Avion Technologies Improves Data Access With Shoptech

Avion Technologies makes complex gears for several different industries. In 2019, they decided that it was time to upgrade to Avion's cloud-based E2 SHOP. There were a few different factors that went into that decision, including concerns about server stability and security.  Once they made the decision, the implementation was quick and easy. As Mark Bathurst, Vice President of Operations, said, “It actually went very, very smoothly. We did it over the weekend here. I was surprised at how seamless it was.” 

The implementation started on a Friday and by Monday everything was ready for training on the new software. All data was preserved through the transition. Mark remembered after their implementation, “Once that was done, our custom database came in with no problem at all. All the history was there. We didn’t lose anything.” Keeping all of their data was crucial to be able to keep their shop running smoothly after implementation. They found that training everyone on the software was fairly easy as well. 

Now that they’re using their software daily, Avion Technologies loves it. They’ve found that it’s very easy to use and learn, but they’re also getting important things, like reports, done much more quickly. As Mark shared, “I can get my reports a lot faster now, out of the system.” Getting those reports quickly, with current and correct information, means Mark can make decisions quickly and confidently, and move onto the next thing. Mark isn’t alone in loving their new software, either. As he said, “I’m very happy with the program. A lot of people here are as well.” Avion Technologies knows their shop will have great ERP software to support their shop now and in the future. Having that stability allows them to plan new things and continue to grow their shop with confidence. 

The learn more, visit the Shoptech Newsroom.

For the 2020 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2020_Distribution_Manufacturing_Software_Guide_Interactive.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2020Guide

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Vertical Markets Matrix, visit http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx.

Also, read our 2019 Mid-Year Supplements at http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2019_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2019Supp.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, 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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LightStyles Selects Savance to Streamline Business Operations

LightStyles, a lighting distributor and showroom located in Cornelius, North Carolina, selected Savance Enterprise’s ERP Software to help the business prepare for growth. Skip Hulett, Owner of LightStyles says “Selecting an ERP is a massive decision, but since making it, I have never second-guessed myself with that with the decision to move forward with Savance Enterprise ERP Software.” Skip — who has been the Owner of LightStyles for the past six years — says one of the most important factors driving his decision was Savance’s knowledge of the industry and commitment to doing business the way LightStyles does business. “Savance listened to our feedback and our business needs and customized the areas of the software we needed,” explains Skip.

With its new Savance Enterprise ERP System, LightStyles will be able to streamline processes, gain better control of warehouse operations, improve accuracy, and capitalize on fast order entry to meet the demands of an aggressive growth trajectory. In addition, LightStyles will enhance its content by utilizing XO Logic to integrate with the new ERP platform. This powerful combination gives the lighting distributor the ability to showcase rich product data and industry-specific information to feed sales orders and quotes, eCommerce, and professional proposals.

“Savance’s vast experience in the electrical distribution industry parlayed well into what we need as a lighting distributor. On top of that, their pre-implementation support and follow-through have been outstanding,” says Skip. “There is no doubt they are knowledgeable at what they do. For me personally, being able to continue to interact with the same person who sold us the solution, is also meaningful and beneficial. We know what it takes to build strong relationships and I believe that Savance values their customers the same way, all the way through the process from beginning to end.” 

To learn more, visit the Savance Newsroom. 

For the 2020 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2020_Distribution_Manufacturing_Software_Guide_Interactive.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2020Guide

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Vertical Markets Matrix, visit http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx.

Also, read our 2019 Mid-Year Supplements at http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2019_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2019Supp.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, 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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Empire Candle Manages Rapid Growth With Sage

For over 60 years, Empire Candle has been a full service manufacturer of candles, wax melts, and home fragrance accessories. The Kansas-based business welcomed growth, but it brought many challenges. Expansion led to challenges in manufacturing processes related to inventory and production control. Raw materials were left in the warehouse unused for years, while the company struggled to determine the necessary supplies to meet demands. 

"Our inventory variances were detrimental to the profitability of the business. And it wasn’t like product was evaporating. We weren’t losing raw materials," said Austin Matthis, Empire's IT Director. 

