Managing Director
Kennedy & Morrison Ltd
Kennedy & Morrison Ltd is the largest engineering distributor in Northern Ireland, offering the most extensive range of engineering products all under one roof. Established as a family business in 1888, the company originally served the thriving linen industry. Over the past century, as Northern Ireland’s industrial landscape has evolved, Kennedy & Morrison has adapted with those changes. In the late 1980s, the company restructured and now operates through four divisions: Fasteners, Pipeline, Steel, and Tools.
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Profit4 is integral to Kennedy & Morrison’s operations, simplifying and overseeing every aspect of their business processes. The Managing Director of Kennedy & Morrison states, “It takes care of everything, we rely on it for every part of our business.” From managing sales, enquiries, and quotes to handling reporting and inventory control, Profit4 ensures all tasks are completed efficiently.
The software is not confined to one department but is utilised across the entire business, enabling a smooth flow of information and boosting productivity. Whether overseeing daily operations or providing real-time data insights, Profit4 is crucial in maintaining consistency and helping drive the company’s growth.
Kennedy and Morrison's Managing Director reflects "Our previous software was quite static, it was reliable, but its reporting features were very basic and limited. This time, I’ve made it a priority to dive deeper into the system. In the past, I would rely on reports from our accounts team. Now, I have direct, real-time access to all the key figures and data I need, which is a huge improvement. I can pull reports on demand and explore the analytics myself. It’s also opened new possibilities for understanding our business in a much more dynamic way, allowing for more informed decision-making and quicker responses to trends or issues as they arise."
Kennedy and Morrison encountered significant challenges due to the lack of support from their previous software provider. In a business environment where operations are heavily reliant on a robust software system, when a company’s entire business depends on the software, having consistent, reliable support is crucial to ensuring smooth operations and minimising downtime.
The Managing Director of Kennedy and Morrison commented, "OGL Software has been extremely supportive, responding quickly, which has been a huge improvement compared to our previous experience of waiting in a queue for an 8-hour response time. The responsiveness of the OGL Software team gives us great peace of mind as a business."
"Switching to a new software solution is a significant decision, one that we’ve only done once in the past 25 years. OGL Software came highly recommended by several members of a buying group, which led us to choose Profit4. Profit4 handles everything, from sales and quotes to reporting, it’s an essential tool that we rely on daily for every aspect of our business."
Kennedy & Morrison operates a complex business with four distinct divisions under one roof. Managing this complexity requires a software solution that can manage all divisions, which is exactly what Profit4 has allowed them to do.
As the Managing Director reflects on the transition, they acknowledge that moving to the cloud initially felt like a daunting prospect. "At first, the idea of switching to a cloud-based, browser-accessible ERP software seemed daunting, there’s always a level of uncertainty when making such a significant change. However, now, I see it as an essential tool for any modern business. Our infrastructure is much simpler to manage, and in the event of a disaster, we’re fully covered.”
