Shackletons

Crafting care

Shackletons design and manufacture traditional and contemporary furniture for the healthcare sector. Established in 1959, their furniture is handmade in England at their factory in West Yorkshire. They work closely with their clients to create practical and stylish environments with the end user in mind, whether it be a new build or refurbishment project.

Their Dynamics NAV system holds around 120,000 items including raw materials, consumables, and finished items. Due to the bespoke nature of their manufactured products, each product can be customised in a variety of ways - this includes choice of seat height, leg style, foam type, fabric specification and wood finish.

Meet Helen

Helen Gledhill is Systems Manager for Shackletons. She worked within the business in 2013 when the company first implemented Dynamics NAV. After taking a few years out, Helen returned to Shackletons in 2019 to find that the company had made the move to TNP. She said, "I was delighted, this change of system is something that I would have had on my agenda".

Reflecting on her experience with other support partners, Helen says, "the difference with TNP is the added value they provide". This includes a dedicated Engagement Manager, a large and knowledgeable support team, and a free minor mods service for small tweaks. Shackletons have decided to sweat their existing assets some more – to stay on NAV 2009 RTC. Helen remarked that, "TNP made it clear that they were happy to support whatever version we are using. They often make recommendations that help us save time and costs which is great".

Train the trainer

Helen has identified previously unused areas of their system and has taken advantage of the burst training that TNP offer. This higher-level of training is something new and allows her to continue supporting the rest of the business by sharing this newly discovered functionality with the rest of the team.

"There is a great energy at TNP - no matter who I speak to within the business, their enthusiasm shines through"

Helen says, "you always get back to me quickly. I never have to chase things up – I think people under value the benefits of a really great partner". Helen calls out Ricardo in particular. Ricardo joined TNP as part of an Academy program for developers and consultants in 2020.

Helen commends him for how well he handled their recent developments: "he’s been fantastic getting everything over the line really effectively". Ricardo says, "as a Junior Developer I’m still taking the first steps in my career, working with Helen has been an excellent opportunity to grow as a professional. I’m grateful for her patience, kindness and availability".

The changes that Ricardo has made are part of a wider program designed to increase the longevity of Shackleton’s current solution. Whilst their end goal is to move to Dynamics 365 Business Central, right now the business is focused on recruiting the right staff, driving their growth, and establishing market leadership.

Helen looks forward to continuing to work with TNP saying, "there’s so much transparency and integrity in the company".

We are proud to be the better partner for Shackletons.

We are the preferred Dynamics NAV support partner in the UK. Learn more about ERP for Furniture and how we can offer one of the best solutions.

Want to make the most of your existing functionality? Discover our free training opportunities here.