Wholesale Distributor RJ Schinner Leverages Data With MITS

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, RJ Schinner has been in business for over 50 years and has 8 locations across the Midwest, from the Dakotas to Texas. RJ Schinner operates as a redistribution specialist, or as Jerry Boughner, RJ Schinner’s CIO puts it, a ‘wholesaler to wholesalers’. Their business model consists of purchasing food service, paper, janitor/sanitation, and grocery supplies from over 200 manufacturers and repacking them on pallets for customers who are unable to buy full or half truckloads. This allows RJ Schinner’s customers to mix and match their order, while still taking advantage of the favorable pricing terms offered to a large purchaser.

In searching for a new B.I. and reporting solution, two companies kept coming up – and MITS was one of them. Jerry remembers. “It really came down to my decision, and I wanted something that was native to our system – and with MITS being an official Epicor business partner whose product actually worked on the server as opposed to having to export all the data outside of our company and then have it come back, was a big factor in my decision to go with them,” Jerry said. “Plus I have an ever-expanding sales force and I didn’t want to have the cost and trouble of continually going out and getting licenses for them. I liked the MITS system and how it showed to the sales reps – it was much easier for them to use.”

After the decision was made to go with MITS, the next step was installation. “We first started rolling it out to sales people and management. The feedback I got was that it was very easy to use; in fact I was looking at some of the responses to the MITS test I ran with our salespeople after they had been using it for about 7 months. Every one of them was excellent in their proficiency with using the system. That is the nice thing about MITS - there is a lot of information, but it seems easy to disseminate.”

For RJ Schinner, the data trending functionality in MITS is proving to be an effective cost saver. “We really liked the way MITS trends data, “ Jerry says. “With regard to sales, our sales force can now see within 30 days what’s happening to an account, as opposed to finding about it at the end of the year."

“Our President is using the system for branch analysis – where the sales are trending, where the gross profit is trending – and really diving into the way our business is going, from our buy lines from our manufacturers for example, to determine which branches are up, which are down, etc. Our CEO, who is a wizard at working an Excel spreadsheet, is doing the same type of high-level analysis – and he really loves the MITS system for that. He is spending around 50-60-% less time generating reports than he was prior to MITS.”

Read more on the MITS Newsroom.

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http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Manufacturing_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018MFG


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

Also, read our 2018 Mid-Year Supplements http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018Supp
Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, 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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Intuilize vs. The Real Cost Of A BI Solution

Mid-sized industrial distributors rely on competitive advantages and business intelligence (BI) to improve decision-making, cut costs and drive strategic growth objectives. That being said, there are many hidden costs to consider related to managing proprietary BI systems that threaten to erode the value that BI has to offer. In a 2017 survey conducted by Gartner, the total cost of ownership (TCO) contains all costs including licensing, implementation, ongoing development costs, and infrastructure costs. For mid-sized businesses the average annual cost of BI is a minimum of $427,000.


Steps to BI Deployment
Total cost of ownership of enterprise-wide BI system deployment is sometimes miscalculated using only the cost of licenses. Successful deployment requires cost preparation across four main steps:

• Step 1 Development: On average, development of enterprise software costs $80,000 - $1,000,000 based on the complexity of the solution.
• Step 2 Implementation: Research indicates implementation can cost companies $200,000 - $500,000 with variances depending on project specifications.
• Step 3 Deployment: At the deployment stage, executives must ensure a company-wide roll out. This means investing in the technology required for everyone to be able to access the platform in IT as well as training. According to Birst, most deployments take 360 - 1,120 man-hours to complete, which for most companies could conservatively range from $10,000 - $60,000 in cost allocations.
• Step 4 Maintenance: More than half of the costs incurred are directly related to staffing needed to deploy and maintain a proprietary platform.

Conclusion
Although implementing a proprietary, home-grown platform can bring some benefits for businesses, the high cost, stiff learning curve, and long lead time associated with the development and maintenance can create a situation where managed services may be the better route to take. That is where Intuilize, a Predictive Analytics platform, can help mid-size industrial distributors reduce the cost of development, implementation and maintenance that tradition BI system require.


To learn more, visit the Intuilize website.


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 sjay@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.


For 2018 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Distribution_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018DSG


For 2018 Manufacturing Software Guide:
http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Manufacturing_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018MFG


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

Also, read our 2018 Mid-Year Supplements http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018Supp
Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, 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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Phocas Lights Up the Data of AEL Electrical Distributors

Established since 1981, AEL is an electrical distributor based in Aberdeen, Scotland. AEL specializes in the supply of control, automation and hazardous area electrical equipment to the oil and gas, marine, petrochemical, renewable and energy sectors. AEL has grown quickly and organically over the past 5 years and now includes offices in Houston; USA, Tema; Ghana, Baku; Azerbaijan and Atryau; Kazakhstan. Their main customers are drilling contractors, panel builders and offshore module builders. The lack of valuable information was hampering the ability of the management team and business development team.


