GWA Group to spend $11 million on Microsoft ERP

GWA Group expects to spend a total of $11 million on the rollout of a Microsoft Dynamics 365 enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite, the company told investors.

The Brisbane-based distributor of bathroom and kitchen products - home to brands like Caroma, Dorf and Clark - has already spent $5.4 million pre-tax on the ERP upgrade over the last six months of 2021.

The company expects to spend about the same amount on the ERP rollout over the next six months, GWA Group chief financial officer Calin Scott said during an online presentation.

“In 2023, we don’t expect any additional costs flowing in from that implementation,” Scott said.

“One of the main benefits we will get out of this is we'll have integrated systems.”

A GWA Group spokesperson told iTnews that other benefits of the ERP upgrade included “process redesign, a connected organisation through a single ... technology platform [and] greater use of data for actionable insight, to fuel business growth and delivery of a great customer experience.”

GWA Group previously ran a pair of ERP systems: Infor M3 and Microsoft Dynamics AX. Historical data will be brought into the new cloud-based ERP.

“Historic data will be fed into GWA’s data platform (lake) for usage and analysis where required," the company's spokesperson told iTnews.

"The migration will be undertaken as part of program activities in the lead up to the go-live window."

Virtual renovation planning

GWA managing director and chief executive officer, Urs Meyerhans, also said at the presentation that GWA had been planning the release of virtual reality tools for “enhancing our online platforms to provide virtual experiences.”

“Through this technology [VR] we can help customers on their renovation journey in the comfort of their own homes," Meyerhans said.

A GWA spokesperson said the VR experience would be delivered across PC, iOS and Android devices.

“Virtual and augmented reality services form part of GWA’s strategy to deliver great customer experiences in the digital space…Being able to visualise and interact with our products outside the showroom (ie. in your own bathroom) help our customers establish a more realistic experience of the product in their purchase decision making cycle," the spokesperson said.

GWA recorded revenue for the half of $201.3, and a net profit after tax of $18.6 million.