How do you ensure that various international branches collaborate efficiently within a single ERP environment? For Gevasol, the answer lay in switching from Isah to Priority. The Dutch branch in Voorhout was the last within the international Gevasol Group still using a different ERP system. A careful migration of existing data was essential. Komexo supported Gevasol in cleaning and preparing the data and setting up the migration tables. The result: one central ERP environment in which the various Gevasol entities can share data in a standardised way, ready for further international growth.
Family business Gevasol has been developing and manufacturing bespoke fluid and gas control solutions for nearly 25 years. This involves complex technical assemblies for OEM partners, combining high-end electronic controls with mechanical solutions.
For instance, Gevasol supplies solutions to Lely Industries, a manufacturer of milking robots, and also develops technology for precision spraying in agriculture.
"Thanks to our valves and electronics, the agricultural machine only sprays the weeds," explains René Beuving, Vice President of Gevasol’s Fluid Control Division. "That makes this application highly environmentally friendly."
Gevasol is also active in the medical sector, from valves for ventilators and medical laser applications in dentistry to gas detection systems for cleanrooms.
This diversity entails a significant flow of materials. That is precisely why an ERP system that can manage material handling effectively and in real-time is essential.
"Gevasol comes into the picture when the OEM cannot find the required solution on the market," says René.
Over 25 years, Gevasol has grown into an international group with operations in several countries. The Dutch branch focuses on fluid control and control technology, while R&D takes place in locations including Switzerland and Israel. In addition, Gevasol has a sales office in the United States.
Almost all entities within the Gevasol Group were already using Priority. Only the Netherlands was still using Isah.
"We collaborate internationally a great deal with multiple entities within our fluid division," says plant manager Michael Smits. "It is therefore essential that we can share information within a single ERP solution."
For Gevasol, that was the main reason to migrate the Dutch organisation to Priority as well: a single system that can be managed centrally and in which data can be standardised and easily exchanged between the various branches.
The benefits of this are immediately noticeable in daily practice. For example, when R&D in Switzerland or Israel develops new products, the initial datasets are created in Priority. As soon as development moves to the Netherlands, Gevasol can continue immediately with the same complete and accurate data.
Information can also be shared much more easily with production companies in Israel and during international procurement processes.
"With Isah, linked to Priority, that was absolutely impossible," says Michael.
The main reason Gevasol Netherlands did not switch sooner was practical. Internally, the knowledge and capacity required to carry out such a migration effectively were lacking. Furthermore, there was insufficient support for Priority available in the Netherlands.
Thorough preparation was crucial for a successful transition. Komexo supported Gevasol with key aspects of the implementation and migration from Isah to Priority.
A key part of this was the cleansing and preparation of existing data. In addition, Komexo provided support with setting up the migration tables used to transfer data from Isah to Priority.
Gevasol chose to make a full switch in one go. This made it all the more important that the data was carefully checked prior to the actual migration.
“What helped us enormously was our thorough and long-term preparation for the migration,” says Michael. “Cleaning our data before the migration and then checking it for consistency was essential. That was a key success factor for our migration, supported by Komexo.”
Priority Partner Forza was also involved in the process and provides updates and support for Gevasol, among other things.
When setting up Priority, Gevasol consciously opted for maximum standardisation and as little customisation as possible.
“Our starting point was that we wanted to work with the available standards in Priority as much as possible to continue our existing way of working,” says René.
If something did not fit directly within the standard functionality, Gevasol first looked at how other branches had solved this within Priority. Only then was customisation considered.
“The less customisation, the more we can make use of standard functionalities that have already proven themselves,” adds Michael.
During the implementation, Gevasol also made use of the knowledge of international colleagues who had been working with Priority for some time. Colleagues from a foreign production entity within the fluid division came to the Netherlands to share their knowledge and experience of the system.
The Dutch situation involved additional complexity. The branch is larger than the other locations and works with, among other things, a Kardex warehouse and a kanban system. The combination of different logistical methodologies placed higher demands on the ERP system.
In this respect, too, Priority proved better able to support Gevasol than the previous situation with Isah.
According to Michael, Priority is also an accessible and intuitive system. Employees can get up to speed with it relatively quickly, and the system provides the data Gevasol needs for KPIs, analyses, and reports.
This also offers advantages internationally.
“Suppose we want to know something about our purchasing in China,” says René. “The report we create in the Netherlands is structured identically to the reports from our other locations. We can then easily consolidate and analyse those reports.”
For a manufacturing company with highly dynamic demand, that is important. Gevasol works with approximately 6,000 items and must be able to respond continuously to changes in purchasing and production.
“Every day we load new forecast data, run an MRP, and have quick insight into what we need to do,” says Michael.
With the migration of the Dutch branch, the Gevasol Group now operates from a single, central ERP environment. Data can be shared more easily internationally, processes can be further standardised, and reports are better aligned.
By supporting Gevasol during the preparation and data migration, Komexo contributed to an important step towards that uniform way of working. With cleaned and consistent data as a foundation, Gevasol can make optimal use of Priority's capabilities and continue to build on its international growth.
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