With 74 branches, Selco offers a true one-stop shop for the trade, supplying everything from heavy building materials to tools, plumbing, electrical, and finishing products, both in-store and online.
Business case
For years, Selco operated on a legacy Microsoft Dynamics NAV system that was holding the business back, causing performance bottlenecks, limited scalability, and poor visibility across stores and head office. These issues created ongoing operational challenges and made day-to-day management more difficult. “When I arrived at Selco, the business was really struggling with performance,” explains Bill Downing, CTO of Selco Builders Warehouse. “We needed expertise, leadership, and someone who would act like part of our business.”
Selco began searching for a technology partner who could help them move away from outdated systems and build a modern, flexible platform for the future.
Solution
Selco partnered with BC4, a local LS Retail partner, who suggested the rollout of LS Central and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to streamline operations and prepare the business for growth. LS Central brings together POS, inventory, sales, customer loyalty, reporting, and financials on a single platform, eliminating the need for multiple fragmented systems.
With 74 stores, large data volumes, and thousands of daily transactions, the rollout had to be carefully managed to keep day-to-day operations running smoothly. Head office systems were upgraded first, followed by a gradual store-by-store transition. “It was technically complex,” says Downing. “We had NAV running in some stores and Business Central in others for several months. BC4 built the bridge that made that possible. The rollout was out of hours to avoid disruption, and we refined everything after the first pilot to create a smooth, repeatable process.”
The project also required cultural change. After decades of rapid growth, some teams were hesitant to adopt new systems. “There was real resistance to change,” says Downing. “The business had been successful for so long that people were skeptical about why we needed to move. But once we could show the performance gains, that mindset shifted.”
Benefits
Selco saw immediate improvements across the business after moving to the new system. “The improvements were clear to see,” says Downing. “Performance gains at the front end, faster processing overnight, and a system that’s now future-ready.”
- Till performance – Tasks that once took 5–10 minutes, such as building or updating large quotes, are now complete in just 30 seconds. “That’s a huge improvement when you’ve got a customer standing in front of you,” says Downing.
- Operational uptime – The new system ensures that stores start every day fully operational. “On NAV, if anything failed overnight, we couldn’t catch up before stores opened at six in the morning,” says Downing. “Those issues disappeared when we went live.”
- Consistency across departments – Store operations run smoother, with workflows that are more consistent and less prone to error. Staff can process orders, returns, and stock movements more quickly, freeing time for customer service and reducing administrative overhead.
- Risk mitigation – The business now has far greater visibility and control across its stores and head office operations since everything is centralized in one platform. System reliability has improved, reducing the risk of errors, missed transactions, or data loss, and enabling faster, more confident decision-making.
- Scalability – Selco now operates on a stable, modern platform that supports ongoing national growth. The system is designed to accommodate increasing transaction volumes, additional stores, and added functionality, giving them room to grow in the future.
The implementation of LS Central has given Selco a strong, scalable foundation for continued growth. The partnership with BC4 continues, with plans for a move to SaaS and new initiatives around loyalty and customer engagement.
