Published on the 05/05/2016 | Written by Donovan Jackson
Former Adaptable Solutions supremo tasked with growing ERP consulting division…
Just as the Microsoft Dynamics market looked like it had started to settle down following significant consolidation through 2015, a further shakeup is in the offing which should see more competition. That comes as Flintfox International appoints former Adaptable Solutions founder Duncan Cox to the position of engagement director, Australasia, for its consulting services arm.
Based in New Zealand, the arrival of Cox to Flintfox will see the company firing up its activity in the Dynamics environment, where as a Microsoft Gold ERP partner it is active in delivering AX, NAV and Microsoft CRM solutions.
This is firmly the territory of Intergen and UXC Eclipse; parts of Cox’s Adaptable went to Koorb and subsequently became part of UXC Eclipse, which itself is now part of US giant CSC Corporation. Since the Koorb acquisition, Cox has consulted independently on ERP solutions and, as Farsight Solutions, worked on the development of a demand forecasting solution for Dynamics AX.
In his new role, according to a statement, Cox has as his mandate ‘to aggressively grow the Microsoft Dynamics consulting services and implementation capability for Flintfox in the region…[to] meet the needs of both existing and new customers’.
In addition to its consulting services arm, Flintfox is an ISV in its own right, providing a trade revenue management platform which integrates into Microsoft’s Dynamics solutions. It is from this springboard that it is expanding into ERP consulting, as CEO Mike Ridgway made clear in its statement: “With our proven track record and Duncan’s extensive local knowledge, we are well placed to deliver Microsoft Dynamics ERP to the FMCG and distribution space where our own trade and revenue management solutions can be leveraged,” he said.
In a chat with iStart, Ridgway confirmed the company’s designs on the Dynamics market: “Selling new solutions? Most definitely; yes, we have seen consolidation in the market, and when there is that much change, the wheels turn and that creates opportunity. That’s part of the reason for the timing [of bringing Cox on board].”
Reading between the lines, Ridgway is pointing out that not all customers who have seen changes in the ownership of their service provider will be thrilled; Flintfox is, therefore, positioning itself as an alternative for those customers, while it will also target new business particularly in the FMCG and distribution verticals.
Specifically, added Ridgway, he believes the ‘enterprise ready’ Dynamics AX has ‘a lot of freeboard’ to compete against the likes of Infor and SAP. He threw down a bit of a gauntlet, too. “That’s where we see an opportunity, and that’s where our DNA is. We’re going to be aggressive about it, too. We love to fight for the deals we get; other than the competitive advantage which is our unique intellectual property [that is, it’s trade revenue management software], we’re an international operator deeply plugged into Microsoft ecosystems around the world.”
That international strength said Ridgway, gives the company the critical mass to which Intergen’s James Page referred when he noted in our recent feature on market consolidation that addressing the enterprise space depends on a certain level of capacity. “A 20-man shop cannot cover so many bases with the complexity of the full stack; it becomes bloody difficult,” Page said at the time.
As for the size of the Flintfox Dynamics team, Ridgway said there are ‘probably 45 people’ in the Auckland office, but was quick to add that the company has those international resources on call; he further noted that Cox is expected to grow the local team by a minimum of 12 individuals over the course of the coming year. “Look, we’ll always be a boutique player focused on specific verticals and we will look to leverage the mothership. But we think we can become a well-respected contender in a market where you need to be a specialist. You can’t be a generalist these days.”
