J.R. Watkins Strengthens Optimization With Infor CloudSuite

Infor, a provider of industry specific business applications built for the cloud, recently announced that J.R. Watkins has successfully implemented Infor CloudSuite™ Food & Beverage to enhance operations. J.R. Watkins is a natural product company that provides home care, personal care and gourmet products and needed to modernize its IT portfolio to optimize customer delivery, while maintaining quality management. By implementing Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage, the company was able to achieve a noticeable improvement in functionality and performance value. By upgrading from the existing on-premise enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to a cloud-based model, J.R. Watkins was able to enhance daily operation without sacrificing business continuity.

Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage created a direct path for enhancing the way customers are serviced and as a result, J.R. Watkins was able to deploy one month ahead of schedule, improve process performance, deliver greater functionality and reduce long-term expenses. The company is also lowering capital IT investments by utilizing Infor's strategic relationship with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to achieve a high quality, secure hosting environment that promotes a competitive total cost of ownership. Cloud-based hosting has also been advantageous for J.R.Watkins by allowing them to better allocate IT staff. Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage allows the company to resolve modification or patch based issues while foregoing server maintenance. As a result, the IT staff is able to refocus attention toward providing customer service and business continuity.  

Said Mike Edgett, industry & solution strategy director, Process Manufacturing at Infor, "Before upgrading to Infor CloudSuite, J.R. Watkins relied upon a heavily patched and modified ERP, which while capable, had become difficult to manage with age. By upgrading to a cloud-based solution, they are better able to improve certain processes while reducing the ongoing costs of an on-premise deployment."

To learn more about Infor CloudSuite and the J.R. Watkins case study, visit the Infor Newsroom.

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Read our 2015 Mid-Year Supplements. 

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and the Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group, these 12 page Supplement Guides provide valuable, independently researched information. Each Guide details software company information, identifies vertical markets, highlights functions and technology features, new developments to the software package, shows graphs of the user range, basic entry price point, sales channel (how and where the software is sold), along with company contact information. The Supplement Guides provide everything you need to know when beginning your software selection and evaluation process.

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Sunroc Building Materials Mines Epicor BisTrack For Profits

Sunroc Building Materials serves contractors, commercial builders, and retail clientele from nine locations in eastern Idaho and Utah. When Jeremy Hafen took the reigns as president and CEO in 2010, his priority was to garner the business intelligence that would allow the company to operate profitably in the new economic reality.

Says Hafen, “We put Epicor BisTrack in place to display our key metrics on dashboards that help us fine-tune operations,” says Hafen. “Having those dashboards has been very valuable.”

“Our margins went up three points within the first month after implementing Epicor BisTrack,” recalls Hafen. “We used Epicor BisTrack to introduce commissions and pricing programs that require complex computation. We never would have been able to do that with our previous system.”

With continued fine tuning, margins have risen almost four points from previous levels. However, equally impressive is the increase in sales revenue and market share. Sales have risen almost 20% over the prior year, and gross margin dollars are up over 30%.

Hafen credits a new commissions program enabled by Epicor BisTrack for helping increase sales and margins: “The sales reps have dashboards that show them up-to-the-minute calculations of committed sales in the month, by product group, and their estimated commission,” says Hafen. “They can see in real time exactly where they need to be to get those next hurdles. It has made a huge difference to the top and bottom lines.”

One of the other benefits of upgrading to Epicor BisTrack was being able to integrate more business software into a single platform. Epicor BisTrack integrated the functionality of 10 separate software packages the company had used previously, including reporting, dispatch, document imaging, CRM, and a customer portal. “We were able to fully eliminate and save licensing fees on some of them by consolidating it all into Epicor BisTrack,” elaborates Hafen.

To learn more about Epicor BisTrack and the Sunroc Building Materials case study, visit the Epicor Newsroom.

Epicor Software Corporation provides business software solutions to the manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industries. With more than 40 years of experience, Epicor has more than 20,000 customers in over 150 countries.

New Software Research Guides Available
Finding that you cannot keep up with all the changes in the latest software? Want to know how the software's features and functions can assist you? Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

Read our 2015 Mid-Year Supplements. 

