Integrating Access Dimensions and

WooCommerce to automate stock levels,

pricing, order processing and reporting

Mentmore Investments

Case Study

Company Details

Mentmore Investments LLP provides products (range of specialist consumables -

Quartermaster Stores) and services (props, storage, transport and recycling) to the

entertainment sector (e.g. films, TV, theatre). This amalgamation of companies makes it a

one stop shop for its client base as it can fulfil all the requirements within its departments.

The Challenge

The Solution

The Results

• Lack of integration between ERP and web store

• Manual data inputting and processing

• Lack of financial insight and control

• Seamless integration of Access Dimensions and

WooCommerce

• Automated stock and pricing changes

• Automated reporting and credit control

• Removal of manual data inputting

• More accurate order processing

• Ability to scale up the business

• Deploy man hours to income generating activities

Applications used

• Access Dimensions

• WooCommerce

Platform & Capabilities Used

• BPA Platform

Report & Document Automation

Data Integration & Synchronisation

Capabilities Used

2

Case Study

Mentmore Investments LLP

The Challenge

Updating product information

One of the divisions in the group, QuarterMaster Stores,

supplies a range of specialist consumables to the

entertainment industry. In order to make these products

available to its customers the company set up a

WooCommerce website. However, all the stock was stored

in Access Dimensions and, as it was manually maintained,

information quickly went out of date.

“The biggest problem was the lack of integration between

Access Dimensions and the WooCommerce website. There

were a multitude of problems including no real-time info

on stock levels; difficulty in keeping track of outstanding

orders; having to manually update the two systems;

maintaining two separate customer databases and

problems generating automated invoices and credit

control,” explained Mustafa Meghjee, Director, Mentmore

Investments LLP. “This meant that a lot of the sales team’s

(and accounts team) time was spent performing manual

tasks such as reconciliation, updating stock levels / prices

on the WooCommerce website and making sure all

customer back orders were fulfilled in time. The sales team

therefore did not have spare capacity to increase the

customer base and increase the product range.”

Managing finances

Mentmore Investments is made up of many companies and

divisions with different stakeholders in each part of the

organisation and each stakeholder needs to understand

how their part of the organisation is performing. Originally,

reports were produced manually using Excel each week,

which was manageable in the early days, but as the

company grew the frequency of reporting was putting a

strain on the finance team. In addition, Mentmore has a

number of accounts departments, in different offices,

staffed by one or two people, which made the segregation

of duties a challenge.

“The majority of suppliers are paid by BACS and the person

who enters the invoice is also the person who pays it, which

is a potential risk,” said Meghjee. “It’s extremely important to

me that I can audit changes to data. The first we identified

was changes to supplier bank details to ensure that we are

not subject to fraudulent activity.”

The biggest problem was

the lack of integration

between Access Dimensions

and the WooCommerce

website. There were a

multitude of problems

including no real-time info.

Mustafa Meghjee

Director

• Lack of integration between ERP and

web store

• Manual data inputting and processing

• Lack of financial insight and control

3

Case Study

Mentmore Investments LLP

Integrating ERP and web store

The key objective for Mentmore was to retain both Access

Dimensions and the WooCommerce website (as it found

both to be the best in what the partnership wanted) and

therefore looked for a solution that would integrate the two

seamlessly and eliminate manual tasks.

Consulting For Access Limited, a partner of Codeless

Platforms and an independent consulting firm which

specialises in delivering training and consulting services to

customers of The Access Group, took on the project,

upgrading Access Dimensions and BPA Platform to the

latest versions on the new Windows servers and then

configuring the integration and automation.

“We were looking for the Holy Grail of automation – to only

enter data once – thus freeing up staff to concentrate on

increasing the customer base and product range,” explained

Meghjee. “After some consultation with Consulting For

Access we decided to purchase Codeless Platforms’ BPA

Platform with the Web Services API to enable us to

seamlessly connect Access Dimensions with WooCommerce

where our shop is managed.”

Automating manual tasks

BPA Platform is now linking all the stock records and prices

held in the Stock Control Module of Access Dimensions with

WooCommerce, and updating them seamlessly in real-time.

It is also being used for accurate order processing, the

processing of sales invoices, as well as credit control.

“BPA Platform is the best solution for the job as we did not

have to lose out on the investments we had already made. We

have been using Access Dimensions for over 12 years and it

was important that we deployed a solution that would

seamlessly integrate without compromising any functionality,”

explained Meghjee. “And, although the WooCommerce website

was relatively new (less than two years), we had already

invested a lot of money to make it a very good website: and the

uptake was good. Again, we did not wish to move away from

that and restart the entire project.”

We were looking for the

Holy Grail of automation

– to only enter data once –

thus freeing up staff to

concentrate on increasing

the customer base and

product range.

Mustafa Meghjee

Director

The Solution

5

• Seamless integration of Access

Dimensions and WooCommerce

• Automated stock and pricing changes

• Automated sales invoice processing

• Automated reporting and credit control

Case Study

Mentmore Investments LLP

BPA Platform has also been deployed to manage reporting:

automating the MI pack using Crystal Reports for report

presentation and then delivering the reports automatically

on a regular basis. The reports are now saved as a PDF and

emailed to each stakeholder showing them the exact

information that they need to see.

“We now automate reports from our accounts system on a

regular basis, which are sent to all stakeholders, including

those who do not have access to the accounts system or

website,” said Meghjee. “For example, every week we send

out the weekly sales report to the business owner(s) and the

department manager. At the same time, we also send out a

report of all outstanding orders that need invoicing to the

sales and accounts team.”

BPA Platform is the best

solution for the job as we

did not have to lose out on

the investments we had

already made.

Mustafa Meghjee

Director

The Solution

5

Case Study

Mentmore Investments LLP

6

Improving business processes

Mentmore Investments is acquisitive and likes the

flexibility that BPA Platform offers: the ability to add new

company databases, automate the generation and delivery

of reports, as well as automatically audit key data such as

bank account changes.

“We very quickly established a link between Access

Dimensions and WooCommerce, and as prices changed

these were reflected in the WooCommerce website. The

result of this was more accurate order processing and

happier customers. Before the link was in place we were

having to manually adjust each invoice, as the prices were

incorrect, and agree the change with each customer. We

now have a happier and more motivated sales and accounts

team,” explained Meghjee.

“Following the deployment of BPA Platform, we now also

have the ability to scale up the business without increasing

staff levels. We have estimated that the man hours saved –

based on the time of implementation – to be around 25

man hours per week. Since the implementation, the

business has increased as well. The key is the deployment of

the man hours saved to more income generating areas and

real cost saving areas.”

We very quickly

established a link

between Access Dimensions

and WooCommerce, and as

prices changed these were

reflected in the

WooCommerce website.

Mustafa Meghjee

Director

The Result

• Removal of manual data inputting

• More accurate order processing

• Ability to scale up the business

• Deploy man hours to income generating

activities

Case Study

Mentmore Investments LLP

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