MYOB Advanced Business enables rapid growth for Allure Bathrooms
Increased functionality and streamlined software helped Allure Bathrooms optimise their business operations and expand.
Allure Bathrooms started as a side project and has since grown into a successful importer and distributor of bathroom supplies, with four retail showrooms across Melbourne. With plans to open new stores, MYOB Advanced Business provided the functionality and customisation capability the retailer needed to manage its ever-expanding reach.
In its early days, Allure Bathrooms and its single retail store didn’t need the functionality of a more sophisticated ERP system – but that quickly changed. The company grew rapidly, opening multiple showrooms across Melbourne, with an expanded distribution centre.
Inventory controller Matthew Luong explains that MYOB AccountRight Premier had worked well for the company in its early days. But the growing complexity of the business meant they needed a system to match. Inventory management was difficult and sales teams could override set prices, undermining profits.
Excel and syncing woes
Manual purchase orders were becoming time-consuming
Allure Bathrooms first moved to TradeGecko with a Xero integration, but even before they’d opened their new stores, that software combination wasn’t delivering the functionality the company needed.
The syncing between the two programmes was becoming a hassle, too.
“Having the two software’s synced together just wasn’t ideal. Especially because TradeGecko would sync to Xero, but Xero wouldn’t sync back to TradeGecko,” Matthew explains.
When the stores opened, they were joint ventures and Allure needed a system that could manage separate companies.
"We were struggling with purchase orders, which were done manually through Excel. We sell a lot of products sourced from local wholesalers, so that was a really time-consuming effort."
One solution for all locations
Advanced Business allowed the retailer to manage stock across their stores
Although Matthew wasn’t specifically searching the market for an ERP system, he says Advanced Business was the most suitable solution.
“Advanced Business’s inter-branch mapping allows us to control stock between different stores, move stock from one location to the other, and make branch stock adjustments automatically.”
Allure Bathrooms worked with their MYOB business partner to customise the software for the organisation’s specific needs, adding low stock level warning signs and extra fields on quote and sales order screens. They also implemented restricted user access on default unit prices, shipment confirmations and credit memos.
“Those minor customisations made things more convenient,” Matthew says.
"Advanced Business’s inter-branch mapping allows us to control stock between different stores, move stock from one location to the other, and make branch stock adjustments automatically."
Groundwork for future growth
Automation and simplification of processes have set up Allure Bathrooms for expansion
Matthew says the system has provided “the groundwork for future growth” – automating purchase orders, simplifying inventory and ordering, streamlining stock processes and providing better tracking on deliveries.
Advanced Business has also saved time processing purchase orders, thanks to a single tick-box that automatically creates a P.O. from a quote.
They now have a better handle on their inventory, easily crosschecking order values against payments and keeping track of what has been delivered.
The future looks bright for Allure Bathrooms, which is now well-set to grow and expand. Matthew says having a system that can cope with multiple branches, multiple warehouses, moving stock, and cost-sharing across branches is exactly what they need to push their business forward.
"Advanced Business has made it much easier, much more automated. It makes life so much easier."
Before
- System too basic, couldn’t manage multiple stores
- Manual Excel process time-consuming
- Lack of visibility and potential for mistakes
- Price overrides undermining profit
After
- Full ERP system brings all stores under one roof
- Automated settings are convenient and save time
- Clear visibility of all operations processes
- User restrictions give back profit control
Learn more about MYOB Advanced Business
MYOB Advanced Business
Customisable, cloud-based business management platform.