Savings since implementing MYOB Advanced Business
Stocktake processes – saves 4 days per cycle
Expenditure on platforms – saves $40,000 per year
Streamlined handling of 95,000 individual products to drive scale & growth
Customised to enhance internal data visibility & communication
Family-owned since its establishment in 1974, Lights and Tracks has been a stalwart in the lighting industry for 50 years.
Initially focused on retail direct to customers, the company has expanded into serving large-scale private residential, commercial, and architectural lighting and design projects.
Shaun Richie, Managing Director and second-generation owner at Lights and Tracks, has witnessed and guided the company through significant growth and transformation.
“I guess the main difference now is that we’re a nationalised industry combined with that original retail business,” explains Shaun. When
General Manager, Michael Jones, joined the Lights and Tracks team in 2021, he identified critical areas that needed improvement to support the company's growth goals.
"We needed a next level of software to manage the complexity and scale of our operations."
- Michael Jones, General Manager, Lights and Tracks
With ambition to take Lights and Tracks into the next phase of growth, he, along with Shaun, knew the team needed to streamline their current ways of working from multiple, non-connected tools to one robust enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform.
"When I first joined the business, we were using a program to manage our inventory and invoicing that I wasn't particularly happy with," Michael explains.
Finding the right solution for their inventory needs
The existing systems, Scene Seven for ERP and Xero for financial management, were insufficient for handling their extensive product range and integrating their sales processes.
"The pain points we experienced were the inventory management system's inability to correctly handle the amount of product we had, providing incorrect information and cost of goods figures, which are crucial for running a business," Michael says.
"The opportunities that I saw with MYOB were for the growth of the business.”
- Shaun Ritchie, Managing Director and CEO, Lights and Tracks
Enter MYOB Advanced Business.
The primary goal of migrating to the MYOB Advanced Business cloud-based ERP was to find a comprehensive solution that could manage Lights and Tracks’ extensive inventory and integrate seamlessly with their sales operations. "The biggest problem we needed to solve was the ability for us to manage our stock," Michael notes.
"MYOB Advanced Business offered us the scalability we needed without the complexity and cost of larger ERP systems."
- Michael Jones, General Manager, Lights and Tracks
Seamless migration of 50 years of data in one implementation
As with any major change to business operations, the implementation process was a significant concern for the team at Lights and Tracks. With so many large-scale projects on the go, they couldn’t afford interruptions to business operations.
"When we first integrated to MYOB, we were scared about how that process was going to work. But we had the support of MYOB, and we felt that from the very beginning," Shaun says.
The transition included migrating 50 years of business data, which was critical for maintaining business continuity.
"MYOB enabled us to customise the platform to suit Lights and Tracks out of the box.”
- Michael Jones, General Manager, Lights and Tracks
Michael emphasises the customisation capabilities of MYOB Advanced Business as being the deciding factor to make the switch.
“The customisation on sales orders and purchase orders, and other processes allowed our whole company to communicate effectively internally.”
Growth and improvement backed by cutting edge tech
The team at Lights and Tracks also took careful consideration about interruption to workflow and operations before upgrading their tech stack.
"One of the biggest challenges that we had to think about was the integration into MYOB," Michael explains.
"The information our sales team have is their livelihood, so we had to make sure that that was protected to every possible degree."
Now that the implementation is finalised and the team is onboarded, the sales team couldn't be happier.
"They have recognised how much easier it makes their life to operate in one platform only, which is MYOB," exclaims Michael.
Since implementing MYOB Advanced Business, Lights and Tracks has experienced significant improvements in efficiency and data management.
"We currently have around 95,000 individual products, and MYOB handles this without any issue," Michael says.
The stocktake process, which previously took seven days, has been reduced to just over two days, significantly minimising downtime.
The integration of MYOB Advanced Business has also streamlined their tech stack, which has been a huge financial and time efficiency benefit.
"Our tech stack of platforms has dropped from four down to one, and our yearly expenditure on platforms decreased by about $40,000.”
- Michael Jones, General Manager, Lights and Tracks
This consolidation has led to substantial cost savings and improved operational efficiency.
Lighting the way for a bright future
When looking to the future of the business, Shaun envisions MYOB Advanced Business being an ingrained backbone of Lights and Tracks.
“One thing that is super important in any business is its ability to grow and to manage that growth safely," he says. "MYOB gives me that."
Michael echoes this sentiment.
"If another business asked me if they should move to MYOB Advanced, I would say 100% you should. It will make your life easier, more efficient, and at the end of the day, efficiency equals money."
- Michael Jones, General Manager, Lights and Tracks
Lights and Tracks' successful transition to MYOB Advanced Business has positioned them for continued growth and success. The robust ERP solution has addressed their critical needs, from inventory management to financial integration, allowing them to focus on delivering exceptional service and innovative lighting solutions to their clients.
Paired with a seamless integration process backed by expert in-house support, with MYOB Advanced Business, Lights and Tracks is well-equipped to navigate future challenges and keep the lights on for the next generation.
