TMC’s transition to MYOB Advanced Manufacturing Edition went off without a hitch

TMC Trailers have been at the forefront of the New Zealand road transport industry for 75 years. Specialising in the manufacture, service and repair of truck trailers and truck decks, they are industry-leading professionals in the heavy transport engineering field. TMC operates their manufacturing facility in Christchurch and their repairs and service facilities in Auckland, Hamilton, and Christchurch. TMC-authorised service agents are also located close to all major centres across New Zealand.

Being a large business with many moving parts, TMC made the decision to let go of their antiquated legacy system and replace it with MYOB Advanced Manufacturing Edition, Velixo, and Empower Workshop Productivity & Scheduling Software.

Moving on from a non-cloud system with limited integration and narrow functionality

Having been in business since 1948, TMC has experienced their fair share of resource planning systems. From pen and paper to locally-hosted digital software, it was now time for an upgrade to better suit their current needs. Richard Currie, the company director explains that prior to their ERP project with Endeavour, the team was struggling with the limited functionality of their old systems. They were not integrated with one another, "with our previous ERP, it was difficult to see stock levels without having to log in and out between systems,” Richard explains.

Disconnected systems was only one of the issues TMC was facing. The company wanted to see automated accounts payable functionality implemented, which simply wasn’t viable with their old ERP. With their growing business, it was important to effectuate a new system that accurately accounted for all employee timekeeping and automatically generated invoices without having to make manual adjustments.

While making the decision to upgrade its system, TMC investigated several ERP software companies. MYOB came out on top. Richard tells us, “MYOB seemed well suited to the size of our business. It also seemed to be developing a lot quicker than the other ERPs. It looked more interactive too.”

Endeavour, MYOB Advanced Manufacturing, Velixo and more

TMC was looking to join forces with a team of ERP integration specialists. Richard notes that Endeavour being located in Christchurch, “was an advantage for us. It made life easier, being on the ground with these guys.” Endeavour having decades of specialist experience with clients in the manufacturing sector was certainly a bonus too.

TMC not only has several branches across New Zealand, they work across multiple industries: manufacturing, service and repair, as well as vehicle inspection. It was important for the company to have all its functionality integrated within a single system, one that could do it all:

• Data synchronicity in real-time between branches with a cloud-based system
• Accounts payable automation
• A system capable of working with a large, complex business
• Unification of separate department data within a single system
• User-friendliness for both their new and experienced staff
• A system with specialised functionality for the manufacturing industry

MYOB Advanced Manufacturing Edition was the perfect solution for TMC, as it combines manufacturing functionality, inventory management and accounting all in a single, tidy package.

The system is also highly configurable, which allowed the Endeavour team to incorporate Velixo into the mix. Velixo is an extension built for Microsoft Excel, which enables reporting, budgeting, and automation for ERP software.

Being a large company with complex technical needs, Endeavour also built a custom integration for TMC, to Empower. Empower is a workshop productivity and scheduling software app which enables the business’ manufacturing and servicing sectors to communicate. Richard and the team are pleased with the result, “It's easy to connect to and it just works” he remarks.

Not only that, but the MYOB Projects module plays a significant role in dividing the full-service division from the manufacturing division within TMC Trailers. Both of these divisions are crucial components of the overall TMC Trailers operation. TMC has effectively implemented robust functionality using the Advanced software for their service team. This functionality is particularly adept at handling large transaction volumes, which is essential for the service team as they manage a substantial number of tasks and processes.

TMC and MYOB in the driver’s seat

Only four months into using the new system, the TMC team is adjusting well. Richard explains, “They definitely find it easier to use than the old ERP. Particularly new people that have had to use both systems.” Working with a user-friendly, cloud-based, and flexible system really gets the job done for TMC. Looking back on the experience, Richard recalls the transition period and working with Endeavour, “They did a great job really. We didn't have too many major issues when we went live. Obviously a few teething problems, but nothing that stopped us from manufacturing. That's the key for us.”

To find out how Endeavour can assist in simplifying and modernising your day-to-day operations, get in touch today.