“People buy from people. Trusting the right implementation partner makes all the difference.”
As one of South Africa’s largest CNC machine tool suppliers, WD Hearn needed an ERP system that could scale with their ambitious growth. Managing Director Graeme Cooper reflects on their transition to NetSuite and the decisive role Rsult played as their implementation and service partner.
“As a scale-up in a rapid growth phase, we needed a system that could evolve with us, one that we could trust as our daily partner.”
A system that no longer met their needs
“For 15 years, we had been running the same Swedish ERP system. But over the last few years, every time we receive the annual invoice, I kept thinking, ‘We really need to look elsewhere.’ As a scale-up in a rapid growth phase, we needed a system that could evolve with us, one that we could trust as our daily partner. Our business was expanding quickly, and we needed a robust ERP to manage that growth, control stock, and streamline our processes.”
Why NetSuite? Why Rsult?
Graeme was initially introduced to NetSuite by a friend who worked at Oracle. This led him to compare two competing ERP solutions, one of which was NetSuite, implemented by Rsult’s team in South Africa.
“It was a close call. Both solutions had their merits, and from a technical standpoint, they both looked strong. The difference, however, came down to the people. The Rsult team stood out through their personal approach, their presentation, and the trust we felt from day one. We understood early on how critical the implementation team would be. At the end of the day, people buy from people. And with Rsult, we knew we were in good hands.”
“The Rsult team didn’t just implement the software. They took the time to understand our processes inside out.”
A complex implementation, made seamless
Implementing a new ERP system is never a small task, and WD Hearn had its own unique challenges. “People often underestimate just how big a transition this is. Changing an ERP system is a mental shift. Once you press ‘go’ on migration and implementation, the level of detail required is immense. You need an implementation team that truly understands your business.”
WD Hearn’s business model is complex. They don’t just sell standard products, but ratherhigh-value, custom-engineered machinery with long lead times and staggered payments. Each machine can have up to 100 optional configurations, and the managing of exchange rates on large international transactions adds another layer of complexity.
“The Rsult team didn’t just implement the software. They took the time to understand our processes inside out. Neil, Craig, and the entire team made sure we had a system that fit our business perfectly. That kind of expertise and local support made a massive difference.”
The impact of NetSuite & Rsult
The results of the NetSuite implementation were quickly noticeable:
- Faster sales cycles: the quotation and follow-up process is now streamlined, significantly improving response times.
- Improved financial visibility: WD Hearn now has a clear, real-time financial overview, with dashboards displaying key KPIs, staged payments, and exchange rate tracking which is crucial for their business.
- Stock & logistics control: managing stock (across multiple sites) and logistics has become far more efficient, particularly for large machinery requiring special transportation. Costs, delivery times, and stock location are all centralised, allowing for smarter business decisions.
- Stronger internal processes: the system ensures that crucial components—such as transformers or machine parts—aren’t forgotten in the ordering process, reducing costly internal errors.
- Scalability & future growth: “One of the key pieces of advice Rsult gave us from the start was not to overcomplicate things in the beginning. Instead of implementing every possible module at once, they helped us focus on the must-haves; the essential functions that would immediately impact our business. This approach made the transition smoother and allowed our team to adapt without being overwhelmed.
Now that everything is up and running, we’re able to explore the nice-to-haves asadditional features and optimizations that will further enhance our efficiency. With a solid foundation in place, we can now strategically expand the system’s capabilities to support our future growth.
Lessons learned & recommendations
Graeme has one key piece of advice for businesses considering a similar transition:
“Be prepared for the workload. An ERP implementation is not just about switching software; it’s about restructuring your business. It takes time, effort, and commitment from your team. But with the right partner, it’s absolutely worth it.”
WD Hearn is now operating with a more professional, scalable, and future-proof system, thanks to NetSuite and Rsult.
