Overgrown ERP structures are slowing down the business
A heavily customized system that has evolved over many years creates complexity instead of efficiency and is increasingly becoming an obstacle to further growth.
GVS Agrar
From a Customized ERP to a Future-Proof Industry Solution
GVS Agrar AG is part of the GVS Agrar Group, which includes a total of nine subsidiaries in addition to Agrar Landtechnik AG. With around 500 employees in Switzerland and France, as well as a nationwide dealer network of 270 sales partners, customer focus is not just a catchphrase here, but a way of life. As the general importer of renowned brands such as Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra, GVS bears a special responsibility in the agricultural machinery trade. Processes must function across all locations, service cases must be handled quickly, and an overview of machines, spare parts, and histories must be guaranteed at all times. In the demanding field of agricultural machinery sales, the previous ERP system was increasingly becoming a bottleneck.
DMS 365
Rental 365
Mobile Service 365
MaschinenParkOnline
"Our field is the future — and that must be reflected in our system landscape."
Sina Angst
Project Manager ERP, GVS Agrar AG
The Starting Point
A system that became less reliable with every update
For years, GVS Agrar worked with a highly customized ERP system from a small Swiss provider. A solution that became increasingly customized—for every division, every special feature, every exception. What initially seemed flexible eventually became a burden.
“Our previous software solution wasn’t future-proof. Individual customizations kept coming back to haunt us.”
The problem? Updates had to be prepared as if they were separate projects. With every adjustment, uncertainty grew. And every uncertainty made the system more unstable. Updates became a risk. Customized know-how was lost with staff turnover. What was standard, and what was a custom solution? And new technologies? Out of place.
Industry-specific functions were particularly lacking in the agricultural machinery trade. Service orders could not be neatly linked to machines, workshop processes could only be mapped to a limited extent, and histories had to be painstakingly pieced together.
“If we want to grow and remain future-proof, we need a system that evolves with us. We realized: We can’t keep working this way.”
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Pain points at a glance
What were the core problems?
Every update becomes a risk
When customizations are too deeply embedded in the system, updates become time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to predict.
Knowledge lives in people, not in the system
When experienced employees leave the company, critical process and system knowledge often leaves with them.
Legacy technology limits new opportunities
Modern requirements such as scalability, innovation, and future technologies are difficult to realize with outdated systems.
Industry-specific processes are not mapped in enough depth
Service, workshop operations, and machine history require specialized functionality that standard solutions often do not provide at the necessary level of detail.
Lack of transparency costs valuable time in service
When relevant information is not centrally available, search effort, coordination needs, and response times all increase.
Too many manual steps in day-to-day operations
Isolated solutions, Excel spreadsheets, and disconnected processes make workflows unnecessarily slow and error-prone.
Complex interfaces increase vulnerability
The more closely systems are interconnected, the more important stable integrations and a reliable technical foundation become.
High complexity makes onboarding more difficult
Unclear custom logic and non-intuitive workflows extend onboarding time and increase the error rate.
The Decision and Implementation
For GVS Agrar, three factors were decisive:
Service orders, machine histories at the serial number level, rentals, used equipment platform, etc.—features tailored precisely to the agricultural machinery trade.
By implementing TRASER DMS 365 based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, GVS Agrar aimed to ensure long-term technological relevance—particularly with regard to further development, cloud updates, and new technologies such as AI.
“What we value immensely is the transparent communication and the accessibility of our contacts. We speak as equals. That makes a huge difference in projects like this.”
Industry-specific. Future-proof. Partnership-based.
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The Decision and Implementation
Industry-specific, future-proof, partnership-based
The migration was the decisive moment. Many interfaces—the web shop, logistics partners, and manufacturers—had to work from the very first minute. And they did.
“It was an amazingly smooth go-live. And that was only possible because preparation, testing, and coordination between both teams really went hand in hand.”
What made the difference for GVS Agrar was not just the software, but the nature of the collaboration.
From the very beginning, we had open discussions, scrutinized processes, and prioritized them together. Challenges were tackled with a focus on solutions. Especially in a complex system landscape with many interfaces, it’s crucial to have a partner who doesn’t just implement the system but also thinks along with you.
