Vetora BOP
Vetora BOP transforms business with NetSuite implementation
Industry
Veterinary Services
Challenge
Vetora's accounting system struggled with over 10,000 monthly transactions, leading to system crashes and manual workarounds. Poor integration with practice management software caused inventory errors, disrupting operations and failing to meet Vetora's growing demands.
Results
In just a year, NetSuite has transformed Vetora's operations by enhancing inventory accuracy and streamlining accounting processes, reducing manual tasks and improving efficiency. The system provides quick access to critical reports, saving time and earning board approval for its role in effective decision-making and operational success.
With the introduction of NetSuite to handle its multi-site operations, veterinary clinic group Vetora has eliminated tedious manual reconciliations, improved information flow, and brought a smile to the faces of accountants and directors alike. After outgrowing its accounting software, the busy chain of three practices looked to Verde Group’s Project Salsa for software capable of meeting complex requirements, and in an accelerated deployment described as ‘amazing’, had NetSuite up and running in just two months.
Vetora is a 100% New Zealand owned vet club which reinvests all profits back into rural communities and its business, delivering the best practical and technical expertise for farm and domestic animals. Vetora Bay of Plenty group traces its origins back to The Rotorua district Vet Club started in August 1944 in Rotorua and has 4 clinics - Rotorua, Reporoa, Taupo and Galatea, with a team of 13 Vets.
SITUATION
When General Manager Corporate Services Mickey van der Merwe joined Vetora in 2019, she quickly identified challenges with the accounting and financial systems. “The system was overstressed because we integrated on a transaction level with an accounting package that couldn’t handle the volume,” she explains.
In addition to fundamental issues with recording transactions, a once-perfectly adequate accounting package was creaking under the sheer volume of entries. “Basic reports like GST would crash the system. We have over 10,000 transactions every month, and it just couldn’t compute. Often manual workarounds and reconciliations were the only option, taking a ridiculous amount of time. And there was a poorly executed integration between the accounting package and the practice management software, which meant whenever we sold something, it went back into inventory instead of coming out.”
The situation, says van der Merwe, was not only frustrating for operational staff (and particularly those in charge of the numbers), but also potentially perilous for the business.
“To give you an idea, a previous stocktake resulted in a writeoff of $60,000. The most recent one had a miniscule variance of a few hundred dollars.”
SOLUTION
Appreciating that an enterprise resource planning solution had become necessary to support Vetora’s efficient operation while providing for future growth, van der Merwe approached and gained approval from the board. She also motivated for and gained approval for replacing the practice management software with a modern alternative.
On the choice of NetSuite, van der Merwe says it is the complexity of Vetora’s business which demanded a solution usually associated with larger companies. “There aren’t a lot of options for the intricacy of what we do,” she explains. “And with NetSuite’s flexibility, the constant tweaking necessary for it to align with our evolving business practices is easily possible.”
As an example, she says medications are rarely sold individually but are bundled. And quantities depend on ‘unexpected’ variables like animal size. “That means one product coming into stock goes out in multiple ways – and your financial system has to cope with that.”
While software choice matters, van der Merwe says selecting an implementation and support partner is almost certainly the more important factor in a successful implementation. “Project Salsa were and are simply amazing,” she explains, noting that an ERP implementation is always challenging.
Of course, NetSuite is considerably more costly than accounting software, but van der Merwe says the more important factor is suitability to meet daily business requirements reliably and effectively, “Along with the support of Project Salsa always there to improve and adapt the software. We’ve had a direct comparison with implementing other software; with that, we’ve had to deal with a faceless corporation providing ‘standard’ support through an automated helpdesk – there’s just no comparison with having real people there, who have taken the time to understand our business and our specific requirements.”
“Along with the support of Project Salsa always there to improve and adapt the software. We’ve had a direct comparison with implementing other software; with that, we’ve had to deal with a faceless corporation providing ‘standard’ support through an automated helpdesk – there’s just no comparison with having real people there, who have taken the time to understand our business and our specific requirements.”
RESULTS
‘Chalk and cheese’ is an expression which comes to mind when comparing Vetora ‘before NetSuite to ‘after’. A year on from going live, van der Merwe says things have improved substantially. “To give you an idea, a previous stocktake resulted in a writeoff of $60,000. The most recent one had a miniscule variance of a few hundred dollars.”
Daily accounting and business management is eased, with tedious manual processing all but eliminated. “Nobody wants to study accounting only to spend their days on reconciliations,” laughs van der Merwe. “And with NetSuite, we’re now able to pinpoint and addressing any processing gaps, with line-by-line visibility which means we can introduce controls accurately where necessary.”
Crucial reporting keeping track of business performance is now at the team’s fingertips, with granular detail available with a few mouse clicks. “No more of those hours figuring things out at two or three in the morning,” comes as a major relief, too.
Van der Merwe says the board has responded positively, too – with the only proviso being a desire for the same sort of insight and detail from historical transactions. “That’s confirmation of the clear benefits of appropriately configured software in running a business effectively.”
And as for Project Salsa, she’s effusive in her appreciation. “I would choose them time and time again. They might be NetSuite specialists, but if they could handle every software implementation going forward, they would be the choice. The support is amazing, they are always available, and they are always working to make our NetSuite better.”
“I would choose them time and time again. They might be NetSuite specialists, but if they could handle every software implementation going forward, they would be the choice. The support is amazing, they are always available, and they are always working to make our NetSuite better.”
Vetora stands as one of New Zealand's most enduring farmer-owned veterinary clubs. The journey began in 1942 when the Te Awamutu Veterinary Association opened its doors in Waikato. Just two years later, The Vet Club started serving the public in the Bay of Plenty.
For many years, these farmer-owned and operated clubs functioned independently, offering specialised expertise and a shared commitment to community service.
This common dedication eventually led to the unification of the two original clubs under the Vetora name, forming Vetora Bay of Plenty and Vetora Waikato. By merging, Vetora enhances member benefits through increased scale and collaboration.
As a 100% New Zealand-owned entity, Vetora reinvests all profits back into the rural community and veterinary business, ensuring you receive top-notch practical and technical expertise for your animals, both now and in the future.