Through the investment and implementation of Sage X3, Empire Candle changed the way it operates. Through improved processes, the company has transformed inventory management and streamlined operations, from the point of order through to delivery. As a result of the implementation, Empire Candle has grown over 300%, including a 30% reduction in unproductive labor and the consolidation of an entire warehouse facility footprint. Through these performance increases, Empire Candle is saving around $400,0000 per year.

Says Robert Turtledove President and CEO, "The right systems don’t just make IT better or technology better. They make the company better. This is the central nervous system of the company. That’s what a professionally managed system like Sage Business Cloud provides us with." 

Learn more by visiting the Sage Newsroom.

 

For the 2020 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2020_Distribution_Manufacturing_Software_Guide_Interactive.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2020Guide

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Vertical Markets Matrix, visit http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx.

Also, read our 2019 Mid-Year Supplements at http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2019_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2019Supp.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, 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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BAT Industrial Products Increases Sales With Phocas

BAT Industrial Products manufactures, imports and distributes industrial, hydraulic hose, valves and fittings for mining, agriculture, irrigation, transport, food processing and other industries. The Blacktown, Australia company serves more than 60 distributors across the nation with some 25,000 line items focused on the safe and efficient transfer and control of air, water, gas, food, fumes, chemical and petro chemical products. 

With such a vast network of distributors and a large catalog of products, keeping track of customers’ buying habits is critical for this medium-sized business. Recently, BAT recognized that it was losing a percentage of its customer base, particularly across specific categories. The company was using a business intelligence tool for reporting, but it was not user friendly and the process of producing report to find out when and where customers were dropping off was a long and arduous task. 

“Customers typically don’t tell you when they start to purchase from another supplier,” said Scott Hudson, Managing Director at BAT Industrial Products. “You need to be able to find out for yourself, to ask the right questions and find what areas need improving. If you don’t know that, then it may be too late. If you’re not on the ball, customers will spread out their purchases into the market and cut out categories all together.” 

This was the situation for BAT when they decided to deploy Phocas Business Intelligence. While the company has only been using Phocas for a short period of time, the impact has been quickly felt, particularly with the sales reps.

Hudson uses Phocas during BAT’s Friday meetings to understand the company’s status with customers. BAT also has a large TV screen on the company’s main floor, which displays a Phocas Dashboard with sales for the day compared to last year; top 10 customers compared to prior year; and customers won, lost and dropping off. Hudson recognizes that there is a lot more than can be done with Phocas, from accounts dashboards and CRM activity to inventory management and purchasing. He also believes that Phocas will help the company generate more business. “We have already started to target categories that are down, and our sales reps are starting to ask why,” said Hudson. “Phocas is still new to us, but our sales reps are using it every day, and we are using our data to improve sales.”

Learn more at the Phocas Newsroom. 

For the 2020 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2020_Distribution_Manufacturing_Software_Guide_Interactive.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2020Guide

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Vertical Markets Matrix, visit http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx.

Also, read our 2019 Mid-Year Supplements at http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2019_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2019Supp.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, 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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Easy Living Home Elevators Increases Sales With NetSuite

As one of Australia's most trusted providers of home elevators, Easy Living has grown into a complex operation over the past 22 years, comprising six separate businesses, four offices and over 100 staff members. Easy Living's finance team had to manually input data from each business entity in each state, making monthly reporting time consuming and prone to error. 

Easy Living chose NetSuite’s cloud ERP because it wanted instant access to reports, an automated inventory management system and it wanted to free up time for value-added tasks, relieving the pressure on its finance team.  

The business went live with NetSuite in April 2020. Having followed established ERP implementation best practices, CEO and founder Robert Pizzie is now able to look back and identify some of the key reasons the ERP implementation plan went so well. 

“Definitely put the time into producing a specification document, which makes sure that it sets the goals of what you want to achieve in the system,” he said.  “We found that really, really important and so glad we took the time to produce that.”

The business is already seeing tangible benefits, with month-end reporting taking just six days—down from two weeks—freeing up more time for the CFO and finance team to focus on innovation and expansion.

"With NetSuite, it's just been seamless," Pizzie said. “The fact that we are now in a position where we can grow and scale the business is amazing.” 

Read more on the NetSuite blog.

For the 2020 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2020_Distribution_Manufacturing_Software_Guide_Interactive.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2020Guide

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Vertical Markets Matrix, visit http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx.

