About the Client
Platt & Hill Limited is an independent company, which originally specialised in manufacturing various cotton-based products but now specialises in the manufacture of products primarily for the furniture trade. The largest volume of business is the manufacture of foam and fibre cushions for suites of furniture. Other major lines are other foam and fibre items for suites of furniture, pillows, and fibre-based wadding. The company has been trading. in the Oldham and Moseley area since 1889, and was set up by a Mr. Platt and a Mr. Hill. The two families, which are not related, still own the company, and members of both families still work for the company. The company employs around 250 staff, all on the one site in Oldham.
The Situation
The company had an existing ERP system, but was only using a small proportion of the available wide range of facilities. They sought to obtain rather better service, especially information, from their computer systems, but were unsure whether to upgrade the existing system or buy something else.
The Work Undertaken
We undertook an assignment to identify the most suitable system, comprising:
- production of a summary of the requirements for correction or agreement;
- production of a statement of requirements / invitation to tender;
- evaluation of the existing supplier, against these requirements, possibly including a request to submit a formal proposal;
- invitation of tenders from a number of potential suppliers, including the existing supplier;
- evaluating the tenders and agreeing a short list of two or three suppliers;
- arranging detailed discussions, with each of these suppliers, including demonstrations of their systems;
- agreeing the final choice, and advising on items which should be included in the contract, although not on the adequacy of the legal wording;
