ERP modernisation for distribution
We supported Blackwoods’ move to Microsoft Dynamics 365 through a phased migration of product data and business processes.
Source: Softobiz client case-study material.
Blackwoods needed ERP modernisation without interrupting distribution.
Blackwoods, a major MRO, industrial-equipment, and safety-products supplier operating nationwide distribution for thousands of businesses, replaced its entire legacy backbone with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
The scale it runs at is a matter of public record: 50+ branches and six distribution centres, over 5,000 suppliers, and more than 200,000 customers across 77,000 sites, trading since 1878 (Blackwoods, via Australasian Mine Safety Journal). Blackwoods is part of Wesfarmers Industrial and Safety, whose FY25 results describe the division's operating-model reset as "enabled by recent system investments".
The mandate: migrate decades of operational data, reengineer procurement, inventory, order, logistics, financial and customer processes, and support near real-time reporting across more than 400,000 SKUs while maintaining supply-chain continuity.
What stood in the way.
Decades of data
Operational history had to move intact, not archived and forgotten.
Every process at once
Procurement, inventory, orders, logistics, finance, and customer management all changed together.
Continuity throughout
Thousands of businesses depended on supply-chain continuity while the migration progressed.
The solution, piece by piece.
Strategic migration planning
Deep systems analysis and migration plans built around business continuity.
Process reengineering
Workflows redesigned on Dynamics 365 while preserving critical business logic and compliance.
A multi-phase rollout
Staged deployment across business units, with testing at every step.
Near real-time reporting
Near real-time reporting covered more than 400,000 SKUs across stock, orders and performance using Azure, .NET, SQL Server and Power BI.
What changed for the client.
400K+
Reporting coverage
Near real-time reporting covered more than 400,000 SKUs across stock, orders and performance.
Phased
Rollout around live operations
Deployment progressed across business units with testing and supply-chain continuity built into the plan.
Processes modernised
Procurement, inventory, logistics, finance, and customer management reengineered in one programme.
Reporting in near real time
Delayed batch reporting replaced by live visibility.
The capabilities that carried this engagement.
Related client work.
Explore related work across platforms, data and operations.
The riskiest migrations reward the most disciplined phasing.
Talk to the team that moves enterprise backbones without stopping the business.