Customer

Hely & Weber

Industry

Medical Manufacturing and Distribution

About Hely & Weber

Hely & Weber develops and manufactures orthopedic bracing, including knee braces, back braces, ankle braces, wrist braces, and other orthopedic support products, with a focus on innovation and high quality, to satisfy a wide variety of patient needs.

Highlights

·      Moved order entry, commissions, royalties, tracings, and customer management into                     Business Central.

·      Eliminated integration bottlenecks between ERP and CRM systems

·      Completed the project on time and on budget

·      Reduced future infrastructure costs by more than 90%

Download Full Case Study (PDF)

Project Snapshot

After years on Microsoft Dynamics GP and SalesPad, Hely & Weber moved to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Sales.

However, the architecture implemented by their original Microsoft Dynamics partner created a new challenge. Manufacturing and shipping were handled in Business Central, while order entry and sales functionality were handled in Dynamics 365 Sales. The integration to connect the two systems was never smooth, which led to frustration with the entire system.

When they started working with Dexpro Dynamics, the team was able to take a fresh look at their ERP, moving all processes into Business Central to take advantage of native functionality. The result was a simpler, more manageable solution that was delivered on time and on budget.

Moving From Dynamics GP to Business Central

Kirk Rogers, IT Manager at Hely & Weber, tells the story of their changing technology needs.

“We were using Dynamics GP and SalesPad on-premises. GP is marching toward end-of-life, so we saw the need to move to a modern solution. We’re a small company, and it’s no longer practical for us to have a data center. We needed to move to the cloud with Business Central.”

Their previous partner guided them toward two systems to meet their needs.

“We put our manufacturing and shipping in Business Central, and we put our order entry, commissions, royalties, tracings, and customer management in Dynamics 365 Sales. A custom integration was built to bridge the two environments.”

That integration soon became the problem.

“We went live in December 2024, and we fought that integration for a year. I wasn’t able to do anything else because I was always fighting fires.”

A Fresh Look at What Hely & Weber Really Needed

After those struggles, Hely & Weber began looking for a different approach. They interviewed several Dynamics partners before choosing Dexpro Dynamics.

“We had several conversations with Dexpro and looked at the idea of moving all our sales processes over to Business Central to get rid of the integration bottlenecks. Their vision for our systems fit what I thought we should be doing long-term.”

Dexpro’s depth of knowledge and honest pricing also struck a chord.

“Their experience with Business Central and their willingness to look at our unique needs was what we were searching for in a partner. Even though they also work with Dynamics 365 Sales and would lose out on extra license fees, they recommended what was best for us. They gave us a fixed price range for the project, and we moved forward.”

Then, the teams on both sides got to work.

“We sat with Dexpro for a couple of months to work on the design and specifications. Implementation started in January. When we finally moved order entry over in May, things began to work a lot more smoothly. Since then, my nightmares have gone away.”

Moving to Business Central Without Losing Functionality

Hely & Weber had a complex process to migrate from SalesPad to Business Central.

“We have over 400 contracts with special pricing, which makes price adjustments a real challenge. With Business Central’s enhanced sales pricing features, we were able to control that process.”

Dexpro also helped customize the order entry experience so users could stay productive.

“Our customer service reps liked the grid-style input in SalesPad. Business Central didn’t have that out-of-the-box for entering orders. With Dexpro’s customization, our staff is now greeted with a familiar interface.”

Migrating from Dynamics GP to Business Central hasn’t left them hanging.

“We now use a shipping tool that has a native integration with Business Central, and that streamlined the process. The manufacturing functionality in BC was very straightforward to implement and hasn’t caused us many issues. The things we were doing in GP we’re able to do in BC as well.”

Reducing Infrastructure Costs by Moving to the Cloud

“From an IT perspective, the cloud is easier because we don’t have our own servers or SQL Server licensing to worry about, or any of the other idiosyncrasies that come with on-premises servers.”

Before the move, Hely & Weber had a much larger server footprint.

“We had around a dozen servers for remote users, databases, shipping, etc. Now we have a domain name server and our shipping integration server for handhelds. Those are the only servers we have to keep on-premises.”

That smaller footprint will have a major impact when the company refreshes its hardware.

“To replace the servers we have now will be about $10,000 or $11,000. If we were still replacing the old cluster, it would have been $120,000 to $150,000. It has also saved us time. The people who help us manage infrastructure are now working on other projects.”

A Bigger Partner Isn’t Always Better

Hely & Weber has clear advice for other companies evaluating a move from GP to Business Central.

“Look for the partner that is the right fit for you. Bigger is not always better.”

That can make a major difference. Location is also important.

“We have a very tight budget and very short timeframes to get things done. When we had to work with consultants located overseas, it was challenging to align schedules and keep costs under control. Right-sizing your partner is critical.”

The fact that Dexpro Dynamics has a US based team benefited this client. Just as important is a listening ear.

“Some partners just tell you what you need based on their experience with other companies. However, you need a partner that listens. They should get to know your business model and your unique operational requirements before making recommendations.”

Good communication is another key factor.

“With Dexpro, I dealt directly with the people who have ‘boots on the ground’ with our implementation. I could get answers to my questions quickly, no matter how technical they were, without having to go through a salesperson or gatekeeper.”

An experienced partner produces good results.

“The project was great! We turned it around on time and on budget, which is a rarity in the IT world.”

A Partner for the Future

As a longtime IT professional, Rogers wanted a partner who would help him understand the new ERP, not keep him at arm’s length.

“I pose operational questions to them, and they show me how to accomplish it in Business Central. They’ve been willing to help me figure out the things I didn’t know about the cloud so that I can attend to system maintenance on my own.”

Dexpro continues to help Hely & Weber get more from Business Central.

“They’ve been able to help us in many different areas. We’ve worked with them on everything from order entry and financials to inventory, shipping, label printing, form setup, and more. And they continue to support us as we encounter new challenges and improve our internal processes.”

How does Rogers feel about the ongoing partnership?

“I would highly recommend Dexpro Dynamics. They’ve been very easy to work with. The move from one Dynamics partner to another has been seamless.”

Hely & Weber now has a solid foundation for future growth with Business Central. And they have a partner who supports them every step of the way.