Industry:
Manufacturing, Wholesale & Distribution
Country:
United Kingdom
Website:
https://nautilus-steel.co.uk/
Partner:
ERPiQ
Nautilus Steel is a UK-based distributor specializing in next-day delivery of pre-painted steel products. The company serves a fast-paced construction and industrial customer base, predominantly supplying builders of industrial units across the country.
Nautilus Steel's core value proposition is built on solving a critical market problem: providing next-day delivery for customers operating under strict time constraints. The company accepts orders late in the afternoon for early next-morning delivery anywhere in the UK, enabling construction projects to meet critical deadlines. This demanding service level requires flawless operational execution and forms the foundation of Nautilus Steel's competitive advantage in the time-sensitive construction market.
days to deploy a test system
days to full live implementation
daily configuration changes made
With growing demand and customers operating under intense time pressure, Nautilus Steel needed a modern ERP system that could keep pace with their demanding operational requirements. Their legacy system was inefficient, offered little integration with external systems, and lacked the speed and customization required to manage last-minute orders and national deliveries across the UK.
These challenges threatened Nautilus Steel's ability to maintain their competitive advantage in next-day delivery and risked customer satisfaction as order volumes grew.
Nautilus Steel turned to Priority ERP, implemented by Priority partner ERPiQ, for a solution that could go live fast, scale with growth, and adapt to high-pressure operations.
Priority ERP's implementation delivered immediate, transformative improvements that positioned Nautilus Steel for continued growth while maintaining their demanding next-day delivery commitments.
Nautilus Steel achieved an unprecedented ERP implementation, going fully live with Priority ERP in under 30 days, from decision to complete transition from legacy system. As Operations Director Steve Dunford states: “Door-to-door. We went in less than 30 days. The first system version of the system was live in less than 10.” Most remarkably, staff achieved proficiency within minutes thanks to Priority's intuitive interface, eliminating the training bottlenecks and productivity losses typical of ERP implementations. Dunford confirms: “10 minutes into it, you can find everything because you understand that every action is exactly the same.” The company realized instant time and cost savings from day one. “When we transitioned over from our old system into the new ERPQ system, we found all the cost savings and time savings to be instant,” Dunford reports. Custom workflows for each user role increased productivity without disrupting teams or forcing compromises, with the revolutionary ability to make changes that don't affect other users. The ability to make configuration changes “100 times a day” with ease provides unprecedented operational agility. Digital traceability replaced paper folders, with Dunford emphasizing: “There's always a full traceability. There's no case of trying to remember where we put pieces of paper or put folders for orders.”
Priority and ERPiQ achieved what Dunford describes as record-breaking full ERP implementation in under 30 days. “End to end. Our implementation was probably one of the quickest that I've ever seen or would anybody would even attempt to do,” Dunford states. “We made many jokes along the way that we would try and break any sort of record for the fastest ever ERP implementation. Door-to-door. We went in less than 30 days. The first system version of the system was live in less than 10.”
“Our journey with the system was very quick. First test system was in front of us within a couple of days was to start having a proper look at and understand some of the intricacies of what we would need it to do. Eventually that led to a proper system being available within 10 days and us going fully live within a month.”
Steve Dunford, Operations Director, Nautilus Steel
Typical ERP implementation timelines for comparison:
Nautilus achieved go-live 5-17 months faster than typical implementations:
Traditional ERP implementations consume substantial resources in both external consulting fees and internal staff time. Typical projects require consultants on-site for many months at significant weekly rates, while internal teams dedicate multiple full-time staff members throughout the extended timeline. Priority's 30-day implementation dramatically reduced both consulting costs and internal resource consumption compared to traditional approaches. The compressed timeline meant fewer weeks of consultant engagement and far less internal staff time diverted from normal business operations. Additionally, the 30-day implementation minimized operational disruption, allowed Nautilus to maintain full service to customers throughout the transition, ensured no delays to next-day delivery commitments, and protected customer satisfaction during the transition period. Dunford acknowledges the challenging circumstances: “We've made many, many changes in those 30 days and the team at Priority and ERPIQ were great about supporting us at some very strange hours of the day to get us live in what was a very testing time for the business.”
