KCooper Brands has seen early success as a disruptive startup; as the company scales, how can they better organize to support ongoing disruptive growth without slowing the company down?
“We can’t keep operating like this,” Kathi Dempsey thought, as her team came to her with another problem synchronizing the systems in use at KCooper Brands, Inc. As one of the founders and CFO, Kathi was thrilled about the company’s significant growth in the packaging and substrate industries. But her existing hodgepodge of software to run the business was becoming a bigger issue as they grew—QuickBooks Online and SOS Inventory software just could not keep up. The longer this went unaddressed, the more growth was capped, and internal processes became a frustrating bottleneck for her and her team.
Kathi knew transitioning to cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) was the solution, but it would not be a simple switch. KCooper Brands’ four divisions spanning the country would each have to transition to whatever solution she brought to the table; each division needed reliable information to make fast decisions, while giving visibility to the management team—agility and customizability was a must.
Kathi needed a cloud-based ERP capable of modernizing processes ranging from accounting, shipping, orders, payroll, account reconciliation, and inventory control. An ERP adaptable to the nuances of the packaging industry would be hard to find, and it was important to avoid using any system that could slow down KCooper Brands. She researched Anaplan and Acumatica—between these two ERPs, which had the better technology, and which one was better equipped to manage their demanding environment without compromising accuracy or efficiency?
Kathi knew modernizing was key for continued growth, and the time to act was now. As an industry disruptor, Kathi knew her business had grown because they had pivoted, thought outside the box, and responded quickly to meet the needs of the market. Investing continued to experience rapid growth, and investing in the wrong ERP technology could jeopardize the trajectory of her entire company. Which system would offer the newest technology and most efficient interoperability for the best value? Which system would support continued innovation and disruption?
Without a doubt, Kathi would need to take her time to make the right decision—the continued growth of her company depended on it.
Authors: Nate Calvert, Shital Gandhi, Sebastian Marin, Marcy McCormick
Link: https://doi.org/10.28945/5291
Cite As: Calvert, N., Gandhi, S., Marin, S., & McCormick, M. (2024). Finding the right solution to support innovation. Muma Case Review 9(4). 1-19. https://doi.org/10.28945/5291