In 2018, Adventures Group, a leading publisher in the outdoor adventure market merged with Brisbane-based mapping and digital navigation company Hema Maps. By leveraging the content and marketing capabilities of Adventures Group and the advanced mapping and GPS technology of Hema Maps, the newly formed Emprise Group is able to deliver improved products to its customers and unlock significant opportunities for the growth of its business.
But as with any merger, transitioning two businesses into one entity presented significant challenges. Not least the formidable challenge of transitioning legacy operational systems and software into an integrated ecosystem that supports a business in a new phase of its evolution.
Emprise Group partnered with BlueRock to replace Hema Map’s million-dollar legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) software system with a lean, agile and streamlined cloud-based solution that would support its new diversified business model.
Hema Maps’ legacy ERP system was a costly and inappropriate platform for the company in its new stage of growth. The system had to be replaced, and it had to be replaced fast.
With a project timeline of less than 3 months, BlueRock collaborated closely with key stakeholders to quickly deliver solutions. Management of stakeholders was a critical aspect of the project, with the success of key automations and integration between systems relying on the input of Hema Map’s logistics partner, Toll Group.
BlueRock’s team performed an analysis of the Emprise business in order to create a comprehensive systems architecture and identify a suite of cloud-based products that would support the business’s needs.
The next step involved leveraging BlueRock Digital’s development capabilities to create a custom solution for integrating individual software products. Using Zapier, the team integrated each system across business functions and third-party logistics partner Toll.
The outcome is a seamlessly integrated cloud-based business system that includes Xero accounting, DEAR Systems inventory management and Shopify eCommerce software.
The digital solution was delivered in less than 2 months, backed up by a third month of support, education and training by BlueRock’s digital specialists as the system went live.
Engaging BlueRock Digital allowed Emprise Group to merge two operational systems into one seamlessly integrated platform. The business now benefits from streamlined operational processes and smooth integration between key business functions.
By replacing Hema’s expensive ERP system with a lean cloud-based solution, the company was able to save $1M in costs. And as each of the business systems implemented is further developed, Emprise Group continues to benefit from new features; for example, a December update to the DEAR Inventory management system that allows users to create customer credit notes and refunds.
With the digital business systems in place to support the business, Emprise Group is now well-placed for growth as it moves into a new and exciting phase of the company’s evolution.
Rob Gallagher, Cheif Executive Officer, Emprise Group
"As part of a strategic merger to establish Emprise Group, we engaged BlueRock Digital to engineer a cloud-based operational ecosystem that would support our new business model.
The team helped us replace an expensive and inappropriate ERP software system with a lean digital solution that incorporates Xero accounting, DEAR Systems inventory management and Shopify eCommerce software. The team also migrated all the custom automations from the ERP into the cloud ecosystem, including custom freight matrices, fraudulent transaction and delinquent customer management and fully supported our EDI transition to Dear, including logistics and retailers.
Despite the complexity of the project, BlueRock Digital was able to deliver a solution within 2 months, and continued to assist us with training and support as the system went live.
The suite of digital products has streamlined our operational processes, and with custom development from BlueRock Digital’s development team, each system is seamlessly integrated across business functions and our third-party logistics provider.
The cloud systems implementation and business automation BlueRock Digital delivered drove a $1M saving to our bottom line, and with the digital business systems in place to support us, Emprise Group is now well placed for future growth as we move into this new and exciting phase of the company’s evolution."
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