Dunford acknowledges the challenging circumstances: “We made many, many changes in those 30 days and the team at Priority and ERPiQ were great about supporting us at some very strange hours of the day to get us live in what was a very testing time for the business.”
The rapid test system deployment was critical to risk mitigation. Dunford explains: “First test system was in front of us within a couple of days was to start having a proper look at and understand some of the intricacies of what we would need it to do.”
Implementation timeline was remarkably fast: a test deployment completed in just a couple of days, the full system operational within 10 days, and a complete cutover from the old system finished by day 30. This accelerated schedule demonstrates that the Priority platform itself is mature and stable, with well-documented processes and proven best practices. Equally important, Priority's partner network has accumulated enough experience and refined their methodology to the point where they can move quickly and confidently without cutting corners or skipping critical steps.
Weeks of training required for basic proficiency
10 minutes to basic proficiency for most staff
Ongoing support needed for complex functions
Intuitive, smartphone-like interface requires minimal training
High error rates
Low error rates from day one
Productivity loss during extended training
Immediate productivity
New hire onboarding slow and expensive
New hire onboarding rapid and efficient
“For me, the Priority system is a very, very good system. It didn't take very long to train any member of staff because the system is so natural because it is built in such a way that people are used to with smartphones, with applications, and the way that it's laid out.”
Configuration changes required IT support or consultants
Instant configuration changes by authorized users (100x daily)
Change requests backlogged for weeks
No consultant dependency for routine changes
Expensive consultant time for each modification
Immediate response to operational needs
Delays adapting to operational needs
Workflows continuously optimized
Inflexible workflows couldn't match reality
System adapts to business, not vice versa
“There's a production planner that works directly alongside me. The way that we view the system and what we need to do is slightly different. Any changes I make don't affect him or the rest of the team. Any changes he make vice versa wouldn't affect me. That is revolutionary because I've never seen that in an ERP before.”
The “100 times a day” figure demonstrates extraordinary flexibility that delivers multiple benefits:
One-size-fits-all workflows forced compromises
Planning team: custom views for demand forecasting and scheduling
Planning team needs conflicted with operations team needs
Operations team: workflows optimized for execution and coordination
Warehouse processes didn't match logistics requirements
Sales views different from what finance needed
Sales representatives: customer-centric information and quoting tools
Users worked around system limitations
Finance team: financial controls and reporting views
“We can all have different views of the same thing just depending on what my particular needs are and the way that I operate. There's a production planner that works directly alongside me. The way that we view the system and what we need to do is slightly different. Any changes I make don't affect him or the rest of the team. Any changes he make vice versa wouldn't affect me.”
Custom workflows designed for each role reduce errors:
Even a 15-20% error reduction across operations delivers substantial value in reduced rework, customer complaints, and operational disruption.
Paper-based order processing and tracking
Fully digital order processing
Physical folders for each order/customer
Electronic records instantly accessible
Manual filing and retrieval
Automated documentation
Paper picking tickets and delivery documentation
Digital picking and delivery processes
Storage space required for paper archives
Minimal storage requirements
Difficult to access information remotely
Remote access to all information
Environmental impact of paper consumption
Paperless, environmentally friendly operations
“The system has been game-changing. It just saves time, money, effort. It can all be done remotely and there's always a full traceability. There's no case of trying to remember where we put pieces of paper or put folders for orders. It's designed to keep us environmentally friendly and efficient as well.”
Limited ability to track order history
Complete order traceability from receipt through delivery
Difficult to investigate customer inquiries
Instant access to full order history for customer service
Challenging to identify root causes of issues
Root cause analysis capabilities for continuous improvement
Poor visibility into supply chain status
Real-time supply chain visibility
Compliance documentation incomplete
Comprehensive compliance documentation
“There's always a full traceability. There's no case of trying to remember where we put pieces of paper or put folders for orders.”
