How do you get the best software working for your business? By equipping your staff with the relevant skills and understanding to unlock its full potential of course! That was certainly the case for us here at Autac when our investment in the training of our developer, Dele Oyebande, meant we could confidently make the leap to a fully customisable ERP.
It also meant that Dele was afforded the appropriate training and experience to set up his own business, Blue Sky ERP. Our support of Dele in pursuing his dream of entrepreneurship represents our ethos at Autac that together is better. We’re delighted that Dele is now positioned to make things happen for other local manufacturers, as he has for us.
A triple win for us, Dele and other SMEs who are also looking to invest in growth.
Dele first joined Autac on a 6-week work placement after qualifying with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1990 from the University of Manchester. The fit proved to be a good one and he continued to work for the company during breaks from his further studies.
Once he qualified with a Master’s Degree in Control and Information Technology and a PhD in Electrical Engineering, he became a full-time employee at Autac, and led the project to create the company’s very own ERP system and later upgrading to the Ethicor system. Whilst it was a system that ticked all Autac’s functionality requirements, the Ethicor ERP came at a cost. The capital cost of the software – no insignificant amount in itself – needed to be matched £ for £ in installation fees. In order to keep costs down and recognising Dele’s commitment to both the project and the company as a whole, the Autac owners at the time paid for Dele’s training in order that he could install the system on their behalf. The Ethicor system went live in 2010, and Deli went on to marry his role at Autac with subcontracting out his services through his own limited company, Blue Sky ERP.
When David and Sallie Lowe, took over Autac in 2015, updating all the systems was their early ambition. They agreed that, before Dele focused full time on his own venture, he would upgrade Autac’s ERP. Since the system had been heavily customised to Autac’s ways of doing things, it was no mean feat.
With Dele’s guidance, it became clear that a standardised system – providing it included some customised additions – would be much easier to support and build upon over the coming years
As David explains,
“Our business is built on delivering bespoke solutions. So it stands to reason ours needs to be a highly sophisticated ERP when it comes to resource planning for our customer projects.
“Customised systems do not, however, come cheap! It takes a significant amount of expertise to make any system fit for your exact purpose. Autac’s early decision to invest in Dele’s training in this area has truly paid dividends since it has given him the tools to, once again, help our company evolve.
“Together is better. That’s our philosophy at Autac and that is certainly the case in our relationship with Dele. We’re really proud that he is now a fully-fledged business owner in his own right, and it’s reassuring to know that we can count upon his ongoing monthly support. Dare I say it, whilst blue is his colour of choice at Blue Sky, there’ll always be a distinct Autac red running through his veins!”
Dele adds,
“Together with my partners in the business, we have 15 years’ experience working with Ethicor and ERP systems. We’ve just been granted authorised partner status which means we can now sell the product as well as work with the software.
“Many of our customers are in manufacturing, and we love the challenge of intricate business systems because it’s so satisfying when we can get them performing optimally and achieving real results on efficiency for the business.
“Autac’s early belief in my capabilities means that the skills and knowledge I put to good use with them can now be applied for the benefit of other businesses. Teamwork at its best!”
Find out more about Autac Products Ltd on their member profile page here
Member-created content 3 years ago | From members