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and the Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group, these 12 page Supplement Guides provide valuable, independently researched information. Each Guide details software company information, identifies vertical markets, highlights functions and technology features, new developments to the software package, shows graphs of the user range, basic entry price point, sales channel (how and where the software is sold), along with company contact information. The Supplement Guides provide everything you need to know when beginning your software selection and evaluation process.

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard.

  

Mayflex Makes Connections With IBS

British-based distributor Mayflex is a successful, privately-owned distributor with a respected name and a proven track record in partnering installers and integrators. Mayflex needed to find supply chain software for its complex distribution network and systems. The business had grown at such a rapid rate that it became necessary to consolidate all the old software into one new integrated solution.

The company also found it very difficult to trace financial transactions that originated from sales orders. Other problems included the lack of an integrated warehouse management system with links to radio-frequency bar code readers and the ability to cope with the company’s complex pricing and discount structures. The old software was unable to handle customer queries and supplier claims.

Mayflex evaluated six different software solutions before selecting the integrated supply chain software solution, IBS Enterprise. Since the initial implementation, state-of-the-art automated storage devices have been installed with interfaces to IBS Enterprise, providing a 100 percent automated pick and pack process. Sales orders are picked quickly, correctly and efficiently. Consignment stock warehouses are easier to maintain, and reconciliation of customer returns is streamlined. Credit control information such as customer status, transactions and payment details make the process of resolving customer debt more visible and easier to control. Financial postings derived from transactions within distribution can be traced back through to the original transaction, resulting in ease of reconciliation and/or investigation.

To read more and watch a video interview with Mayflex decision-makers, visit the IBS Case Studies webpage.


New Software Research Guides Available

Can not keep up with all the changes in the latest software? Want to know how the software's features and functions can assist you? Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

Read our 2015 Mid-Year Supplements. 

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and the Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group, these 12 page Supplement Guides provide valuable, independently researched information. Each Guide details software company information, identifies vertical markets, highlights functions and technology features, new developments to the software package, shows graphs of the user range, basic entry price point, sales channel (how and where the software is sold), along with company contact information. The Supplement Guides provide everything you need to know when beginning your software selection and evaluation process.

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard.

Eleys North America Navigates Manufacturing Complexity With I.B.I.S.

Elesys is a leader in the development and manufacturing of automotive safety electronic controls and committed to delivering the highest quality products while simultaneously improving the company’s performance.

Elesys North America was operating on an outdated version of SAP that exposed them to numerous business risks and limitations. Elesys’ goal in implementing a new solution was not just to replace the old system but to focus on implementing a solution that could help drive significant business improvement, improve user efficiency, increase automation, improve quality, and improve customer responsiveness.

I.B.I.S. and the Microsoft team suggested Dynamics® AX as the clear leader in helping Elesys accomplish their goals with a new system. Elesys was confident that I.B.I.S. is the premier partner for implementing AX in complex manufacturing environments like theirs. “The I.B.I.S. team is made up of manufacturing experts. They really knew our business and helped us achieve our goals with the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics® AX. We have a scalable, supported solution and a true partner in I.B.I.S.,” said Mike Price, Vice President of Administration at Elesys North America

As a result of the implementation the follow benefits were realized:
◾Improved user efficiency.
◾Process Automation.
◾Higher Quality Products.
◾Improved Customer Responsiveness.

To read more about I.B.I.S. and their solution for the manufacturing and distribution sectors, visit the I.B.I.S. Client Success blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace 2015-16 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

Click to download the: 2015 Distribution Software Guide

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Singapore-based Budget Airline Fuels Business Growth with NetSuite

NetSuite Inc. a leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP and omnichannel software suites, recently announced that Scoot, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, has deployed NetSuite as its core financial management platform in a two-tier ERP model aligned with an on-premise SAP ERP application in place at the parent Singapore Airlines.

Since the implementation, NetSuite has supported Scoot in its network growth across Asia and Australia, enabling Scoot to attain cost-efficiencies and speed to market. Business agility through NetSuite has been critical in helping Scoot drive its exponential business growth while expanding its network across 15 destinations in China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

NetSuite gives Scoot a versatile platform for efficient end-to-end financial processes, including vendor payments, revenue reporting and fixed asset management with automated depreciation covering its fleet of Boeing Dreamliners worth well over 2 billion Singapore dollars. Multi-currency capabilities in the NetSuite International Edition enable Scoot to book revenue and costs in between 10 to 15 currencies, most often in Chinese Renminbi, Japanese Yen, Australian Dollar, Korean Won and the United States Dollar. Automated vendor payment processes help to save nearly one-third of full-time resources at Scoot's business process outsourcing (BPO) partner, while on-demand reporting capability provides management with an instant access to key business metrics to drive the business.

