Established in 1984, Leicester Bearings has grown from a small family business operating from a one bedroom flat, into one of Leicestershire's leading independent distributors of bearings, power transmission products, fluid power, electric motors, tools, PPE and MRO consumables. The business now employs 17 people, holds more than £1 million of stock, and supplies customers throughout the UK across a diverse range of engineering and industrial sectors.
Throughout its history, Leicester Bearings has remained committed to the same values it was founded on - technical expertise, exceptional customer service and long term relationships. Strategic acquisitions, continued investment and a successful transition to the second generation of family leadership have ensured the company continues to evolve while remaining proudly independent. Its philosophy of being “big enough to compete, small enough to care" continues to underpin every aspect of their business.
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Leicester Bearings recognised that its continued growth and acquisitions required a more modern, future-proof ERP platform.
Before the project formally began, OGL worked closely with Leicester Bearings to understand the business requirements, its processes, and future objectives. Through a consultative pre-sales approach, the team explored where improvements could be made and demonstrated how Profit4 could deliver measurable benefits, giving Leicester Bearings confidence that the solution was the right fit for their business.
Leicester Bearings found the implementation process both structured and collaborative. From the outset, OGL established clear project plans, regular communication and a well defined implementation programme that ensured expectations were understood by everyone involved.
Rather than asking Leicester Bearings to adapt to standard processes, OGL worked closely with the team to understand how the business operates and configured Profit4 around their requirements.
Leicester Bearings felt supported throughout every stage of the journey:
"The project has been well managed, with strong communication, clear expectations and a shared focus on delivering a successful outcome."
The training also played an important role in preparing staff for the transition. Instead of simply demonstrating software functionality, training sessions focused on how Profit4 would support day to day roles across different departments, helping employees understand how the system would improve the way they work.
As the business moved through Go Live, OGL's support teams remained readily available to answer questions, resolve issues and provide reassurance whenever needed.
Although Leicester Bearings has only recently gone live with Profit4, the business is already excited by the opportunities the new platform will unlock.
One of the biggest advantages is having a single source of truth across the organisation. Instead of departments working across different systems, everyone now has access to consistent, real time information, creating greater collaboration, improved visibility and faster decision making.
The business also expects to reduce manual administration, streamline workflows and improve reporting, allowing employees to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time supporting customers.
Most importantly, Profit4 provides a scalable foundation capable of supporting future acquisitions, additional branches and continued growth without increasing operational complexity.
Leicester Bearings has ambitious plans for the future. Alongside continued organic growth, the business intends to strengthen its UK presence through strategic acquisitions, broaden its product offering and further develop value added services such as managed inventory and vending solutions. Profit4 will play a central role in supporting these ambitions by providing accurate real time reporting, greater operational visibility and integrated processes across the entire business.
For Leicester Bearings, implementing Profit4 represents far more than replacing legacy software. It marks the beginning of the next stage in the company's evolution:
"We're not simply implementing new software - we're investing in a long term technology partner that will help Leicester Bearings continue to evolve over the next decade and beyond."
Leicester Bearings encourages companies considering an ERP implementation to view it as a business transformation rather than simply a software project.
The team recommends investing time in reviewing processes, cleansing data and engaging employees before Go Live, while also making full use of OGL's expertise throughout the implementation.
"Go Live is the beginning, not the end, of the journey. If you approach the project with the right mindset and commitment, Profit4 provides a strong platform that can support your business for many years to come."
One aspect of the project that particularly stood out to Leicester Bearings was the people behind it. The company praised the professionalism, knowledge and collaborative approach shown by OGL throughout every stage of the implementation, highlighting the contribution of the project management, consultancy, sales and support teams in delivering a successful transition.
"OGL have demonstrated that they're more than a software provider - they're a long term technology partner and that's something we value highly."
As Leicester Bearings embark on the next chapter of its journey, Profit4 provides the robust foundation needed to support continued innovation, operational excellence and sustainable growth for many years to come.
“Overall, we’ve worked with a fantastic group of people. Their professionalism, expertise and collaborative approach have made what could have been a daunting project an enjoyable and rewarding experience, and we’re looking forward to continuing the relationship as we get the very best from Profit4.”
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