When Technology Becomes the Catalyst for Operational Unity
“It’s not an IT project.”
This phrase, emphatically stated by Pascal van Vugt when describing the ERP implementation at Fyron Group, captures a fundamental truth that many organizations miss. While system implementations are often viewed primarily through a technological lens, their greatest value frequently lies in something else entirely: the opportunity to harmonize and elevate business processes across the organization.
“It’s really a fusion of two companies,” van Vugt explains, describing the implementation that followed when private equity firm Menta Capital acquired OFYR and 200 Fahrenheit – two complementary businesses in the outdoor cooking industry. “It’s about harmonizing workflows and upgrading processes to support future growth.”
This process-first perspective challenges conventional thinking about ERP projects and offers valuable insights for organizations undertaking similar transformations.
The Process Harmonization Imperative
For organizations operating with disparate processes – whether due to acquisitions, organic growth, geographic expansion, or simple operational drift – process harmonization represents an enormous opportunity. Standardized processes can dramatically improve efficiency, enhance scalability, and create a more consistent customer experience.
Yet process harmonization is notoriously difficult to achieve. Without a compelling catalyst, departments often resist changes to their established ways of working. This is where ERP implementation becomes transformative – not simply as a technical solution, but as a structured opportunity to reimagine how the business operates.
A Strategic, Phased Approach
At Fyron Group, process harmonization didn’t happen by accident. It was a deliberate focus within a carefully structured three-year transformation journey:
Year 1: Strategy and Structure
- Developing the unified business strategy
- Designing the target operating model
- Planning organizational changes
- Creating the IT architecture blueprint
“The first year was all about strategy, organizational structure, operating model, and defining the IT architecture we would need,” van Vugt explains. “This groundwork was essential before we started talking about specific systems.”
Year 2: Process Design and Implementation
- Harmonizing business processes across locations
- Configuring systems to support standardized processes
- Testing the integrated solution
“The second year focused on defining our business processes, harmonizing them across locations, implementing the system, and testing everything thoroughly,” says van Vugt.
Year 3: Embedding and Optimization
- Going live with new systems and processes
- Ensuring adoption across the organization
- Refining based on real-world experience
“In our third year after going live, we’ve focused on ensuring our designed processes actually work in practice, bringing people along through the changes, and optimizing based on what we’ve learned,” van Vugt notes.
This methodical approach stands in contrast to implementations that rush directly to system configuration without sufficient process design work – often resulting in technology that simply reinforces existing inefficiencies.
Key Areas of Process Harmonization
Fyron’s transformation touched virtually every aspect of the business, but several areas demonstrate particularly valuable lessons in process harmonization:
1. Order-to-Cash Transformation
For customer-facing teams dealing with seasonal pressure, few capabilities matter more than inventory visibility. Fyron implemented NetSuite’s Available-to-Promise functionality to transform this aspect of operations.
Before the implementation, customers dealing with both original companies had to place separate orders, receive multiple shipments, and process different invoices. The harmonization created a seamless experience.
“Our customers now place a single order covering all our brands, receive one delivery, and get one invoice,” explains van Vugt. “It’s simpler for them and more efficient for us.” This required harmonizing numerous processes, including:
- Product catalog management
- Pricing approaches
- Order entry procedures
- Picking and packing methods
- Shipping protocols
- Invoicing practices
2. Unified Warehouse Operations
With warehouses in multiple locations (Roosendaal and Amsterdam), Fyron faced the challenge of creating consistent operations that could function as a unified system rather than separate facilities. “We implemented warehouse management scanning across all locations,” van Vugt explains. “This standardized our processes and created consistency regardless of which facility handles an order.”
Key elements of this harmonization included:
- Standardized receiving procedures
- Consistent inventory management practices
- Unified picking protocols
- Integrated quality control processes
- Coordinated shipping operations
3. Cross-Location Team Integration
Perhaps the most profound harmonization occurred at the team level, where previously separate departments were integrated into unified functions.
“Instead of separate purchasing departments in Roosendaal and Haarlem, we now have one team,” van Vugt notes. “Staff can cover for each other, share knowledge, and work consistently across all brands and locations.”
- This integration extended across functions:
- Purchasing became a single, unified department
- Sales support was integrated to support all brands
- Customer service operated as one team
- Logistics coordination was centralized
“This unified approach means we’re not dependent on specific individuals,” van Vugt explains. “Teams an support each other during busy periods or absences, creating much greater operational resilience.”
