IT
BSS SCALES UP FOR A MORE DIGITAL FUTURE
A look at how one merchant re-thought its systems to allow it to thrive in the digital age. P
art of the Travis Perkins Group, BSS, the national distributor of commercial and industrial pipeline and heating solutions, got to a point when it knew it needed to replace its core systems and ERP. With over 52 branches and two national distribution centres, BSS operates on a basis of high-volume orders, complex pricing structures and critical customer timelines, all of which require clarity, control, and agility in back-end systems.
BSS set out to replace its core business systems and ERP with a solution that could support smarter decision-making, improved visibility across the branch network, and greater operational agility. The goal was not just to replace what had come before, but to embrace a platform that would future-proof the business and unlock new opportunities for growth.
Graham Eccles, finance director for BSS says: “We wanted a system that dealt with the specific challenges that builders merchants face daily.”
The company wanted a solution that would deliver out of the box, reflect the realities of merchant life, and be led by a team who knew the industry inside out. Klipboard ERP One was selected because it delivered exactly that: a cloud-based, merchant-specific platform with robust functionality available out of the box. It provided the commercial tools BSS needed
- from purchasing and pricing through to inventory, sales, and finance - without the need for heavy customisation. Eccles says that Klipboard’s experience of the industry was a key reason for its selection.
Specialist Klipboard consultants worked closely with BSS’s internal delivery teams on the implementation journey to ensure success of the project. There were a number of pre- existing business critical systems that BSS had to integrate with the ERP One platform to ensure a successful deployment. Eccles says: “We were having difficulty figuring out how to integrate so many other separate systems we use to run other parts of our business. Klipboard gave us access to their webhooks platform and that enabled us to integrate to these platforms with ease. ” The two worked together to ensure that ERP One was implemented across all 52 locations and distribution centres in a single deployment.
BSS believes it has a future-ready business management platform that provides a strong foundation for rapid innovation. The company can now scale effortlessly, and plug in new digital solutions, like Klipboard eReceipts, a mobile app that instantly processes receipts from purchase orders into ERP One, Klipboard Money and other mobile apps across warehouse management, delivery, transport management and more.
The platform has meant improvements to customer service levels. Julia Lovett, Process and Engagement Lead for the ERP One project says: “We are able to service customers more quickly at the trade counter because of ERP One’s intuitive UI and trade counter search features that make finding the right product much easier for our colleagues.”
Special Pricing Agreements and rebates are also easier to manage, with the system automatically applying rebates and pricing rules to purchase orders so teams can see their impact on margin before an invoice is generated – something not possible before the ERP One deployment.
Product owner at BSS, Lisa Taylor says: “The product is going to bring more value as time goes on. Now we have deployed the core ERP solution, we are excited to work with Klipboard to build out a suite of supporting products that can further optimise our business operations.” BMJ
Border Merchant Systems celebrates 35 years in business
Border Merchant Systems started in 1990 and has grown to 28 members of staff, spread across four teams.
Originally a support company, the pilot version of the CounterAct software, was installed at the first customer site, turning it into a software company.
CounterAct has evolved over the years, and the company has kept up with fast paced changes through constant in-house development, introducing new elements such as an ePOD (electronic proof of delivery) app; Customer Account Portal;
giving trade account customers more control of their accounts and reducing administration time for merchants, trading websites that integrate with the Border Merchant Systems software, Stock Check app; designed to speed up and simplify the stock checking process. Earlier this year the first version of the cloud-based system was deployed. FWD CounterAct, is available as a Cloud-hosted or on-premise solution, a system that is suited to both small single site companies and large multi-branch companies.
November 2025
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
In 2013 Border was acquired by Hermitage Innovation Group. Paul Deane, CEO says: “35 years is a huge milestone for the Border business, and it comes at a very exciting time for the company as the huge investment in the product starts to fuel growth. Border has built a successful business on the back of its outstanding support for its merchanting customers. As we marry this to a technically advanced platform it will enable us to take advantage of all the latest technologies. We are very excited about the next 35 years.”
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