From the very beginning, we had open discussions, scrutinized processes, and prioritized them together. Challenges were tackled with a focus on solutions. Especially in a complex system landscape with many interfaces, it’s crucial to have a partner who doesn’t just implement the system but also thinks along with you.
“We were able to address issues openly — even when things got difficult. That builds trust. And that’s exactly the kind of trust you need in an ERP project.”
Sina Angst
Project Manager ERP, GVS Agrar AG
Results and Conclusion
True service transparency and tangible relief
Before the migration, a service request meant one thing above all else: gathering information, clarifying queries, and checking histories.
What work had already been done on this machine? Which parts were installed? Were there any warranty claims?
Today, thanks to TRASER DMS 365, every service order is directly linked to the serial number. Spare parts, labor hours, previous service calls? The answers to all these questions are fully traceable and clearly documented in the system.
Conversely, this has resulted in fewer follow-up inquiries and faster coordination — both internally and externally. Old receipts, Excel lists, and various system views are now a thing of the past.
What work had already been done on this machine? Which parts were installed? Were there any warranty claims?
Today, thanks to TRASER DMS 365, every service order is directly linked to the serial number. Spare parts, labor hours, previous service calls? The answers to all these questions are fully traceable and clearly documented in the system.
Conversely, this has resulted in fewer follow-up inquiries and faster coordination — both internally and externally. Old receipts, Excel lists, and various system views are now a thing of the past.
Learn more about our TRASER DMS 365
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Results and Conclusion
Peace of mind in daily operations
Technical interfaces to the web shop, manufacturers, or logistics partners run smoothly. With 500 employees and multiple locations, this makes a noticeable difference.
In the rental sector, TRASER Rental 365 provides significant relief. Rental equipment can be managed in a structured manner, availability is transparent, and billing is traceable. Processes that were previously organized in parallel or manually now run system-supported and uniformly.
Technically, things have also settled down. Interfaces with the web shop, manufacturers, and logistics partners are running smoothly. Performance issues or table locks are a thing of the past.
This means: fewer interruptions, less improvisation, and more focus on the actual business.
MaschinenParkOnline (MPO) also provides support for a group-wide overview of used machines. Sales and scheduling can access inventory information more quickly — without lengthy coordination processes.
In the workshop, the next step is TRASER Mobile Service 365. Capture service reports directly on-site, book times immediately, and eliminate duplicate data entry in the office. A digitized field service will result in additional time savings in the future.
In the rental sector, TRASER Rental 365 provides significant relief. Rental equipment can be managed in a structured manner, availability is transparent, and billing is traceable. Processes that were previously organized in parallel or manually now run system-supported and uniformly.
Technically, things have also settled down. Interfaces with the web shop, manufacturers, and logistics partners are running smoothly. Performance issues or table locks are a thing of the past.
This means: fewer interruptions, less improvisation, and more focus on the actual business.
MaschinenParkOnline (MPO) also provides support for a group-wide overview of used machines. Sales and scheduling can access inventory information more quickly — without lengthy coordination processes.
In the workshop, the next step is TRASER Mobile Service 365. Capture service reports directly on-site, book times immediately, and eliminate duplicate data entry in the office. A digitized field service will result in additional time savings in the future.
Results and Conclusion
High acceptance within the team
The modern interface makes it easier to train new employees. At the same time, the deliberate focus on standard processes reduces reliance on individual expertise. And it prevents the accumulation of hard-to-maintain custom solutions.
Significantly more stable interfaces
No more table locks
Noticeably better performance
Modern, intuitive user interface
Accurate service histories for each machine
Transparent tracking of rentals and used machines
Coherent overview of all processes
For GVS Agrar, TRASER Software was not just a solution provider, but a project partner. A partner who listens, thinks along with us, and takes responsibility — from the first workshop through to migration.
“And that’s exactly why the decision feels right. Not because everything is spectacularly different. But because TRASER Software understands the unique needs of the agricultural and construction equipment trade, allowing us to focus on our core business.”
Sina Angst
Project Manager ERP, GVS Agrar AG
Endless possibilities!
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