Process Harmonization Benefits Beyond Efficiency
While increased efficiency is an obvious benefit of process harmonization, Fyron’s experience reveals additional advantages that extend far beyond cost savings:
Despite careful planning, the first peak season after implementation still presented challenges. Van Vugt candidly shares their experience:
Enhanced Planning Capabilities
Standardized processes created new planning capabilities that transformed operations – particularly in production.
“Before, our assembly operations involved walking through the warehouse to decide what to produce next,” van Vugt explains. “Now we use MRP to plan work orders and ensure components arrive on time, dramatically improving efficiency and reducing shortages.”
Data-Driven Management
Harmonized processes generate consistent data, enabling management insights that were previously impossible.
“For the first time, I can see exactly how many shipments we’re sending, their weights, which carriers are handling them – all information that was previously unavailable,” says van Vugt. “This allows us to have fact-based conversations with partners about performance and make data-driven decisions.”
Improved Customer Experience
Process standardization directly improved the customer experience by creating consistency across brands and channels.
“Our inside sales team can now see precisely when products will be available through the ‘available to promise’ functionality,” van Vugt notes. “If a shipment from Asia is delayed, we can immediately identify which orders will be affected and proactively inform customers.”
Scalable Growth Foundation
Perhaps most importantly for a PE-backed company like Fyron Group, harmonized processes created a foundation for scalable growth.
“We’ve built processes that can handle much higher volumes without proportional increases in headcount,” explains van Vugt. “This scalability is essential for our growth ambitions and provides the perational foundation our investors were seeking.
Overcoming Resistance to Process Harmonization
Despite its benefits, process harmonization inevitably encounters resistance. Key users at Fyron played a critical role in managing this challenge.
“We established a team of key users who were involved from the beginning,” van Vugt explains. “They helped design the processes, tested the system extensively, and then trained their colleagues. This created natural champions within each department.”
This approach addressed several common obstacles to process harmonization:
The “Not Invented Here” Syndrome
By involving representatives from both original companies in process design, neither side felt processes were being imposed upon them.
Fear of Losing Local Flexibility
Key users helped identify where standardization was beneficial and where limited local variations were necessary, creating balanced solutions.
Knowledge and Skill Gaps
By training key users first and then having them train colleagues, the organization leveraged existing relationships and trust to build capabilities.
Resistance to Change
Champions within departments helped address concerns and demonstrate benefits, accelerating acceptance of new ways of working.
Lessons for Successful Process Harmonization
Based on Fyron’s experience, several principles emerge for organizations undertaking similar transformations:
1. Start with Strategy, Not Software
“Begin by defining your target operating model and business processes,” advises van Vugt. “Software selection should come after you’ve clarified how you want to work.”
2. Involve Key Users from Day One
“Identify influential team members from different departments and locations and involve them throughout the journey. Their input improves process design and their support accelerates adoption.”
3. Document Processes Clearly
“Thorough documentation is essential for training, consistency, and future optimization. Don’t skip this critical step, even when timelines are tight.”
4. Test Processes, Not Just Functionality
“Testing isn’t just about whether the system works technically – it’s about whether the processes work for your business. Create test scenarios that reflect real business situations.”
5. Plan for Post-Implementation Refinement
“No process design is perfect initially. Plan for a period of observation and refinement after go-live to optimize based on real-world experience.”
6. Build Self-Reliance
“The goal isn’t just standardized processes, but the internal capability to manage and improve them. Invest in building self-sufficiency within your team.”
The Journey Continues
Three years after beginning their transformation, Fyron Group now operates with harmonized processes across locations and brands. Yet van Vugt emphasizes that process harmonization is not a one-time event but an ongoing journey.
“We’re still finding opportunities to refine and improve our processes,” he notes. “The foundation is in place, but optimization continues as we identify new efficiencies and adapt to changing business needs.”
This perspective reflects the reality of process harmonization in modern businesses – not a static end- state, but a dynamic capability that continuously evolves. With their unified processes and systems, Fyron Group is well-positioned for this ongoing journey, with a foundation that supports both operational excellence today and adaptability for tomorrow’s challenges.
For organizations undertaking similar transformations, this process-first mindset offers a powerful framework – moving beyond seeing ERP implementation merely as a technology project to recognizing it as a catalyst for fundamental business transformation.
