Atlantic Tube & Steel

Background 

Founded in 1977, Atlantic Tube & Steel is an Ontario-based manufacturer of steel products. The company’s initial focus was on manufacturing steel tubing for exhaust systems, which was expanded in 1990 to serve structural steel markets as well. Atlantic Tube & Steel is dedicated to manufacturing products that adhere to high-quality standards and tight tolerances with over two decades of ISO registration and compliance.  

Seeking a Greater Level of Support and Partnership from a Solutions Provider 

One of the main drivers for Atlantic Tube & Steel was to find a solutions provider who would act as a partner for the long-term. “It's important for us to have a partner work with us, and in what we've experienced with Kwixand, and without them, we value very much the partnership mentality that Kwixand brings to this relationship,” says Marvin Bavcevic, Director of Finance and Administration for Atlantic Tube & Steel. “Kwixand is a business partner, and with their familiarity with our business and how they took the time to know what we were looking for, they were able to hit the ground running. Kwixand knew what we were focused on, what we needed, and what we wanted.” 

Integrating Business Central with Existing Custom Applications 

Another deciding factor for Atlantic Tube & Steel was the need for a platform that would integrate with their existing custom systems and processes. “Our biggest focus is, was, and always will be our production line and how it integrates with the product,” says Marvin. “When we chose, ultimately, Kwixand and Microsoft Business Central, the ability to integrate our customized shop floor application to Business Central was critical for us. All the traceability aspects that are critical for us that we've built in over the years were so important to transfer into and be available in Business Central.” 

Maintaining Production During Implementation 

During the implementation process, Atlantic Tube & Steel needed to maintain production with as few disruptions as possible. By running their previous system and their new Business Central solution parallel during the first month after go-live, Atlantic Tube & Steel was able to begin training and addressing primary support needs without disrupting the production process. “We never missed out on a shipment. We were always able to bill a customer,” says Marvin. “We were always able to do the core functions without any disruption due to [the migration to] Business Central or Kwixand. So, from that perspective, I have to say the implementation was great because our bare bones, our routine day-to-day stuff went off [no problem].” 

Experiencing the Benefits of a Dedicated ERP Solutions Partner 

Marvin has high praise for the level of care and attention Atlantic Tube & Steel has been receiving from Kwixand Solutions: “The team at Kwixand were very responsive to our needs and our requests during the implementation. I think there was a lot of work done prior to implementation in terms of understanding and trying to nail down what the requirements were for our business. They kept the wheels turning, and subsequent to that, they continue to support us to address the fine tuning. So, their attention to our needs was all I could ask for.” 

“At the end of the day, a lot of these ERPs are probably relatively similar, but, for us, the biggest benefit of this product is who's behind it,” says Marvin. “We found that Kwixand’s approach to dealing with customers really sat well with us and how they treat us as a client, as opposed to just a number. They treat us more as a partner and they're looking for us to be successful and help us to achieve that success. The number one reason why I recommend them to anybody is because of their mentality and their approach. So, that's number one, two and three for me in terms of recommendation.”