Steering toward operational excellence in transport, construction, and earthmoving

Sollys, a distinguished name in the NZ transport and logistics industry, has been a cornerstone of excellence since it launched in 1928. With its headquarters in Golden Bay and depots in Christchurch, Blenheim, and Richmond, Sollys has a reputation for reliability and innovation over decades of dedicated service.

Sollys utilise a fleet of diverse trucks - bulk tippers, curtainsiders, flat decks, and livestock units. Sollys supplies all types of gravel, aggregates, agricultural lime, fertilisers and dolomite and has a complete range of contracting machinery that can tackle anything from minor site work to quarrying and subdivisions.

Always keen to boost their operational excellence, Sollys needed to resolve a challenge that many growing Kiwi enterprises encounter: the need for a streamlined and integrated system to manage their transportation and financial system requirements.

Navigating the bumpy roads of outdated systems

Sollys had been using Rees as their financial system, but it was beginning to show signs of strain. "It was an MS-DOS based system and quite difficult to use," says Sollys Finance Manager, Jennifer Cooper. "It didn't provide a lot of in-depth information and it was desktop-based, so it couldn't be used outside the office."

Month-end financial closings were turning into arduous marathons, stretching over weeks rather than days. The outdated systems required extensive manual intervention and reconciliation, leading to delays in achieving accurate financial insights. The expanding scope of Sollys operations was met with technological constraints that threatened to stunt the company's momentum.

Not only that, but Sollys use a separate system - JobPlus - for the transport operational side of the business, and they needed to move to a solution that could integrate with that.

Recognising the need for a modern, integrated, and future-ready solution, Sollys were ready to modernise. "We looked at Xero first - we'd heard good things about it," Jennifer recalls. "But it turned out we were too big - we produced too many invoices every month." Continuing their search, they evaluated MYOB Advanced and the ideal partner to implement it - Endeavour. "We got good references for Endeavour," Jennifer explains.

Navigating a smooth transition to MYOB Advanced

The implementation process began in September 2022, and was live by      November 1st. Sollys were able to wave goodbye to the days of printing supply invoices and wrestling with double-handling inefficiencies. The cloud became the new repository, eliminating the need for tangible paper trails. "The cloud means there's less double-handling," Jennifer explains. "We use another software system that integrates with MYOB, so all our supplier invoices get sent there, get coded, and then sent to MYOB. There's no need to print them off."

Electronic sign-offs replaced the need for paper-laden excursions to different managers. Approvals happened within a few clicks. "There's no need for running around with bits of paper and trying to find the manager you need," says Jennifer. "You can find all the information you need in one place. And with everything being in the cloud, it future-proofs the business."

Change can be a bit daunting for some people, and some of the team who were used to the old system initially struggled a bit with MYOB Advanced. However, Endeavour provided training for Jennifer that she was able to pass on, and she notes that the majority of the team have welcomed the transition. "The ones who are used to more modern systems definitely find it easier to learn MYOB than they did the old, DOS-based system," she says.

Armed with the training, Jennifer and another team member were able to push MYOB Advanced out to their different branches. "We did the bulk of the training, but Endeavour were always there if we needed help and they continue to provide on-going support," says Jennifer. "When we come across issues, it's good to have them on the other end of the phone - they're very responsive."

Looking ahead - plans to tap the potential of MYOB Advanced Construction

As Sollys continues to leverage the power of MYOB Advanced, they are laying a robust foundation for strategic growth. In particular, they're interested in leveraging MOYB Advanced's Construction module. "We do contracting jobs like putting drainage under the road or someone's driveway," Jennifer explains. "So in the future, we're looking to utilise the Construction module to help with that, as it helps you keep track of supplier invoices, allocate them to a particular project and keep track of where the budget's at."

So what advice does Jennifer have for transport and freight businesses facing similar challenges? "Make a list of pain points that you need to fix before you decide on a partner," she says. "If you have a clear idea of what the problems are and what goals you want to achieve, it makes scoping the project much more accurate."

If Sollys' challenges sound familiar to you, let's have a chat about how Endeavour and MYOB Advanced can help you meet them.