This lack of valuable information was hampering the ability of the management team and business development team to:
•Organize the customers in tiers
•Report the sales
•Match the sales to specific contacts in the CRM system
•Analyze the customers sales and target marketing activity to the customer or sector
•Analyze AEL’s purchasing record allowing for better management of the store and stock


Because of this, AEL implemented Phocas’s Business Intelligence and CRM solutions. One of AEL’s most interesting and significant uses of Phocas is using the system to analyze their On Time in Full (OTIF) percentages. Their OTIF system works by taking the date from the sales order, the date from the line item, the date the item was receipted into AEL, the date receipted out to the customer and the invoice date. Phocas then uses these dates to work out whether the goods were received into AEL on time, late or early; and it also uses the dates to work out if the goods were received by the customer on time, late or early.


The benefit of using both Phocas CRM and Phocas BI for AEL is that the users can see sales figures and by clicking a button be taken to the person / account in the CRM system and vice versa. This allows the data to be linked and allows for tasks to be set for the business development team depending on the data received. This link makes the role of the business development team easier, as only one system is used, allowing for effective and efficient training.


To learn more, Visit the Phocas Newsroom.


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 sjay@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.


For 2018 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Distribution_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018DSG


For 2018 Manufacturing Software Guide:
http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Manufacturing_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadElectronic&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018MFG


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

Also, read our 2018 Mid-Year Supplements http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2018_Mid_Year_Supplement_Blog.pdf?utm_source=DownloadPDF&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2018Supp
Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, 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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Brigade Electronics 'Keeps it Simple' With Phocas BI

Brigade Electronics is a UK based company specializing in automotive safety products including sensors, alarms and visual aids for industrial and commercial vehicles. Brigade operates predominantly through distributors – both in the UK and abroad.


Tom Brett, Brigade’s Deputy Managing Director, talks about the impact Phocas business intelligence has had on their business. “We had been crying out for something like this”, says Brett, and “it suited our needs perfectly. The low-risk rental model meant we made a quick decision, and decided to implement Phocas.”


Highlights of the key aspects of what the Phocas implementation has done for Brigade to date:

• Monitoring Sales Activity
• Key Metrics at a Glance with Dashboards
• Loyalty Schemes
• Stock and Purchasing Analysis
• Using it Live in Front of Customers
• International Roll-Out

To sum up, Phocas has made management information and sales data much more accessible at Brigade. Brett concludes that “this sort of data is what helps drive you on as a business, and I have no doubt it will help drive our business forward. Perhaps the best part is that you don’t need to play with it much to be an expert. It makes everyone’s life easier. Our business is a little complex, and I’m trying to simplify it, and I think Phocas does that really well.”


To learn more about Phocas BI, visit the Phocas Newsroom. 

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Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

For 2017 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2017_Distribution_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2017DSG 

For 2017 Manufacturing Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2017_Manufacturing_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2017MFG 

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services<http://www.software4distributors.com/> and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard<http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx>.

 

Also, read our 2016 Mid-Year Supplements.<http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2016_Mid_Year_Supplement.pdf>

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, 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.

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

Craven Foods Sees Clearly With Phocas BI

Craven Foods is an independent food wholesaler and distributor based in Bunbury WA. The company established operations in 1987 and has since grown rapidly and now carries over 3,500 lines of stock.


Craven services the entire south west region of WA, providing products and services to restaurants, cafes, roadhouses, convenience stores, hotels, schools and more. The increasing complexity in the sales and management of multiple product lines has led to the need for a fast and efficient reporting solution. To keep track of sales and gain a better understanding of his business, Doug Mateljan, Managing Director for Craven Foods, introduced Phocas Business Intelligence Software into the company.


Says Mateljan, “We are now able to make decisions based on fact rather than intuition. We can drill down through the information to whatever we want and cross reference sales to customer, stock or sales rep. This is very valuable in terms of identifying opportunities or missed sales”.


Increasing Revenue and Profit


Phocas BI has given Craven Foods the opportunity to drive more business through their sales people. The sales team are more accountable now because individual performance as well as the team’s overall performance is highly visible. Phocas also allows the sales team to find more leads and opportunities to upsell and cross-sell, ensuring everyone at Craven benefits.


To learn more, visit the Phocas Newsroom.

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.

For 2017 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2017_Distribution_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2017DSG 

For 2017 Manufacturing Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2017_Manufacturing_Software_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2017MFG 

Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services<http://www.software4distributors.com/> and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard<http://www.software4distributors.com/compare/default.aspx>.

