Forterro has luanched its next-generation cloud-based ERP solution, Fortee, onto the UK market. Fortee is an entry-level ERP solution that targets SME discrete manufacturers and industrial startups. It leverages the expertise that Forterro can draw from multiple legacy ERP solutions throughout Europe.

Fortee is a fully functional ERP that provides SMEs with a wide range of features at an affordable price. This starts at £100 per user per month for full users, with an option for factory works at an additional £15 per user per month. For companies with more than 20 full users or 50 factory users, pricing is on request. A subscription includes the cost of onboarding, implementation, training and Fortee Care. Fortee Care provides access to the customer care team, including online ticket management.

The features within Fortee include:

• Purchasing/Procurement
• Production
• Project
• Quality/Traceability
• Industry 4.0
• No-code/Low code customisation
• CRM/Sales
• Scheduling
• Supply Chain and Logistics
• Aftersales
• Reporting

Oddly, while there are financial elements within the software, Fortee does not call out a separate finance module. Benoît Wambergue, VP of Product Management, Forterro, said, “There are thousands of smaller manufacturers that are likely relying on manual processes or muddling through with spreadsheets.

“These companies recognise the need to centralise and streamline business processes, but they don’t have the resources for extensive customisation or large-scale deployments. Fortee is the perfect option. It has industry-relevant features based on 15 years of experience, is designed specifically for small manufacturers, and users can be fully up and running in weeks.” 

Forterro takes a step into the future

Forterro has over 13,000 customers spread across several European countries using well-known brands such as Abas, Jeeves, 123 Insight, Orderwise, Myfactory, SILOG and SYLOB.  Fortee is the first that it has developed internally and is the next step on its journey to becoming a multi-product European cloud vendor.

Steve Fearon, President, Northern Europe, Forterro, commented, “All our products are focused on helping businesses run smoother, getting products to the right place at the right time and helping people make smarter, data-based decisions,” said “Smaller manufacturers need to address digital transformation just as much as enterprises do, but it can be an even bigger challenge for them. Fortee helps on that journey and can transform their operational efficiency.”

Expanding across Europe

Fortee is already available in France and Central Europe. It has several live customers across Europe, and an early adopter in the UK. In Austria, multinational Wittmann Battenfeld is using the solution. In France, it has been implemented in firms including Sermantec, Sodistra and Manuplast.

Forterro expects to launch in more countries during 2024. In the UK, an early adopter of Fortee are Xtreme Motorsports, a British manufacturing company. Also Versinetic, a leading designer of EV charging units and software. Before implementing Fortee, Versinetic used manual processes and spreadsheets with limited automation to control its internal processes. As the company grew globally, it knew it needed to implement a better, multinational solution that would support its growth.

Ritchie Perry, Production Engineer, Versinetic, explained, “Fortee ERP can be used across a variety of business sectors, but it suits electronics as the complexity of data can be managed easily with its open (cloud) approach. Fortee will play a pivotal role as we grow and look to maximise automation and remove manual intervention.”

Once Fortee was installed, Verinetic has seen significant improvement in its manufacturing and engineering operations. Specific improvements were seen in materials management, planning, and engineering data control. These improvements have improved efficiency and increased productivity at the firm.

Enterprise Times: What does this mean

It is rare to see a new ERP solution launched onto the market. However, Forterro has been working on this solution for years and seems to have hit the ground running. Wambergue added, “Years and years of cloud ERP learning and experience have been put into Fortee. It’s a solution that has been honed and iteratively improved for a long time, and for smaller UK manufacturers, it is a compelling choice for their first ERP solution, offering users the flexibility to oversee their operations from any location.”

What will be interesting to see is with which other cloud solutions it competes in the SME market. It is nibbling at the bottom end of NetSuite and will probably compete head-to-head with Epicor. Forterro may also see Fortee as the ideal upgrade path for many of the existing customers using legacy solutions, as well as those companies still using spreadsheets and basic accounting solutions.