Ottosson F?rgmakeri's Success Story: "Ongoing WMS Is the Heart of Our Operations"

OTTOSSON F?RGMAKERI AB is a Swedish company that has grown since 1989 to become the world's largest manufacturer of linseed oil paint. With a customer base spanning the globe and 30% of its sales exported internationally, the company sought a robust Warehouse Management System (WMS) to streamline operations and support its expanding business. Their partnership with Ongoing has significantly impacted how they manage their production and distribution processes.

Rapid Implementation of their new WMS

Ottosson F?rgmakeri needed a WMS that could seamlessly integrate with multiple existing systems, including their ERP system ( Fortnox AB ) , transport management system ( nShift ) , and two Woo Commerce webshops. Many WMS solutions they evaluated lacked the ability to provide these integrations off the shelf, which could have led to long integration projects and extra costs.

"We needed multiple integrations, including with our ERP system, transport management system, and two webshops via WooCommerce. Most WMS solutions we looked at had difficulty providing this off the shelf," says Marcus Bj?rk, Logistics Manager at Ottosson F?rgmakeri.

Ongoing WMS emerged as the ideal solution. With ready-made integrations for all the systems Ottosson F?rgmakeri used, they were able to get started quickly. "Ongoing already had ready-made integrations for all the systems we used, allowing us to get started within just a week," Marcus adds.

Tailored Solutions to Ottosson F?rgmakeri's Needs

The partnership between Ottosson F?rgmakeri and Ongoing has been characterized by a collaborative approach to meet specific business needs without increasing system complexity. Martin Hernqvist , Customer Responsible Software Engineer at Ongoing and the main contact for Ottosson F?rgmakeri, highlights how they have tailored the system:

"Ottosson F?rgmakeri was one of my first customers when they signed up almost four years ago (on my birthday, no less), and it has been a pleasure to work with them since then. They are always adept at identifying solutions based on their needs and understanding what different systems can offer. This approach has allowed us to integrate functionalities for store management and production information into Ongoing WMS, beyond standard warehouse management and typical integrations with sales channels, all without increasing the system's complexity."

Streamlining Operations

By integrating Ongoing WMS into their operations, Ottosson F?rgmakeri has centralized their order management, production planning, and inventory control. All orders—whether from their webshops or manually created in Fortnox—are fed into Ongoing WMS. The system also manages purchase orders and production planning for their factory.

"Ongoing is the heart of our operations. All orders are fed into Ongoing WMS, both from our webshops and those created manually in Fortnox. We also manage purchase orders and production planning for our factory within the system. All inventory, statistics, and follow-up are handled in Ongoing WMS," Marcus notes.

User-Friendly Interface Boosts Efficiency

One of the significant advantages of Ongoing WMS is its user-friendly interface, which has allowed staff members—even those unfamiliar with advanced computer systems—to adapt quickly.

"It’s incredibly quick to get started—for us, it took one week from the decision to full operation. The fact that the system is pleasant, fast, and easy to understand also means that even users who aren’t familiar with computers or systems like WMS can quickly get the hang of it," Marcus emphasizes.

This ease of use has improved efficiency and productivity across the company's operations.

Exceptional Collaboration and Support

The successful implementation and use of Ongoing WMS have been supported by exceptional collaboration between the two companies. Marcus praises the quality of service provided by Martin Hernqvist and the Ongoing team: "Very good. Martin Hernqvist is a hero who is always there to help. Things get resolved quickly, often with just a phone call or a quick email."

Martin reflects on the strong partnership: "Through a long and close collaboration, we have created a structure that allows us to easily and quickly adapt the system to Ottosson F?rgmakeri's needs, even incorporating functionalities for store management and production information without increasing complexity."

Laying the Foundation for Future Growth

The implementation of Ongoing WMS has not only met the immediate needs of Ottosson F?rgmakeri but has also laid a strong foundation for future growth. The company is now better positioned to handle increasing demand and expand its global reach.

"We have been able to optimize our operations and improve efficiency, which is crucial as we continue to grow and serve customers worldwide," Marcus concludes.