 

Also, read our 2016 Mid-Year Supplements.<http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2016_Mid_Year_Supplement.pdf>

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, 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.

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

North Coast Electric Enhances Analytics With MITS

Seattle-based North Coast Electric, founded in 1913, is a family-owned electrical distributor with 34 locations across the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Arizona. The company, consistently ranked in the top 25 electrical distributors by Electrical Wholesaling, supplies a wide range of electrical equipment to the electrical contractor, factory automation, industrial maintenance/repairs/operating and commercial and institutional markets.


North Coast Electric decided to replace a 20-year-old legacy business system with Epicor Eclipse, a full-range enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solution designed specifically for distributors. To ensure both security and efficient operation of their Eclipse system, North Coast requires all analysis and reporting be conducted on a separate server, housing access-tuned data to be synchronized daily with the operational system.


Fortunately, MITS’ solution can be deployed in this fashion, creating “hypercubes”—analytics-ready data environments—and “report sources” used for creating operational reports, all stored separately from operational data.


Results:
MITS Distributor Analytics provides North Coast with actionable information and insights. Business users are able to access, create and customize reports themselves, and convert them into Microsoft® Excel®, PDF files or e-mails, freeing the company’s IT personnel for more complex tasks. By moving the bulk of their report processing to a dedicated MITS Report server, 90 percent of North Coast’s reporting is now done away from the Eclipse server.


Many of the refinements to MITS Discover and MITS Report, made at North Coast’s request, reflect a proven business model that can be leveraged by other MITS customers in the distribution world and beyond.


To learn more about MITS Distributor Analytics, visit their Customer Case Studies page.


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Finding that you cannot keep up with all the changes in the latest software?

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Read our Mid-Year Supplements.

(Direct link, http://www.software4distributors.com/downloads/2016_Mid_Year_Supplement.pdf)

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, 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.

Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Distribution_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016DSG

Manufacturing Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Manufacturing_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016MFG

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

MA Ford Gets Cutting-Edge Quality & Services With Phocas

MA Ford, headquartered in Davenport, Iowa manufactures high quality precision cutting tools and employs over 300 globally.

MA Ford needed a reporting tool that gave them insight into their sales figures as well as a better understanding of their customer base of over 900 distributors across the globe, selling their products to a variety of industries.

Prior to implementing Phocas, MA Ford generated reports from their Global Shop ERP system. As well as consuming IT resources, it could take up to 40 days from a Sales Manager requesting a report to when they received it. By the time the report was delivered, it was already out of date.

Impressed with the speed of Phocas and the ease of generating reports, MA Ford decided to implement Phocas business intelligence software to run their sales reporting. Rather than static reports that would come from a standard system, Phocas allows their data comes to life and gives them a clear picture of what’s happening in the business. MA Ford believes that over time and as they understand the product better, Phocas will deliver even greater benefits to their business.

At present Phocas is used primarily for sales data and analysis. In the future, MA Ford plans to extend the product to other areas of the business including inventory as well financial data.

To learn more about the role Phocas can have in your business, visit the Phocas Newsrom.

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 2016 Mid-Year Supplements.

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, 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.

For 2016 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Distribution_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016DSG

For 2016 Manufacturing Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Manufacturing_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016MFG

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

Decor Transforms Data Into Valuable Information with QAD BI

Headquartered in the Melbourne, Australia area, Decor is an award-winning manufacturer of kitchenware, picnic-ware, garden-ware, brush-ware and baby-care products for over 55 years. The company distributes over 450 products to major retail outlets globally, the majority having earned Australian Design Awards.

Decor, while highly successful, was lacking a robust business intelligence (BI) solution necessary to support their sales strategy. Their plan was to deliver more effective sales tools to the field and raise productivity while reducing costs. In order to accomplish this, they were going to need better ways to get accurate sales data to improve their planning analysis.

After reviewing their current ERP solution, QAD Enterprise Applications, Decor realized that enhancing the analytics with additional business intelligence capabilities would allow them to effectively implement their sales strategy. Said David Mathie, MIS Manager at Décor, “with just a few clicks using QAD BI, the percentage increase on brush-ware was on screen. It allowed us to identify the increase by brand.”

To learn more about how QAD can take your business intelligence data to the next level, visit: www.qad.com/solutions/analytics

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.

For 2016 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Distribution_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016DSG

For 2016 Manufacturing Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Manufacturing_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016MFG

Coming Soon:

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, our 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 Advisory Services and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard.

