Buffalo Electric Supply Improves Process Control With Savance

In business since 1954, Birmingham-based Buffalo Electric Supply is an independent, full-service distributor of wholesale electrical products and tools for contractors, industrial end users, and the general public. The company’s electrical supply store, which specializes in industrial, commercial, and residential wholesale electrical products, is known for its stocked inventory, flexible delivery schedule, and personalized service.


In order to meet customer needs in an ever-changing market, the company needed a new ERP solution. Vice President Patrick McCarroll explains: "The previous software was run on an older operating system that had no ability to tie into an e-commerce platform in the future."


“We knew we were looking for a future-proof, easy-to-use software package that offered great support from the software provider,” McCarroll says. Other criteria included affordability, copy/paste functionality, and the ability to mass-upload inventory changes. E-commerce, of course, was another important area.


After an extensive search, Buffalo Electric Supply made the decision to select Savance. "Being able to pick up the phone and get an answer in a timely manner is something I very much appreciate when it comes to Savance." McCarroll says. Since implementing Savance Enterprise, Buffalo Electric Supply has seen improved process controls, as well as greater accuracy when it comes to inventory and pricing. The product’s ease-of-use has also lead to staff operating much more efficiently. Reporting is another area where Buffalo Electric has seen major improvements. “Savance made the SPA process with manufacturers much more manageable,” McCarroll explains. "For the cost, you can’t find a better software solution. The service and response time is top-notch."


To read more, visit the Savance Newsroom.

For the 2019 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:

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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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PetShop.co.uk Grows 50 Percent Year-On-Year With NetSuite

PetShop.co.uk, a subscription-based pet supply store, has grown from a family-run business to one of the largest online pet shops in the UK with NetSuite. With NetSuite, PetShop.co.uk has been able to scale its critical business systems as it has rapidly grown in the UK, diversifying its services and expanding internationally into France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Nordic region. The company now stocks over 10,000 products and all major brands of pet food and supplies.


Started by Adam Taylor and his now-wife Lexi Taylor in their London home in 2009. “In 2010, as we started to scale, we set out to find business software that would support our entrepreneurial spirit and allow us to focus on our growth,” said Adam Taylor, CEO, PetShop.co.uk. “As we have grown, NetSuite has always helped us punch above our weight and stay true to our promise of saving customers’ time when buying pet food and supplies."


NetSuite has enabled PetShop.co.uk to increase efficiencies and control across financial, supply chain and marketing operations by eliminating manual and time-consuming processes and providing a real-time, consolidated view into key business data. By streamlining order management, invoicing and supply chain operations, NetSuite is helping PetShop.co.uk tap into the rising demand for subscription-based services, a market expected to be worth £1 billion by 2022.


In addition, NetSuite’s marketing platform, Bronto, has helped PetShop.co.uk personalize the customer experience and achieve retention rates of up to 80 percent, while NetSuite’s OneWorld functionality enables seamless currency calculations and foreign language translations direct from the platform.


For more information, please visit the NetSuite News page.


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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:
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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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WL May Selects VAI S2K to Transform ERP and E-commerce Processes

VAI, an independent mid-market ERP software developer, recently announced that WL May Co., a major distributor of appliance parts and equipment since 1923, has selected its S2K Enterprise software to increase productivity, streamline operational efficiencies, and help fuel future growth. With offices throughout the northwest, WL May Co. required a solution to simplify its e-commerce processes to create a dynamic, easy-to-use online experience for customers. The company's previous system was outdated and lacked the necessary support to meet the company’s growing needs.

After evaluating several solutions, WL May Co. selected VAI’s S2K Enterprise solution to gain more visibility into its products and company data through dynamic dashboards and reports. The company will leverage S2K Analytics and S2K Enterprise Portal applications, which will improve service levels, deliver insight into revenue, and provide WL May Co. with valuable, real-time feedback. VAI S2K Enterprise will help WL May Co. streamline its core business functions and improve productivity because of its ability to gain deeper insights into its customers and products.

To read more, learn about VAI's solutions for mid-sized businesses, and view additional customer testimonials, 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

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2015 Distribution Software Guide: 

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2015 Manufacturing Software Guide: 

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Should E-Commerce Be A Part Of Your Distribution Strategy?

The biggest star in distribution today is e-commerce. Customers want it and distributors need to have it to survive in a competitive business atmosphere. But, studies show that many distributors generate no revenue from e-commerce, while others have no plans to even enter the e-commerce market.

What should distributors consider when planning a move into e-commerce? First and foremost, find a trusted business partner. Developing your online ordering system is not the job you want to assign to a newbie. E-commerce provides great competitive exposure to your company — exposure that comes quickly and is completely open to the world. You need professional help to manage that. This isn’t just programming a website so it works. How do you decide what products to feature in your electronic catalog? What’s your pricing strategy? 

Your primary objective with an e-commerce platform is simple: increase profits. Your existing customers want to do business through an e-commerce system, and they’ll go somewhere else if they can’t do it with their existing supplier. New customers want the same thing. To learn more about integrating e-commerce into a distribution platform, read more on the Advanced Distribution Software 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.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

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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Three Technologies Distributors Must Implement

Every wholesale distributor’s supply chain strategy must emphasize rapidly advancing technology tools.

A recent article on the Modern Distribution Management website highlights the three technologies that distributors can benefit the most from in 2013. 1) E-commerce, 2) Mobile computing, and 3) Analytics.

By making sure your systems are functioning at peak performance in these three areas, you'll be able to provide and have access to actionable information that can make a real difference.

To read more, visit the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

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.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

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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NetSuite's SuiteCommerce Catches the Asian e-Commerce Boom

NetSuite Inc., an industry leading provider of cloud-based financials and ERP software suites, recently announced the availability of NetSuite SuiteCommerce for Asian businesses, bringing the Commerce as a Service (CaaS) capabilities of the platform to a region where rising incomes, a growing middle class, and increasing web access have driven a rapid adoption of eCommerce. Key to NetSuite's CaaS initiative is NetSuite SuiteCommerce, a new commerce-aware platform that enables businesses to manage interactions with other businesses and directly with consumers on a single cloud platform across multiple touchpoints, including websites, smartphones, tablets, in-store and social media. It delivers an enhanced customer experience and works seamlessly with NetSuite's advanced order management capabilities.

Read more about this development on the NetSuite website.

The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!

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Why Distributors Need To Invest In E-commerce

Did you know that forty percent of distributors have no revenue from e-commerce — and almost 10 percent have no plans to enter the e-commerce market?

In the early phase of e-commerce, smaller companies could look and act like big companies online. But customers want more from e-commerce. The cost for such a great e-commerce experience is rising —and the smaller companies can’t keep up. With Amazon Supply coming onto the scene and converging business-to-consumer e-commerce with business-to-business e-commerce, it’s a smart move for distributors to invest in this area.

Read more on the Advanced Distribution Today blog.

The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!

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ERP and E-Commerce: Integrate and Benefit

From B2B to B2C companies, more businesses are leveraging their existing ERP system and integrating it with their online e-commerce or sales order websites. Read more and see examples of how this could work for your company.

http://www.erpsoftwareblog.com/2012/03/companies-are-benefiting-from-integrating-erp-with-e-commerce/

Whether it’s reducing countless hours of manual data syncing, or eliminating data integrity issues between multiple solutions and applications, having payment, shipping, inventory, financial and e-commerce systems on the same page helps companies progress and grow.