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Lp Gas Dealer Jeffery’s Energy Keeping Track of Growth

Lpg dealer Jeffery’s Energy is using the Kudos EpoS software system to integrate the company’s stock and operations.

Devon based Jeffery’s Energy’s growth and diversification presented its managing director Derrick Shrubb with the problem of keeping track of it all. The company delivers lp gas, beverage and industrial gases and solid fuel, has a garden centre, sells appliances, such as lpg cabinet heaters, and has recently added a new stove and wood burner showroom on two floors.

From its base in Bovey Tracey, Jeffery’s lpg gas delivery rounds take in the whole of the southwest, including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, and Derrick has embraced the new technology offered by the Kudos electronic point of sale (EpoS) system to maintain the level of customer service and kept on top of costs.

Derrick was searching for a new EPoS system to work with his Sage accounts package and integrate the lpg delivery, garden centre and showroom sides of the business. Derrick says that, looking at Kudos, he soon realised that he had found the single tool to deliver the operational and stock integration that had become a must.

Derrick said: “We needed a system that could run all the different sides of our business – the lpg, coal and beer gas deliveries, the garden centre side and the stoves side, and then integrate with Sage and our accounting package. That was the vital part – we like working with Sage.”

Jeffery’s was previously running several different applications, but is now on the way to having Kudos run all its operations, with the accounts remaining on Sage. The new solution combines optimisation for the special needs of the fuel distribution business, together with a stock control and tilling solution for the garden centre.

Kudos’ managing director Jonno Barrett said: “Kudos Software was established in the early 1990s and is the market leading software for the marine and leisure industries. Many other sectors also use Kudos to manage their businesses – from convenience stores to retail clothing shops and builders merchants to charity shops. With over 300 customers in the UK and internationally, we have a wealth of experience within the retail sector along with operational businesses, such as workshops, dealerships and distributors.

“With a strong basic engine in place, we really enjoy getting to grips with new processes and working out how we can make life easier in the day to day running of a business. Jeffery’s has been interesting, and the success of the project is very satisfying.”

The changeover hasn’t all been smooth – Derrick says that, whenever he has upgraded systems in the past, there have been glitches and this time has been no different. Jonno said: “It’s a big challenge, but we’re confident we’ve delivered.”

The Kudos system also matches drivers’ ADR points and driving qualifications and different sized vehicles so that lp gas and other delivery rounds can be managed safely and efficiently. It can cope with split invoicing if a customer wants to take part of an order then and there and have the rest delivered, and it also flags up whether one man can manage a load or if it needs an extra hand, and implementation of Jeffery’s monthly invoicing runs for beverage gas cylinder rentals.

Derrick said: “We have ended up with what seems to be a very flexible package, with a hell of a lot more in it than we have actually used yet. But we’re confident enough now that we’ll click on different things and just have a look and see what it’s does. Training is really important and ongoing. At the beginning, we had enough to get us going, but now every time we speak to Kudos on the support line, we’ll find out something new.”

Contact Kudos Software on 01548 843586 www.kudos-software.co.uk

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