Tradeware Leverages Distribution Data With Phocas BI

As a hardware distributor, Tradeware needs to ensure that orders can be met on time without excess stock sitting in the warehouse for extended periods of time. “We import a range of products from overseas”, says Chris Rath, Operations Manager for Tradeware, “where we need to order them months in advance."

Reliable, timely information from Phocas BI allows Tradeware to supply top quality products and customer service. Says Rath, "The great thing about Phocas is that it not only keeps us up to date on what's currently happening, but helps us understand where we were a year ago as well as plan and forecast what's coming up in the next few months in terms of products and promotions."

With Phocas, Tradeware staff are able to drill down to the individual product level or sales rep and see how they are performing across different territories and customers. “In an instant we can go back three months to see which customers have dropped off or compare sales this year to the same period last year, identifying issues we may have missed." says Rath. All of the sales force use Phocas BI in the field and by having all their sales and historical data stored in the system, Tradeware doesn’t lose vital information about a customer when they need to replace a sales rep. It’s simply a matter of giving the new rep access to the information and they can drill down to see what has been happening in their territory and with their customers.

To learn more about Phocas BI and read additional case studies, visit the Phocas Newsroom.

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.

For 2016 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Distribution_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016DSG

For 2016 Manufacturing Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Manufacturing_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016MFG

Coming in August 2016:

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, our 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 Advisory Services and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard.

Ozsale Increases Online Sales With Phocas

Ozsale is an Australian member-based online shopping club with dedicated buyers in Australia, Europe, Asia and USA who search the world for products and negotiate deals direct with suppliers. Ozsale has over 8.75 million members and has expanded into a number of locations in Asia Pacific.

Business Expansion Causes Challenges

As Ozsale grew and expanded, its ability to track sales by product line and obtain reports about the performance of the business became a significant challenge. Ozsale's main warehouses in Sydney, Los Angeles and the UK receive 20,000 garments per day, and then distribute those garments to various locations across Australia and Asia Pacific. Ozsale's previous system was developed in-house and involved excel and other programs. The problem with this system was the number of reports required was never ending and the ability to get data needed was too slow.

Ozsale needed a tool that would allow them to:

1.Obtain Sales History easily and quickly about particular sales, brands and product line.

2.Monitor warehouse operations and provide reports back to suppliers about the performance of their brands and products

3.Budgeting and forecasting so managers could quickly assess where things are at with the business and what sort of decisions need to be taken about its future.

Saving Time and Reducing Complexity

To address their reporting and data analysis needs, Ozsale turned to Phocas BI for a solution. Since implementing Phocas, OzSale has had the ability to analyze large amounts of data in a few simple clicks. Managers can now start every morning checking previous day sales numbers allowing them to quickly build out budgets and forecasts.

To Lear more about Phocas BI, and read additional customer case studies, visit the Phocas Newsroom.

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.

For 2016 Distribution Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Distribution_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016DSG

For 2016 Manufacturing Software Guide: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/2016_BSW_Manufacturing_Interactive_Website_Guide.pdf?utm_source=DownloadInteractive&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=2016MFG

Coming in August 2016:

Developed through a partnership with Industrial Distribution, Industrial Supply, Contractor Supply Magazine and Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services, our 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 Advisory Services and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard.

ALP Lighting Gains Big Data Insights with Phocas

ALP Lighting manufactures and distributes Lighting Components to OEM Lighting fixture manufacturers across the globe. With six manufacturing plants and three distribution facilities, ALP has about 1,000 customers and nearly 10,000 different SKUs. The Chief Operating Officer of ALP Lighting, David Brown, shares some key comments about Phocas Business Intelligence Software and the benefits it has brought to ALP.

• “We tried using other BI tools and most were just too complex for users. We had several home grown data retrieval systems that served us well but they were slow and inflexible. Phocas opened a whole new world of data accessibility for us”.
• “Phocas does so much for our staff. The sales people love it because it is incredibly easy to use and they have detailed information at their fingertips. How much volume have we done in a given territory? How does it compare to the prior period? Which customers are up? Down? Which product lines are up? Down? What are the margins by customer or by product line, product class, or individual SKU? Phocas makes information so easily available that we operate in a different manner than before! We have different expectations about what people should know about their areas of responsibility”.
• “The information that we get from Phocas allows us to make better business decisions. In fact, Phocas information is a staple in all of our meetings. We are even planning to use Phocas externally in the near future – in meetings with customers and suppliers”.
• “Of all the tools we evaluated, Phocas was the most reasonably priced and its ease of use makes it incredibly effective. This will be by far the easiest to implement, most usable business intelligence system you will find. Phocas is Business intelligence that you can actually use”.

To learn more about Phocas Business Intelligence, and read additional case studies, white papers, and customer reviews, visit the Phocas Newsroom.

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 2016 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.