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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Phocas Delivers Results For Universal Supply Group

Universal Supply Group, a distributor of heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment (HVAC), parts and accessories, climate control systems and high-end plumbing supplies was looking for a robust business intelligence tool to work with Eclipse, their core business system. The company chose Phocas, a simple, results driven, Business Intelligence software that helps customers to analyze huge volumes of data to make better, more informed decisions that drive efficiency and increased profitability.

As a 16-branch distributor with over 180,000 products and 40,000 plus customers, implementing Phocas allowed the company to identify problems and opportunities in a new way almost instantly. The first change Universal saw was that Phocas was able to re-evaluate customer level pricing by analyzing the mass of data stored in the Eclipse system. The end result was to gain an extra 2% in profit margin for numerous customers. For inventory management, Phocas provided information for weeding out excess inventory, setting price tiers and gaining greater margin on slower moving products.

To learn more about Phocas and the Universal Supply Chain case study, visit the Phocas website.

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Demand Management Incorporates “Always-On” Communication for Supply Chain

Demand Management, a leading global resource for supply chain management solutions, has recently announced the addition of social supply chain functionality to its Demand Solutions supply chain planning platform. The technology is designed to help manufacturers and distributors shave cycle times off such core activities as sales and operations planning.

As supply chains become increasingly global, companies often struggle to keep all stakeholders informed of the latest changes to a forecast. Demand Solutions’ Social™ Supply Chain solution – based on the popular Yammer enterprise social network – allows stakeholders to exchange information in an intuitive environment that many people are already accustomed to using on their mobile devices even during off-hours. And because the Yammer platform can automatically translate messages into 28 languages, stakeholders can easily communicate with partners in the far corners of the globe.

Demand Solutions customers include Lonely Planet, Trek Bicycle and Avery Dennison. Demand Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of Logility, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Software (NASDAQ: AMSWA).

To learn more about Social Supply Chain, visit the Demand Management website.

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Friday, July 26, 2013

Attending the PTDA Industry Summit?

Join us at the PTDA Industry Summit, October 3-5, 2013 at the J.W. Marriott Desert Springs, in Palm Desert, California.

This is a leading event for the year with more than 550 delegates—including the industry’s top executives representing 240 companies. In addition to being a cost-efficient and powerful connection hub, the emphasis on current events and economic trends can provide you with the net you need to be more secure in your plans for your business moving into 2014 and beyond.

Highlights of the Industry Summit include:
• A who’s who of C-suite level attendees from leading distribution and manufacturing companies
• Educational workshops on industry issues with respected industry experts
• Peer networking forums for distributors and manufacturers
• One-on-one meetings with current and potential business partners as part of the Manufacturer-Distributor Idea Exchange (MD-IDEX)
• Informal networking at enjoyable social events
• Optional golf outing benefiting the PTDA Foundation

Learn more and register at the PTDA website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.



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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Cash-Wa Distributing Chooses Trackmax's INSIGHT Business Intelligence Software

Trackmax Solutions, a leader in Profit Optimization Software Solutions for the foodservice industry, recently announced that Cash-Wa Distributing has chosen the company's INSIGHT Business Intelligence profit analytics and management software system to help them increase their sales, profits and market share.

Cash-Wa Distributing is the 20th largest Broadline Foodservice Distributor in the nation. With an inventory of over 20,000 SKUs, they distribute in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado and are affiliated with UniPro. Cash-Wa’s customer base includes retail discounters, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, health care facilities, schools, and restaurants.

The INSIGHT software tool is focused on profitability intelligence and management. It provides management in-depth visibility and multi-metric insight into what drives profit. In addition, its account penetration module identifies the best new revenue opportunities to pursue.

To read more, visit the Trackmax Solution news blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

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Monday, July 22, 2013

Distribution Software Improves Forecasting And Collaboration

Using distribution software, such as a customer relationship management (CRM) system, can lead to more successful forecasting and collaboration.

According to a recent article on the Supply and Demand Chain Executive blog, nearly half of all distributors are still using manual processes to forecast, plan and collaborate. That method often causes redundancies and a loss in efficiency. Automation is the best way to eliminate those issues. The job of a wholesale distributor is to have the right product in the right place at the right time. The planning process for distributors has to do with finding out from their customers what they’re going to need and, even better, how much they’re going to need.

The article also offers other suggestions to help with the automation process. Read more on the Advanced Distribution Software website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

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Friday, July 19, 2013

Epicor iScala 3.0 Now Available

Epicor recently announced the latest release of Epicor iScala (version 3.0) enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, featuring integration to the Epicor ICE business architecture delivering next-generation technologies and best-in-class applications that extend the power of the solution across business organizations.

