SAGE X3 & DEVEHO CONSULTING GROUP: FASTER, SIMPLER AND FLEXIBLE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR A BETTER DECISION-MAKING AT THE ENTREPRISE LEVEL.
« Sage X3 allows us to cover both group accounting and local statutory accounting. The main benefit for us was that we were able to cut back the closing and consolidation cycle from two months to less than two weeks. »
Bart Venesoen, International Controller, Phoenix International Services.
Phoenix International Services provides metal waste recycling services for steelmaking companies around the world. They chose Sage X3 to consolidate the data systems of their different entities and to assist them in their global expansion.
The teams from Deveho Consulting Group assisted in the implementation and use of the Sage X3 Solution in 4 countries: Romania, Slovakia, Belgium and Poland.
International Controller Bart Veneseon explains:
Sage X3 is an integrated management system marketed throughout the world by the Sage group for companies and group subsidiaries facing challenges on an international scale. For over 10 years, Sage X3 has been comprehensively and effectively meeting the needs of these organisations across a range of different fields including manufacturing, distribution and the service industry. 5,100 customers in over 100 countries throughout the world have chosen Sage X3 to provide fast, simple and flexible support during their international expansion.
Established in 2006, Phoenix International Services grew very quickly from one site in the United States to almost 30 sites throughout seven countries; the US, France, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Brazil. The company was initially equipped with Sage accounting software and already had 10 sites in the United States when it acquired a French industrial group in 2012. In order to meet their growing accounting and report generating needs, the company had six months to change the existing system and adopt a consolidated management solution with one single database.
“This acquisition was the major catalyst. Our accountancy solution didn’t have the capacity to manage the consolidation of data coming from a range of different entities and using several different tools was becoming more and more complicated. So we started to look for a solution that would facilitate a much easier reporting and consolidation cycle. It also had to be able to expand as the company kept on growing and handle multiple countries, multiple currencies and multiple regulations.” explains Bart Venesoen, International Controller at Phoenix International Services.
“We knew the Sage company for quite some time. Moving to Sage X3 was a logical choice, also because the implementation load is not as heavy as it is with other systems”, he adds.
Due to the industrial nature of Phoenix International Services, it is essential for the company to be able to integrate new entities rapidly and keep a tight control over the cost of equipment.
“In many cases when we take over a new contract, we only have a few weeks to get up and running, which can be very tight for the finance department to follow. But Sage X3 succeeded in the challenge perfectly, thanks to the very short implementation time of its standard functions” emphasises Bart Venesoen. “The thing that is specific about our activity is that we operate a large fleet of heavy equipment so being able to collect cost information on a piece of equipment is something that the multidimensional database of Sage X3 allows us to do”.
Sage X3 is currently running in 6 of the 7 countries covered by Phoenix International Services and the 7th will follow very soon. This global presence requires an accounting management system on various levels.
“Sage X3 allows us to cover both group accounting and local accounting in compliance with current legislation. The challenge was met brilliantly as we were able to cut back our closing and consolidation cycles from 2 months to 2 weeks” says Bart Venesoen.
“Today, companies are looking for solutions capable of increasing their performance, giving them the flexibility they need to manage their activity and supporting their global development” explains Isabelle Saint-Martin, ERP Market Manager at Sage. “As Phoenix International Services demonstrates, Sage X3 is a professional management solution, which meets all of these needs, as well as the specific needs of industrial companies. “
