Streamlining Equine Auction Sale Days With Cloud-First Microsoft Tech

Each year, approximately 2000 horses are sold on dedicated sale days for receipts of around NZ$150 million annually.​ A horse sells on average every two minutes. Every aspect of a bloodstock purchase is managed by NZB, from equine airfreight to insurance and finance divisions, to provide buyers with a one-stop shop.

Bloodstock needed to address the challenges of ageing tools and systems. Now, with a cloud-first, end-to-end solution, they have enhanced security, speed, and functionality. On sale days, they have real-time insights via dashboards, and the entire sale process is streamlined from start to finish.  

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James Jennings, Director of Operations, NZB:

“The commitment shown by the Theta team is worthy of acknowledgement. It is evident across the board that all on the team have devoted a considerable amount of time and energy to developing a world-class product for our company.

From architecture and design through to development and testing, along with the overall project management, we have constantly been impressed by the skill, intuitive interpretation and knowledge they have displayed. The team is exceptionally talented and has a work ethic that complements their drive to provide quality solutions and products. You can be justifiably proud to have them as part of Theta. We at NZB are very thankful for the partnership we have built with the team and immensely appreciate what has been achieved to date.”

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Business challenges

To manage the entire sale and purchase process, NZB had a range of existing systems, some of which were end-of-life and unsupported – posing a considerable business risk. These included:

• On-premises Microsoft Dynamics AX
• On-premises Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Customer Relationship Management) 2011
• Scribe integration
• Bespoke Insurance Calculator App with no access to source code.​  

The most significant risk was a dependence on a laptop running Windows 7 as the customised CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system was incompatible with Windows 10.​ Failure of this would be catastrophic – especially if it were to happen during a busy sale day with millions of dollars at stake.  

They also had a proliferation of paper and manual processes, which were slow and prone to human error, and siloed data held in Excel spreadsheets. Creating accurate, up-to-date reports was challenging, and in a fast-paced environment like a sale day, having this information at their fingertips is crucial. It took 15 minutes to update a final sale result, and with a busy venue of buyers watching on, this information needed to be communicated as quickly as possible.  

The business needed to refresh these systems with a cloud-first, holistic, modern end-to-end solution that included seamless integration and access from anywhere and any device to support additional auction locations. It also had to meet their unique industry needs and be scalable on demand for big sales events.  

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Mark Lock, Insurance Manager, NZB:

“It has been a huge effort by your whole team. From day one, they have immersed themselves in the project. Their energy, willingness to be available, skill, and professionalism are an absolute credit to themselves and your organisation. A mammoth thanks to you all.”

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NZB's solution outcomes at a glance

The go-live day saw NZB’s largest ever sales results – two days of selling, over $35.1M NZD. To date, four successful sale days have been completed using the new technology environment, with approximately 2000 horses sold.

• Critical applications, including ERP and CRM, have been upgraded to new, cloud-based Microsoft solutions, giving NZB the security, speed and improved functionality they need to continue delivering the best service in the business.  
• On Sale Days, NZB's Marketing team can report in near real-time and share dashboards and insights with required team members rather than manually pass on information constantly. And for all business users, reporting is much quicker, and it's easy to access data when needed.​  
• Final sale results are now available in near real-time, down from 15 minutes.  
• Automation has improved efficiencies across the business, allowing more time to focus on core business activities.  
• A highly secure environment has improved compliance and regulatory processes and reporting.​

Alexander Stoehr, ICT Support Engineer, NZB:

“The changeover process was exceptionally smooth and effortless. It felt as simple as turning off one light and switching on another. The support we received was remarkably professional, beyond mere assistance by providing recommendations and preparing the customer for the transition. At times, it seemed as though the project members were even more excited than us about the switch, demonstrating an incredible connection to the project and their work.”

Cont…

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the exceptional work you and your team have done over the sales day. Your team's efforts played a crucial role in helping us achieve a historic milestone in our sales history with a completely new system in the background. Having experienced similar situations in the past, I am well aware that not all installations go as smoothly as ours did.

Despite encountering some challenges, Theta demonstrated unwavering support, standing by us and recognising the significance of our sales day. Our business is unique, and the pressure during the sales period is immense as we strive to keep the operations running smoothly and the sales momentum going. Many may not fully comprehend the intricate structure of the applications now employed by NZB, the intricate relationships between them, and the related risks.

Your team's commitment and understanding of the complexities involved have made a significant impact, and I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks for your invaluable contributions to our success.”