Epicor iScala 3.0 represents major enhancements to the entire suite of products to help keep your company on course, and continues to focus on global business capabilities to address the specific needs of our worldwide customers.

Epicor iScala 3.0 Highlights Include:
·Improved performance, scalability and stability
·Support for the latest technology platforms
·Enhanced business insight using Multi-level Snap Searches to create user-definable drill-down queries
·Increased efficiency through user-definable fast order entry and planning screens
·Integration to the Epicor ICE platform delivering access to innovative solutions such as Dashboards, Business Activity Queries (BAQs) and Enterprise Search
·Extended support for SEPA
·And many more!
 
To learn more about iScala 3.0 and other products, visit the Epicor website.
 
 The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Success Story: Precise Manufacturing and M1 from ECi Software

Despite the challenges of a persistently weak economy and fierce competition, both domestically and from overseas, Precise Manufacturing doubled revenues over the past five years, increased sales to existing accounts, and acquired a nearby competitor to significantly broaden both its custom machining capabilities and its customer and vendor base.

Precise converted to ECi's M1 in 2009 and the implementation brought a whole new level of productivity and efficiency to the business. “With our old system, renewing quotes or making minor changes was a painful process,” said president and owner, John Whitcraft. “M1 does all that really easy and gives us the ability to take a quote to market much faster.”

Customer service at Precise also benefitted from the move to M1 as it allowed for immediate answers to questions as has financial management. Says Whitcraft, “With M1, we can complete a monthly financial close literally within just one or two days after the last day of the month. And because M1 uses an SQL database instead of a proprietary system, exporting data into Crystal Reports or Excel is so much easier.”

To learn more about the Precise Manufacturing case study, visit the ECi M1 website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.






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Monday, July 15, 2013

Join Us For the EPTDA Annual Convention!

Join the Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group and over 350 distributors and manufacturers at Europe's leading PT/MC event for the industry's key-decision makers!

EPTDA’s annual conventions are highly acclaimed by PT/MC professionals as being a leading event in the industry, providing unparalleled time- and cost-saving solutions for expanding business networks and enhancing knowledge.
This professional industry summit is hosted annually, generally at the end of September, and is open to both members and non-members. It offers supreme, tangible benefits, including:
  • A premier connection hub for global PT/MC distributors and manufacturers
  • The only executive networking event gathering over 300 PT/MC key decision-makers in one place at one time
  • Powerful and cost-efficient B2B meeting platform for distributors and manufacturers
  • Inspiring, leading-edge educational programme featuring prominent business leaders as keynote speakers
  • Exclusive local company visits – real-life business examples of forward-thinking strategies
  • Extensive opportunities to discuss business issues, best practices and innovative ideas both formally and informally
  • An enticing social programme for partners and spouses
  • The opportunity to meet in one of the most sought-after destinations in the world
EPTDA’s next annual convention will take place on 18-20 September 2013 in Venice, Italy, and will celebrate the Association's 15th Anniversary

Learn more and register online at the EPTDA's website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.

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Friday, July 12, 2013

Why You Need Lot Tracking for Inventory

In a number of industries, regulating agencies such as the FDA, CFIA, and ISO are now mandating that products be lot-tracked from the time they are received until the time they are delivered to the customer.

In the Food Industry, there is a huge push to force all Food Manufacturers and Food Distributors to be able to lot track the products they distribute. With the signing of the Food Safety Modernization Act by President Obama in January of 2011, the FDA now has far more authority than ever to force these requirements. In the event of a product recall it is the responsibility of all Distributors and Manufacturers to inform their customers that they may have been shipped potentially harmful products. The information provided should indicate what products and lot numbers of the products need to be removed and the appropriate action to be taken.

For many years, lot tracking inventory has not just been good company practice but now Lot Traceability is like having life insurance. You buy it but you hope that you never have to use it.

To read more and learn about the importance of have software automatically manage Lot Tracking for you, visit the Blue Link website.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Mid-Sized Manufacturer Gains Productivity With Acumatica

AME Corporation is a mid-sized manufacturer specializing in rubber and plastic components and sealing solutions. The company wanted a user-friendly ERP to enable it to bring all its business information and processes online in a secure environment, and selected Acumatica 4.0 as the best fit for their needs.

Challenges faced during the implementation included:
•the need to move all business processes to the cloud, so that worldwide staff can easily access information and collaborate
•the need to integrate with company’s online content sharing platform, Box
•the need to realize maximum productivity
•wanting to progress toward fully green, paperless environment

The solution resulted in AME utilizing:
•Acumatica 4.0 Distribution Management Suite
•Automated inventory replenishment suggestions
•Acumatica 4.0 Customer Management Suite
•Acumatic-Box integration
•Acumatica Studio
•Acumatica 4.0 Financial Management Suite

To read more about the case study and download the whitepaper, visit the Acumatica website.

