Rock Team, an underground mining services company, needed a new financial system to better manage projects. Their previous system could not handle project reporting requirements. Microsoft Dynamics NAV was implemented with help from partner Intergen. NAV provided streamlined billing, deeper profit and loss reporting, enhanced asset management, and the ability to view detailed project information. Rock Team's CFO said it was the best project ever and they plan to implement NAV further in the company. NAV gave Rock Team improved visibility and management of projects.
1. mining
case study
Setting a solid foundation
with Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Rock Team
A true view of
projects
THE SITUATION
“We were impressed
by Intergen’s
professionalism.
They really knew the
product and their own
project management
was excellent. It’s the
best project I have ever
been involved in.”
CHRIS STEVENS
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
ROCK TEAM
THE PAIN
As a provider of underground mining
services, including contracting,
consultancy and feasibility studies,
Perth-based Rock Team needed a
technology foundation that would
allow better management of and
visibility across its projects. As a
relatively newly-established company,
the creation of parent company
Rapallo and Swedish firm Bergteamet
AB, Rock Team wanted to start on the
right foot, creating the strongest
possible project management and
financial platform for the future.
Rock Team’s incumbent financial
system, Sybiz, was unable to handle its
intensive project reporting requirements.
The search began for an accounting
system that could easily handle
project-based activity, giving a clear
picture of all aspects of a project at
every stage, enabling Rock Team to
accurately measure the true cost of a
project, to access and view information
easily and in a timely manner, and –
ultimately – to use this information to
make better business decisions.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Intergen
entered the picture through a case of
serendipity; and what started out as a
well-timed out-of-the-blue phone call
resulted in what Rock Team CFO, Chris
Stevens, calls “the best project I have
ever been involved with.”
The Partnership
CFO Chris Stevens attributes part of the
project’s success to a strong cultural
alignment and team fit between Rock
Team and Intergen.
“We were impressed by Intergen’s
professionalism. They really knew the
2. mining
product and their own project
management was excellent,” Chris says.
“The strength of our relationship has
given us the confidence to make further
plans, including introducing NAV into
our cornerstone business, Rapallo, and
looking at how we can make use of
other Microsoft technologies.”
The Gain
Finance and Administration Manager,
Rita Maciel, and CFO, Chris Stevens,
both attest to significant gains from
their new system.
“Even after our first month-end we were
really pleased. We’ve noticed in
particular that billing is much more
streamlined and we can get our bills out
a lot quicker. Reporting on the profit
and loss side is much deeper and we
can see actual, budget and variance
very easily, which we’ve never been able
to do before,” Chris says. “We now have
more effective control of all aspects of a
project, from budgeting to management
of expenses against budget. The NAV
Advanced Job Management add-in gives
us enhanced asset management of our
equipment, which is an important thing
for us with our fleet of heavy
machinery.”
The greatest gain? “It’s on the reporting
side of things where we see the greatest
advantage,” Chris explains. “We can
view things in detail, right down to the
job level. It’s the dimensional aspect of
NAV that has shown us the greatest
benefits.”
Dynamics NAV has met with such
success within Rock Team that there are
now plans afoot to implement it further
afield. NAV’s benefits will be introduced
to the wider company structure, with
Rock Team’s 25 year-old parent
company, engineering firm Rapallo,
soon to reap the proven benefits of a
new financial and project
management system.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV has also
opened the door for Rock Team onto a
new world of opportunity and future
potential. “Before NAV, the Microsoft
platform was new to us, and this
project has allowed us to discover
more about the Microsoft world,” Chris
explains. “It’s a real advantage for us
having a technology that is going to
be developed over future platforms,
and we’re now looking at the other
Microsoft technologies we could be
taking advantage of. We’re now using
a platform that will be with us for
many, many years. And it’s a
technology that our staff want to be
using, which is a huge bonus.
“Choosing Microsoft has opened up
new avenues to us, and new ways of
making improvements. We see our
investment in Microsoft as a real
business asset for us.”
The Business Case
As a provider of underground mining
services, Perth-based Rock Team
needed a technology foundation
that would allow better management
of and visibility across its projects.
The Business Value
»» The ability to manage and view all
project activity, enabling better
and more timely business decisions
»» Streamlined billing, deeper profit
and loss reporting and a view of
budget against variance
»» Enhanced asset management for
Rock Team’s fleet
»» Ability to use dimensions to drill
down into detail
The Engine Room
»» Microsoft Dynamics NAV
»» To-Increase Advanced Job
Management
With Microsoft Dynamics NAV and the
To-Increase Advanced Job
Management add-in now fully bedded
in, Rock Team has a full view of its
organisational and project information
and total transparency across its
transaction paths.
Rock Team’s satisfaction levels are
running high and a daunting
precedent has been set. “Best project
ever” is a hard one to beat, but
Intergen’s Perth team will do its level
best to accept the challenge in Rock
Team’s subsequent project
implementations.
With more than 300 Intergen
staff working across organisations
of all sizes and types, our
offerings include portals, content
and collaboration solutions,
Microsoft Dynamics financial
and relationship management,
custom software development,
management consulting and
hosting services.
AUCKLAND CHRISTCHURCH DUNEDIN PERTH REDMOND SYDNEY WELLINGTON