Blue Rock

Chris Dennett, like most small business owners, has seen his fair share of smooth salesmen promising software and systems that deliver the earth: transform his business; save him money; grow his bottom line and even improve his golf swing!

So Chris was understandably sceptical when he installed a new “cradle to the grave” software and hardware system at Vectawarm, his family heating and plumbing merchants.

He had carried out comprehensive research before ordering the Intact system from Blue Rock, who would supply and install the software, point of sale terminals and computers and train his staff. In fact Chris even visited other merchant’s who Blue Rock had supplied systems to and were supporting.

It was a major move to replace the Sage Sovereign software that everyone at  Vectawarm was used to using, but it really was no longer up to the job.

Vectawarm had started off life as a plumbing and heating installation business, founded by Chris’ father Melvyn, 40 years ago. As the business grew so did the amount of stock it had to carry and it became a logical move to start to sell that stock to smaller contractors and keen DIYers from its base in Newport, Isle of Wight.

As the merchant side grew the contracting business was let go and now Vectawarm, under Chris’ management, has also been clearly positioned to take advantage of specialist services like Aga spares and installations and distributing Calor Gas round the island.

It is now a year since Blue Rock declared Vectawarm’s system ‘Live’ following the installation, completion of staff training and the integration of data from the old Sage software, so it is a good time to ask Chris to reflect on his now not so new system.

The 41 year old managing director said: “The system has lived up to the promises we were given at the outset and everyone is pleased we took the step we did. It was a big decision at the time but it now clear it was the right one and we see further prove of that every day.

“What we see is rather than be tied to what we can do in the business by the system; the system is much more flexible and genuinely works for us.

“What that means in real terms is that we all have more time to focus on our customers and sell to them – which is, after all, the name of the game!”

With a turnover of some £2million and 13 staff, Chris says he has seen all operational and management facets of the business improve since the new system went operational, embracing, as it does, the whole ‘life’ of the business from sales, purchases, stock control, accounts and producing timely, relevant management information.

“The point of sale has been a huge improvement. Now anyone in the organisation can do pretty much everything while serving a customer. The system is so flexible that it can deal with different discount structures and all the other variables that previously created real headaches and slowed down the whole process.