Also, read our 2019 Mid-Year Supplements at http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2019_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2019Supp.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, 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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Pod Pack Doubles Volume of Business with IQMS

Established in 1996, Pod Pack partners with roasters, distributors, and brokers to identify and provide solutions in the single-serve beverage market. From its start in a 400-square-foot facility located in New Orleans, Pod Pack has expanded to operate in 45,000 square feet in Baton Rouge. 

At the time, the manufacturer relied on fully manual processes to manage its operations, but it soon became clear that this strategy would not scale to meet the company’s future plans. A review of enterprise resource planning ERP solutions led Pod Pack to select the DELMIAWORKS (formerly IQMS) manufacturing ERP system. The DELMIAWORKS manufacturing ERP system provides Pod Pack the real-time insights and automated processes required to ensure quality and compliance, maximize productivity, and provide a superior customer experience.

Because Pod Pack serves the food and beverage (F&B) industry, quality and regulatory compliance are top priorities. The manufacturer is Safe Quality Food (SQF) certified, kosher certified, and participates in regular U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews. Beyond following regulatory rules and opening up to audits from government agencies, Pod Pack also has to comply with requirements and audits from customers.

The traceability features that help Pod Pack manage regulatory audits also helps it to manage inventory. The manufacturer handles consignment products where customers give Pod Pack their coffee and entrust the company to process it correctly. Using DELMIAWORKS, everything that comes in the door gets a label and barcode, which is tracked like a license plate throughout the facility. As a result, Pod Pack managers can tell a customer where anything is within the facility at any time.

“When we tracked inventory using Excel spreadsheets, it would take weeks to reconcile each and every month,” recalled Marion Gray, Pod Pack CFO. “Now we can tell you down to the last hour what's in our inventory, and watch all that inventory movement. It's just light years ahead of where we were before, and it is so much easier to manage what we do day in, day out.”

Return on Investment:

• Doubled the volume of business without doubling headcount
• Recall and traceability reports are generated in minutes
• Hourly inventory updates
• Financial closings reduced from 25 days to 3 days
• Weekly reports on manufacturing production has improved employee performance.

To learn more, visit https://www.iqms.com/erp-success/food-manufacturing-erp-case-study-pod-pack

For the 2020 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2020_Distribution_Manufacturing_Software_Guide_Interactive.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2020Guide

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Vertical Markets Matrix, visit http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx.

Also, read our 2019 Mid-Year Supplements at http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2019_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2019Supp.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, 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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Reyes Beverage Group Streamlines Logistics With Episerver

Headquartered in Chicago and operating out of 23 warehouses across the United States, Reyes Beverage Group provides wholesale distribution of a large assortment of beers including  brands such as Heineken, Corona Extra and Coors Light.

Reyes needed to modernize their customer ordering platform. This consisted of making it easier for wholesale customers to get what they need with increased self-sufficiency. While an existing system was in place, customers tended to go around the portal and call on Account Managers directly.

Reyes Beverage Group chose Episerver to support their ambitions; the Episerver Digital Experience Cloud enables Reyes the ability to scale and support the marketing team through its ease of use.

Episerver integrated RBG’s back office systems directly into the new system to enable more control over pricing and inventory, providing 360-degree coverage on the backend ordering process. The capabilities of the Episerver Digital Experience Cloud have allowed Reyes' 70,000 retail accounts access to the most efficient means to create orders and monitor their accounts.

Deploying Episerver Commerce led to an 18% increase in portal usership. This is complemented by a 28% increase in product pages views, indicating stronger than previous engagement and interaction. By deploying the Episerver Digital Experience Cloud, Reyes has encountered a 7% increase in internal site search usage.

With its updated digital infrastructure, Reyes will continue personalizing the buying experience for customers. Using more complex personalization will allow for real-time upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

An area of future focus will be to expand its multilingual offering – adding an even more personalized experience to customers as they expand their territories. Live chat and voice enablement are also in Reyes’ future plans to enhance the customer experience.

Learn more on the Episerve website. 

For the 2020 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2020_Distribution_Manufacturing_Software_Guide_Interactive.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2020Guide

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Vertical Markets Matrix, visit http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx.

Also, read our 2019 Mid-Year Supplements at http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2019_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2019Supp.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, 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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