Win wire
MCA Connect Enables Multi-Company Manufacturer Heico to Scale Globally with Business Applications and Data & AI
MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL
SOLUTION
D365 F&SCM | MCA Connect Inspire Platform® | Data Strategy | Manufacturing Strategy
INDUSTRY
Industrial Equipment Manufacturing
SEGMENT
EOU
At a Glance
CHALLENGE
Each newly acquired brand within The Heico Companies portfolio ran on different ERP systems, creating inefficiencies and making corporate oversight a challenge. Heico needed a unified platform to consolidate operations, standardize processes, and increase data visibility across its portfolio to inform strategic and rapid decision making.
SOLUTIONS
MCA Connect partnered with Heico to streamline their ERP landscape with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and MCA Connect Inspire Platform® for real-time business intelligence that enabled swift and strategic action. Our team conducted a deep-dive data analysis, blueprinted a future-state solution, and implemented the system on time and on budget… laying the foundation for long-term scalability and extended use of D365 across the company portfolio.
RESULTS
With MCA Connect’s expertise, Heico will now have a centralized ERP strategy, improved data visibility for corporate leadership, and a scalable model for future acquisitions. What started as an upgrade for select business units is now a strategic roadmap for enterprise-wide data transformation (and D365 adoption) across Heico’s global operations.
Their challenge
Meet The Heico Companies, a global portfolio of manufacturing, construction, and industrial services businesses. The company is family-owned and entrepreneurially-driven.
The Heico Companies, LLC, is a privately held parent company overseeing a diverse portfolio of manufacturing, construction, and industrial services businesses worldwide. With operations spanning 19 countries across five continents, Heico’s growth strategy has always included acquisitions. However, as new businesses joined the fold, a significant challenge emerged: each company operated on a different ERP system.
Managing disparate platforms led to inefficiencies, lack of standardization, and limited visibility at the corporate level. More impactfully, siloed data and disconnected ERP systems meant strategic insights were elusive or long-delayed, hindering (or even eliminating) timely decision making abilities across the portfolio. Executive leadership needed real-time insights across divisions, a standardized approach to operations, and a scalable system that could support continued expansion. Finding the right technology was important, but finding a partner with deep manufacturing and data strategy expertise to guide the transformation was priority number one.
Our solution
MCA Connect collaborated with Heico to evaluate existing systems, identify inefficiencies, and design a scalable ERP strategy leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365. Our team provided both technical expertise and industry insight, ensuring that the new system aligned with Heico’s business goals and manufacturing operations.
Here’s how we made it happen:
ERP Standardization Across Business Units
Implemented Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain to create a common process template for acquired companies, reducing complexity and improving efficiency.
Data Value Assessment (DVA) Driving Strategic Initiatives
Conducted an in-depth Data Value Assessment of existing processes to identify ‘quick wins’ and opportunities for improvement, mapped out a best-in-class future-state, and implemented a structured rollout plan for ongoing deployments. This uncovered multiple initiatives, including the implementation of Inspire Platform® on Microsoft Fabric for immediate visibility, AI-driven data insights, and a structured plan for accelerating acquisition integration.
On-Time, On-Budget Implementation
Delivered the Dynamics 365 implementation within scope, schedule, and budget, ensuring a smooth transition for Heico’s operating companies.
Real-Time Business Intelligence with Inspire Platform®
After the DVA uncovered specific data and reporting inefficiencies, Heico adopted Inspire Platform® on Fabric, MCA Connect’s manufacturing-specific analytics platform, to enhance executive visibility across all business units, delivering real-time insights into financials, production, and supply chain performance.
A Scalable Model for Future Growth
With a standardized ERP approach, Heico now has a repeatable framework for bringing future acquisitions onto D365. Inconsistency is now replaced with long-term efficiency across its global operations and their new data infrastructure is paving the way for AI-driven insights and faster decision-making capabilities.
Results
With MCA Connect’s guidance, Heico has successfully laid the groundwork for a unified ERP strategy, leading to:
- Greater Visibility: Corporate leadership now has real-time insights across multiple business units.
- Operational Efficiency: Standardized processes reduce redundancies and improve collaboration between companies.
- Scalability for Growth: A common D365 template simplifies future acquisitions and system rollouts (and supports the company’s continued and expanded use of D365 across its portfolio).
- Advanced Analytics: Inspire Platform® provides real-time data to inform executive decision-making.
What’s next? Heico is already extending D365 implementations across additional companies within its portfolio. Building on the initial Data Value Assessment findings, upcoming initiatives include further automation, expanded analytics with Inspire Platform® in Fabric, and the development of a Production Control Tower with AI to optimize manufacturing operations.
Heico didn’t just upgrade its ERP… it leveraged data modernization and AI to set the stage for long-term, scalable success.