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Monday, July 8, 2013

Infor Distribution Grows More Than 120 Percent in Three Years

As reported in The Wall Street Journal Online, Infor, a leading provider of business application software serving more than 70,000 customers, recently announced that its distribution business unit has experienced more than 120 percent license growth since the close of Infor's 2010 fiscal year. Infor customers include: -- 19 of the top 20 aerospace companies -- 12 of the top 13 high tech companies -- 10 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies -- 84 of the top 100 automotive suppliers -- 23 of the top 50 largest US public hospitals -- 31 of the top 50 industrial distributors -- 26 of the top 35 global retailers -- and 5 of the top 9 brewers

By engaging with customers and incorporating feedback, Infor has continued to invest in its distribution products to deliver solutions that address challenges faced in today's shifting landscape. "We've held a number of multi-day industry council meetings over the last 18 months to take a deeper look at certain distribution micro-verticals. By ensuring that our team understands the evolving complexities of the industry, we can view our solutions through the eyes of the distributor to determine where enhancements can be made," said Andy Berry, general manager and vice president, Distribution, Infor. "Our goal is to invest in solutions that provide greater value and profit potential to our customers."

Net new customers now comprise a substantial portion of the Infor Distribution customer base thanks to momentum behind sales of leading solutions like Infor Distribution FACTS and Infor Distribution SX.e. Each customer brings a new perspective and list of requirements to light when joining the Infor community, enabling continued innovation and ongoing improvements to both solutions and the company as a whole. In addition, existing customers have demonstrated their belief in Infor's innovation strategy by becoming early adopters and advocates for some of the newest solutions available. Examples include C.H. Briggs integration of Inforce to Infor Distribution A+ through ION, State Electric's roll out of Infor Road Warrior and IDG's adoption of the Storeroom solution. "It's not only the products, but the stability and excellence found in our executive and management teams and incorporation of new talent that is inspiring new customers and retaining existing customers," said Lisa Russell, director of industry marketing, Distribution, Infor. "With industry experts and advocates like Andy Berry, Brian Lombardo and Joe Bennett, businesses know that they are working with professionals who have a passion for wholesale distribution and understand their industry through years of personal experience."

To learn more about Infor, please visit www.infor.com.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

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Friday, July 5, 2013

eCommerce and the Supply Chain Management plan

A recent article in Industrial Supply magazine reports that e-commerce first arrived on the distribution scene in the late 1990s, yet only 25 to 35 percent of distributors have an e-commerce capability today. E-commerce is a useful tool, as it allows consumers to make purchases anytime, anyplace, among other advantages.

Wholesale distributors have some choices if they want to use e-commerce as part of their supply chain management strategy, one of which is to just make it a service for their existing customers. That way, customers can order 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the website. That can be done very crisply with the right distribution software. ERP software is well-suited to seamless e-commerce and can be purchased by the distributor. One strategy is for distributors is to buy, rent or lease the best available interface that they can afford, one that works seamlessly with their distribution software.

To read more of the article, visit the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Is Manufacturing Behind In Embracing Enterprise Mobility?

In a recent article on the IFS blog, Antony Bourne, Global Manufacturing Industry Director discusses the myth that mobility is not suited to manufacturers, and offers two reasons why manufacturers are not tracking the mobility trend.

In his assessment the two main reason as a lack of proven case studies and how technology trends are outpacing the infrastructure of the average shop floor. Bourne asserts that the key thing about mobility is that, when used correctly, it increases productivity, which in turn supports the business to be able to react more quickly to any unforeseen changes.

Visit the IFS website to read the full article and download a free mobility whitepaper.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.



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Monday, July 1, 2013

Save the Date for Microsoft Dynamics iSight 2013!

Want to continue to increase your knowledge in Microsoft Dynamics? iSight is the annual conference that offers the latest information in Microsoft Dynamics, including product tips, tricks, strategies, presentations, speakers, and more!

A few reasons you don’t want to miss out:
•Keynote session with Kraig Kramers
•Expand your Microsoft Dynamics knowledge
 •Stay on top of the latest information within the Microsoft Dynamics world
•Participate, ask questions and learn solutions
•Network with professionals, users and peers within the dynamics community
 •Registration: $0 = FREE!!

Two dates and two locations this fall:
Atlanta, GA – Georgia Aquarium 8:30am-4:30pm – Tuesday, September 17, 2013 and Charlotte, NC – Location TBD 8:30am-4:30pm – Wednesday, September 18, 2013.

Register online with I.B.I.S. to receive more information.

The Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides for 2013 are currently available.

You can download each one directly, or visit our main website to request a copy. Please follow the links below.



You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

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