NetSuite has enabled additional benefits for Scoot, including: personnel savings, ease of use, and extensibility for growth.

To read more, and learn about upcoming webinars and other events, visit the NetSuite Press Room.

The Brown Smith Wallace 2015-16 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

Click to download the: 2015 Distribution Software Guide

Click to download the:  2015 Manufacturing Software Guide

 

To copy and paste into a browser, use the following:

 

2015 Distribution Software Guide: 

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2015 Manufacturing Software Guide: 

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VAI S2K Enterprise for Food Enhances Inventory Management For Dietz & Watson

VAI, an independent mid-market ERP software developer for the distribution, manufacturing, specialty retail and service sectors recently announced that Dietz & Watson, Inc. has selected its S2K Enterprise for Food software to improve inventory management and manufacturing processes, and gain deeper business insights with analytics.

Founded in 1939, Dietz & Watson is one of the largest preparers of premium deli meats and artisan cheeses, offering more than 1200 products to supermarkets and delis throughout the world. Dietz & Watson needed to eliminate manual processes associated with capturing product data from the shop floor and sought a fully integrated ERP system to provide more precise and timely information to allow them to make more prudent decisions.

As an IBM Premium Business Partner, VAI’s S2K Enterprise for Food software was selected as the best solution. As a result of the implementation, Dietz & Watson will leverage the following S2K Enterprise for Food modules: Analytics, CRM, Distribution, Financials, Mobile, Manufacturing, Portal, and WMS. Through S2K Analytics, the company will be able to provide its sales force with quick, accurate, and visually appealing data that drills down into the needed details. This includes information such as who buys on promotion vs. normal pricing, which proteins are driving sales or causing them to lag and how are they trending, how various regions performing, and the impact of advertising campaigns with newspapers, media, and television.

To read more, and learn about upcoming webinars and other events, visit the VAI Newsroom.

The Brown Smith Wallace 2015-16 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

Click to download the: 2015 Distribution Software Guide

Click to download the:  2015 Manufacturing Software Guide

 

To copy and paste into a browser, use the following:

 

2015 Distribution Software Guide: 

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2015 Manufacturing Software Guide: 

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Vikingbad Selects Blue Ridge Cloud Supply Chain Planning & Analytics To Accelerate Growth

Norwegian bathroom equipment wholesaler Vikingbad recently announced that it has implemented Blue Ridge Cloud Supply Chain Planning and Analytics solution to accelerate growth and increase cash flow.

From 2010 to 2013, Vikingbad more than doubled its annual turnover, and in the Asia-Pacific region are among the preferred brands for total bathroom solutions. Because of their rapid growth, Vikingbad needed a solution to support their ambitious goals without the limitations of traditional supply chain software. Specifically, the company wanted a cloud-native platform with highly accurate demand planning and forecasting to effectively plan their global supply chain with precise supply plans and replenishment.

Blue Ridge was selected for its cloud-native platform with highly accurate demand planning and forecasting abilities to effectively plan global supply chain with precise supply plans and replenishment.

Vikingbad saw planning and optimizing the warehouse capacity as key to the overall performance success. “The detailed plan in Supply Chain Planning combined with Analytic’s easy-to-grasp visualization of the inbound flows, will help us gain a deeper understanding of the supply chain plan. This will allow us to prepare for peak inbound volumes and take proactive action well ahead in time,” stated Kristian Schlanbuch, Vikingbad Founder and COO.

To read more about the implementation and learn about Blue Ridge's supply chain solutions, visit the Blue Ridge Newsroom.

The Brown Smith Wallace 2015-16 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

Click to download the: 2015 Distribution Software Guide

Click to download the:  2015 Manufacturing Software Guide

 

To copy and paste into a browser, use the following:

 

2015 Distribution Software Guide: 

http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2015_Interactive_Distribution_Guide.swf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2015DSG

 

2015 Manufacturing Software Guide: 

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