System Selection Project
The Client
Originating from The University of Manchester, The Lynton Group is a world-leading, British-based manufacturer and supplier of aesthetic, surgical and conservation lasers.
Combining high levels of expertise with a reputation for unrivalled quality, reliability and post-purchase support, The Lynton Group produce ultra-high specification equipment, across three separate divisions.
Since being founded in 1994, Lynton Lasers has grown to become a global leader in the development, manufacture and provision of aesthetic, surgical and conservation lasers. Employing nearly seventy people based in the head office and manufacturing unit in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, Lynton’s products are distributed (either directly or via third parties) globally.
The Problem
Whilst Lynton already had business systems in place for finance and customer relationship management, there was a clear gap in other key areas such as R&D, manufacturing and change control. The lack of integration between systems as well as reliance on spreadsheets, standalone databases and manual workarounds for some key business management activities was a source of frustration and considered an inhibitor to business growth.
The Solution
Lynton were very clear on where they felt a new core business system could bring improvements:
- Provide a foundation for the planned growth of the business whilst minimising the increase in the number of employees
- Automate inter-departmental activities where possible, especially in dealing with orders impacted by Brexit where it can take days to pull together the relevant paperwork
- Free up people’s time to focus on other value-adding activities
- Facilitate innovation and new product introduction to better penetrate overseas markets
- Provide the ability to create user-definable workflows to assist in the control and management of activities not only from a streamlining perspective but also in support of quality and regulatory control
- Streamline the process to accelerate necessary issue resolutions for a customer. Seeking counsel from an expert and independent partner, Lynton engaged with Gradient Transforming towards the end of 2022 in order to support a full systems selection process to find an ERP solution that would meet both their current and future requirements.
What the Client Says
“We recommend Gradient Transforming to any company considering making a significant investment in a new ERP system who are concerned over making the wrong choice. Gradient helped Lynton make the right choice.”
Actions
- Gradient worked with Lynton to agree a scope for discovery workshops to meet with Lynton teams from across the business to document their various current, ‘as-is’ processes and identify the gaps, disconnects and opportunities for improvement. This was followed by a review of the ERP solutions software market to identify potential solutions and vendors, and approximate costs
- Fourteen vendors or implementation partners were contacted to assess their capabilities against a list of high-level requirements that had been identified
- The findings from this initial phase, including the likely investment and potential returns, were summarised by Gradient in a report presented to the Lynton Board. Based on this, the Board made the decision to move to the next phase of the project and source a new solution
- Tne immediate challenge was to determine whether to retain the existing CRM system and create interfaces with the new ERP system or move to a single solution and replace the CRM. Gradient advised to keep all options open and see how potential solutions might work in this regard
- During the second stage of the project, Gradient created a comprehensive Statement of Requirements which, once signed off by Lynton, was issued to the seven vendors selected by Lynton from the initial long list
- Gradient fully managed the response process and assessed the vendors’ answers before reviewing them in detail with the Lynton team. As a result, a shortlist of three vendors were invited to demonstrate their solution to Lynton
- The demonstrations were managed against an agreed agenda which detailed scenarios that the team requested to see. After introductory meetings, full day demonstrations were delivered to, and scored by, the core stakeholders with some follow up calls enabling Lynton to agree on the most appropriate single solution to meet their requirements
- Lynton have now chosen their preferred vendor and solution and the implementation project is underway.
The Result
According to Dr Jon Exley, Managing Director of Lynton Lasers, ‘having independent, expert guidance throughout the ERP selection process was key. It was important to review as wide a range of suitable options as possible, using logical and objective methodology, and by working with Gradient we were able to confidently identify, and eventually select, the best ERP system to suit our specific needs.’