selected local ERP provider Pronto Software to replace its incumbent commerce@work platform.(Day 207 image by Juli, CC BY-ND 2.0)

Kincrome chief financial officer Martin Richards said that the business needed a fully integrated platform, rather than third-party "bolt-on" software.

Pronto-Xi software will be rolled out to support finance, stock control, customer relationship management (CRM) and workforce planning operations within Kincrome.

"Our incumbent system, Infor ERP commerce@work, was no longer being developed, so we were looking for a solution with a clear upgrade path and ongoing support to evolve with our business," Richards said.

"It's a large step for any company when you change your ERP, companies live and die by the abilities of their computer systems in many respects, especially in a transactional business like ours," he added.

Richards said that one of the key elements that led to the selection of Pronto was not only the scalability, but the local placement of key Pronto staff.

"We really felt that [Pronto] seriously try and understand what you're trying to achieve [as a business]. It's an Australian-based business and you're not going through a reseller or some mega multinational, and you meet the people who are key decision makers for the company," Richards said.

Kincrome is a medium-sized business that sells hand tools and equipment across Australia.