OTN Systems, a telecommunications company based in Herentals (now part of its U.S. industry peer Belden), designs, manufactures, and sells solutions for open network communications via optical fiber. The company focuses on specific market segments: metro systems, railways, highways, utility companies, airports, and large industrial companies.
For us, a rapid and phased implementation was essential, and from the very beginning, we felt that Alistar was willing to work with us to achieve this goal.
Danny Wouters, Vice President of Supplier Management & MoO
OTN Systems’ product components are manufactured off-site by specialized companies and then further configured at the headquarters in Herentals. 90% of OTN Systems’ finished products are destined for export to more than 70 countries.
OTN Systems’ roots date back 20 years, when it operated as an R&D department within the well-known Siemens-Atea group. As a separate business unit, OTN Systems experienced strong growth for many years. However, after the decision was made in 2007 to merge the carrier operations of Siemens and Nokia into a new group called Nokia Siemens Networks, OTN Systems—which focuses on specific non-carrier activities—was faced with a critical decision. In 2008, OTN Systems became an independent company under the umbrella of its majority shareholder, Gimv. Today, OTN Systems generates revenue of approximately 20 million euros with 100 employees.
New Business Solution for Project Activities
Until mid-2008, OTN Systems used the Nokia Siemens Networks (SAP) ERP system. However, the spin-off meant that OTN Systems would have to rely on its own solution going forward. In April 2008, the search for a new ERP system began, and an external consultant, together with OTN Systems’ management, drew up a set of requirements.
The first requirement in the specifications was that the new solution had to provide robust support for the efficient financial tracking of OTN Systems“ complex project activities. Danny Wouters, VP of Supplier Management & MoO at OTN Systems: ‘Our company is characterized by long and complex projects in which we must invoice based on specific agreed-upon milestones. It is therefore crucial that our ERP system enables us to perform flawless logistical, technical, and financial tracking in terms of ’percentage of completion.””
A second key requirement in the specifications was support for international sales. “OTN Systems has offices abroad, and the new software must provide fully integrated support for those as well,” said Danny Wouters.
A Masterpiece by Alistar
One month after the project’s kickoff, in May 2008, the final decision was made to select GMI Group (now part of Alistar). Danny Wouters: “We immediately identified with Alistar’s approach. Their team members hit the ground running right away, without wasting too many words. For us, a fast and phased implementation was essential, and from the very beginning, we felt that Alistar was willing to work with us to achieve this goal. The fact that Alistar has an office nearby also played a role in our decision.”
The necessary resources were quickly made available, and in less than two months, in July 2008, OTN Systems was able to go live with the first phase of the project: the financial module and a large part of the project management system. Phase two, completed in December 2008, included the modules for logistics, procurement management, inventory, and the remainder of the project management functions. From that point on, OTN Systems operated on a fully autonomous business system. Today, 30 users work on Microsoft Dynamics NAV (now Dynamics 365 Business Central), which runs on a Microsoft SQL Server database.
It is important that we now have an in-house project management solution that serves the interests of all parties involved: our suppliers, distribution channels, customers, and our internal organization.
Alain Buyse, VP of Finance: “I’m particularly excited about the insight that Dynamics, combined with the Jet Reports reporting solution, provides me regarding the financial aspects of our business.”
IT Outsourcing
OTN Systems deliberately chose a unique approach to managing its IT infrastructure and business solutions: instead of installing servers in-house, OTN Systems opted to fully outsource its entire IT operations. All of the company’s servers (web, email, file server, and print server) are located in an external data center.
“The safest place for our business-critical data is not at OTN Systems itself, but in an external data center. And we can count on immediate and professional support from our IT partner.”
Future
Meanwhile, OTN has also launched the third phase of the project: the Dynamics CRM application is designed to ensure effective tracking of the sales activities of about twenty sales representatives both domestically and internationally.
“In addition, we are considering Microsoft SharePoint as a potential solution for our collaboration and document management needs.”
Today, we can enjoy the benefits of a full-featured IT solution for a simple fixed monthly fee, without having to maintain our own servers or employ our own IT staff. This is ideal for an SME.
