Summertown - Case study

Summertown Publishing has invested in the integrated, multi-currency AVATAR distribution accounting system

In just a few years, Summertown Publishing has made a name for itself in the specialised field of English Language Teaching. This rapidly-expanding company ordered the AVATAR distribution accounting system from accountancy firm Littlejohn to help manage its growth.

Summertown was set up in 1998 by entrepreneur and former bookseller Louis Garnade – a Dutchman who has spent most of his life in England and is passionate about creating ‘scintillating materials’ that are sold all over the world, from China to South America.

His company invested in several of the modules that make up the AVATAR solution: sales, purchase and nominal ledgers; sales order processing; stock control; and royalties. The fully integrated system went live in September 2002 – just in time to support another period of rapid growth, as Summertown doubled its list during 2002.

The publisher took a year to find the right partner and product. According to Louis Garnade, both Littlejohn and AVATAR were always more impressive than their competitors. He explains: “The people at Littlejohn were much more switched on to our needs than the other companies we considered. Each time we thought of new functions that we might need, we found that AVATAR could already do them – and do them extremely well.”

Summertown’s worldwide operation meant that the multi-currency support in AVATAR was a top priority. “AVATAR is very flexible in how it prices titles, so it allows us to present invoices in ways that comply with different countries’ rules and regulations,” says Financial Controller, Dominic Allan. “It gives us the freedom we need to respond to our customers’ requests.”

Dominic Allan continues: “Overall, AVATAR gives us very strong analysis, reporting and accounting, and the integration between all the modules will allow our managers to see the full picture, instead of having to move between different systems.”

Summertown Publishing also benefits from AVATAR Royalties, a fully integrated module not readily found elsewhere in the market. The company expects to continue building up its AVATAR system in line with future growth, and the next module to be introduced is likely to be Contact Management.

“We are making a name for ourselves in a highly specialised area, and we wanted an accountancy package that was equally specialised. AVATAR is ideal for our needs,” says Louis Garnade. “It’s also very exciting to work with people like Littlejohn who are on our wavelength.”

-ends-

For more information, please contact:

Littlejohn	Ian Singer	Tel: 020 7987 5030
Summertown Publishing	Louis Garnade	Tel: 01865 454130

Note to editors:

Littlejohn is an independent firm of chartered accountants and business advisers. From our base at Canary Wharf in London’s Docklands, we serve a wide range of business and private clients. And through our independent membership of Polaris International, the accountancy firm network, we are represented across the world.

Established in 1875, Littlejohn is one of the UK’s top 30 chartered accountants with a reputation for developing strong partnerships with clients. Continual investment in professional and technical resources allows the firm to combine high quality with cost efficiency in its service delivery.

AVATAR was first introduced in 1994 and, since then, has continued to benefit from enhancements and developments that are driven by actual customer needs.