In 1975, engineer Ricardo Arocha founded Kepler Construction in Monclova, Coahuila. The Mexican construction company serves the mining, energy, petrochemical, and steel industries, and specializes in general construction, building structure assembly, piping, electromechanical equipment installation, and electrical installations.

The privately held company’s large-scale projects—which include power plants, corporate facilities, hotels, and more in Mexico and throughout Latin America — have made it a force to be reckoned with in the industrial construction industry. But Kepler’s decades of success did not make it immune to frustrating challenges brought by the company’s outdated, server-based ERP.

Ultimately, Kepler decided to replace its inefficient ERP solution and chose Acumatica’s modern ERP solution with specialized construction capabilities. The result? A story of success worth sharing.

The Pain Before Acumatica

Prior to implementing Acumatica, Kepler team members had to work hard to keep their internal processes running smoothly. Israel Vallejo, head of IT and communications, says their ERP was hosted on a physical server, which required hardware upgrades and software licensing, and he says it was an inaccessible solution.

“Being connected to a centralized ERP required dedicated links that were not always dependable. It was not possible to access the system from any place that did not have this type of connection, not to mention the consequences if there was a server crash.”

Not being able to connect to its potentially malfunctioning business management solution wasn’t Kepler’s only issue. Fulfilling payment obligations for projects in different locations and collaborating with multiple vendors (each with their own requirements) slowed down the payment process. And because they were using Excel, the payment process put Kepler at risk of making duplication errors and incorrect payments that delayed material supplies.

Moreover, analyzing and creating reports and financial statements for each project was a complex undertaking, so much so that Ignacio Osorio, Director of Administration and Finance, notes, “Each data set was processed in isolation, resulting in unreliable information for developing business strategies, economic proposals, and decision-making.”

As for preparing customer proposals, Commercial Manager Juan Alberto Gonzalez says it was frankly a pain. “The information was scattered and there was no certainty about which one was the most current.”

The Healing Power of Acumatica

Relying on an unreliable ERP solution was taking its toll, but when the Kepler team put their trust in Acumatica, everything changed.

“With the adoption of Acumatica,” says Procurement Manager Ana Laura Bacmeister, “all users have real-time visibility of the system, which allows us to take quick actions, generate purchase orders, send approved orders to suppliers, etc.”

The “etc.” includes enabling the Kepler team to:

• • Easily generate financial reports with detailed information by project, reducing response times.
  • Fully access their information from any place and device.
  • Boost business growth.

“Thanks to Acumatica’s integrated CRM, it is easier to manage information for follow-up of a new sales opportunity,” says Alvarez. “Today, we have a consolidated database that allows us to track new projects and generate new business opportunities.”

Clearly, Kepler’s investment in Acumatica’s sophisticated solution delivered business-enhancing benefits, but they didn’t acquire the benefits on their own. They needed the expert assistance of a valued Acumatica partner to help them implement Acumatica and to educate them on Acumatica’s many capabilities. That partner was .

“CloudInfo’s support and expertise in the implementation of Acumatica ERP have been key in the management of operational and strategic information at Kepler Construction,” says Osorio.

Adds Vallejo, “The consulting and support services provided by CloudInfo are timely and helpful, aiding us specifically in our sector, as they have a deep understanding of Acumatica’s capabilities particular to our industry.”

The Securing of Success with Acumatica

Kepler is now up and running on Acumatica, and the team has great praise for our cloud-based, comprehensive solution. According to Commercial Director Eckart Miessner, Acumatica has helped Kepler and its employees grow, and gives the ERP leader and its partner credit for Kepler’s success.

“With more than four decades of experience, we have consolidated our position as one of the most important companies in industrial construction in Mexico and Latin America,” he says. “And that has been thanks to Acumatica, and, of course, to Cloud Info.”

Building the future of business, together with our valued customers and partners, is not just our rallying cry but the core belief that drives every decision we make. Our commitment to continually innovating our award-winning solution helps small and midsized businesses (SMBs) successfully navigate today’s digital economy and thrive on their own terms.

To learn more about Acumatica and how it can equip your business with the tools you need to succeed, contact our experts today.