Traceability enables systematic improvement:
Complete digital traceability supports:
Delayed information from disconnected systems
Real-time inventory visibility
Inventory status uncertain
Instant order status access
Order status unclear
Live delivery schedule information
Delivery schedule visibility poor
Management dashboard with current data
Management decisions based on outdated data
Decisions based on real-time information
Limited remote access
Full remote access capability
Real-time visibility transformed operations for a company operating on next-day delivery commitments. As Dunford describes their challenging requirements: “Lots of our orders come in very late in the afternoon for very early the following morning anywhere in the country because they've got deadlines to meet.”
For late-afternoon orders requiring next-morning delivery:
Priority's mobile-first design with remote access capabilities provided flexibility. Dunford specifically highlights: “It can all be done remotely,” and notes the system is “built in such a way that people are used to with smartphones, with applications.”
In post-COVID environment, remote access capability is essential for business resilience and staff flexibility. The smartphone-like interface ensures mobile access is as intuitive as office-based use.
Dunford reports immediate benefits: “When we transitioned over from our old system into the new ERPQ system, we found all the cost savings and time savings to be instant.” He emphasizes the game-changing nature: “The system has been game-changing. It just saves time, money, effort.”
Unlike traditional ERP implementations with long periods before benefits realization, Priority delivered value instantly:
Traditional ERP implementations often experience months of reduced productivity while users learn systems and processes stabilize. Priority's intuitive interface and rapid deployment eliminated this productivity dip, providing positive ROI from day one. As Dunford confirms: “We found all the cost savings and time savings to be instant.”
Priority strengthened Nautilus Steel's competitive position in the demanding next-day delivery market. Dunford describes their market position: “We solve a problem for the market. We do everything next day. A lot of our customers are on very strict time constraints.”
The success reflected strong partnership between Nautilus Steel, Priority Software, and implementation partner ERPiQ. Dunford acknowledges the collaborative effort: “We've made many, many changes in those 30 days and the team at Priority and ERPIQ were great about supporting us at some very strange hours of the day to get us live in what was a very testing time for the business.”
Dunford offers an unqualified endorsement: “I would definitely recommend Priority Software to other companies. It is different to what is out there and normally available and the team that back it up at Priority are fantastic and understand what we do in the industry and how we need to make some modifications that don't exist in traditional distribution businesses.”
He emphasizes Priority's differentiation: “It is different to what is out there and normally available,” highlighting both the software's unique capabilities and the support team's industry understanding.
With Priority as foundation, Nautilus Steel is positioned for continued growth and innovation:
Priority ERP transformed Nautilus Steel from a company constrained by inefficient legacy systems and paper processes into an agile, efficient organization capable of meeting demanding next-day delivery commitments while scaling operations. As Operations Director Steve Dunford summarizes: “The ERPIQ system has been gamechanging. It just saves time, money, effort. It can all be done remotely and there's always a full traceability.” The unprecedented 30-day implementation, with test system in just a couple of days and full system within 10 days—demonstrated that comprehensive ERP transformation can happen rapidly when experienced partners collaborate effectively with intuitive, flexible technology. Immediate user adoption within 10 minutes rather than weeks, combined with instant operational improvements from day one, delivered exceptional ROI while maintaining service to customers throughout transition. The revolutionary ability to make configuration changes “100 times a day” with each user having customized views that don't affect others provides ongoing agility that Dunford describes as “revolutionary because I've never seen that in an ERP before.” As Dunford confirms about the record-breaking implementation speed: “Going live in under 30 days isn't just impressive—it's unheard of. Priority and ERPiQ made it happen.” With this foundation, Nautilus Steel is well-positioned to scale, innovate, and keep delivering on their next-day promise, meeting the strict deadlines of builders and construction projects across the country, no matter how late in the afternoon orders arrive.
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