Charity / Non-Profit

Tools to Reach a Million Children

How ERP Experts transformed the operations of a volunteer-driven charity aiming to deliver a million brand new coats to children living in poverty across the UK.

Company

Coats4Kids

Users

Volunteer-driven

System Replaced

Poorly implemented NetSuite

Product

NetSuite

1M

Mission

coats target

2021

Founded

by Rotarians

4.2M

Children In Need

across the UK

Watch the story

See the Coats4Kids mission in action

A short video from Coats4Kids showing why operational clarity matters when every coat represents warmth, dignity, and hope for a child.

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Every child deserves warmth, dignity, and hope

Almost 1 in every 3 UK primary school children lives in poverty - over 4.2 million children in need, with more than 1 million in dire need. Many have never owned anything brand new. Coats4Kids was founded in 2021 by Rotarians with an ambitious mission: to deliver one million brand new winter coats to primary-aged children from disadvantaged families. But as the charity grew from a Rotary project into an independent registered charity in 2023, their operations needed to keep pace with their ambition.

"ERP Experts didn't just fix our system. They gave us the tools to scale and make an even bigger impact. If you are using NetSuite without them, you are missing out."

Peter Borner

CEO, Coats4Kids

The Journey

From challenge to impact

1

A System That Wasn't Working

Coats4Kids' NetSuite system had been implemented without a real understanding of how a volunteer-driven charity operates. The result was workarounds, manual processes, and limited visibility over donations, inventory, and distribution logistics. For a charity managing coat donations from individuals, Rotary Clubs, corporate partners, and other charitable organisations, the system needed to be seamless - not a barrier.

2

Understanding the Mission First

ERP Experts took the time to understand what makes Coats4Kids different. This isn't a traditional business - it's a volunteer-driven operation where every coat represents warmth, dignity, and hope for a child who might never have owned anything brand new. Before changing a single configuration, ERP Experts mapped out the charity's workflows and identified exactly where the system was falling short.

3

Building for a Million Coats

With a clear picture of the challenges, ERP Experts redesigned Coats4Kids' NetSuite environment to support the charity's ambitious goal of reaching a million children. Donation tracking, inventory management, and distribution logistics were streamlined. Reporting was transformed, giving the leadership team real-time insight into their impact.

4

Tools to Scale the Impact

The real transformation wasn't just fixing what was broken - it was building a platform for growth. As Coats4Kids expands its reach across the UK, partnering with more Rotary Clubs, businesses, and charitable organisations, their NetSuite system now scales with them. ERP Experts didn't just solve today's problems; they built for tomorrow's ambitions.