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Showing posts with label eCommerce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eCommerce. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Berkshire Blanket & Home Streamlines Tax Compliance With Avalara

In 1993, one man made a blanket. Almost thirty years later, Berkshire Blanket & Home Co. is the biggest company in its category, supplying more than 130 million premium-quality products - blankets, throws, soft home goods - to top retailers around the world.

For as long as Berkshire sold primarily to tax-exempt retailers, its sales tax obligations could be managed manually with a home-grown matrix. But when the company got serious about consumer ecommerce, it quickly found that its home-grown approach was a risky and inefficient way to manage sales tax.

Berkshire’s finance team was accustomed to dealing with wholesale transactions but the introduction of an online retail business a number of years ago, brought with it a new set of tax headaches.

Tax challenges:
  • Rapid growth, increasing complexity
  • Manual, time-consuming processes
  • Increasing compliance risk
Emily Pfeiffer, Vice President of Marketing and Digital, who was brought in specifically to build the company’s online retail business. When the company switched to a new ecommerce platform, Emily knew the old sales tax matrix had reached the end of its useful life. “We had to find a new system to manage the tax,” she says.

It didn’t take Emily long to land on Avalara’s suite of products as the right solution. “AvaTax, in particular, is the Cadillac of its category, and has been for years,” she says. “It’s what you should be using if you just want tax handled.”

And what of the integration with the company’s ecommerce and order management systems? “It’s absolutely seamless. In fact, we recently changed our ecommerce platform system to Shopify Plus. A key factor in that decision was that it features built-in integration with Avalara’s software. We just set it up once and forget it. And Avalara was more of a partner than we expected during the transition, offering us the support we needed.”

Results
  • Simplifying business complexity
  • Confident tax compliance
  • Enabling bold growth plans
“Having Avalara means I don’t have to hire someone just to monitor and adjust our tax settings,” Emily says. “None of us wants to be in that business, and we love being able to trust it to Avalara.”

To learn more, visit the Avalara Newsroom.

For the 2019 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:




Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard, 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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Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Jansen Ornamental Reaches New Customers With DDI

Jansen Ornamental Supply is a local, family owned business, that has served the wrought iron industry for more than 55 years. Many of their 26 employees have been with the company more than two decades. Jansen’s full line of products from many of the industry’s top manufacturers serve all of its customers’ornamental iron and gate automation needs.

Facing heightened competition and a rapidly declining data system, Jansen Ornamental needed a software solution that could tackle their unique operational requirements and take their business to the next level.

Jansen sought an ERP that could do more than just run their operations: they needed next generation business tools to make customer connectivity seamless and readily available 24/7. To do so, they turned to DDI System’s Inform ERP which offered a modern-day eCommerce solution coupled with an ERP.

Jansen is now capitalizing on its forward-thinking mindset with astounding results from Inform with eCommerce.

“By offering eCommerce, we’re seeing customers doubling and tripling their sales from previous years, and drawing a lot of new customers. We’re reaching contractors in other areas who don’t have access to a supplier like us." ~ Jansen Ornamental

To learn more, visit the DDI Newsroom.

For the 2019 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:



Visit our website to learn more about the Brown Smith Wallace Advisory Services at http://www.software4distributors.com and to use our Software Features Comparison Wizard, 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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http://twitter.com/#!/BSWGroupSW4D/

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Adleta Corp. Expands Customer Base with Kerridge CS

Founded in 1922, Adleta has more than 90 years’ experience in distribution and over 40 years’ experience in the flooring industry. They serve 2,500 customers throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Before implementing the Kerridge ecommerce solution, 2,500 customers over 500,000 square miles were having to call into the main distribution center to check stock and pricing, place orders and check the status of orders.

While the implementation of the Kerridge ecommerce solution provided the company with multiple opportunities for improvement with regards to internal processes, the decision to implement an ecommerce solution was driven by the fact that today's retailers and contractors demand an online presence from their vendors.

Gains and benefits
  • Customers and sales representatives have 24/7 access to inventory and pricing in real time
  • 12% of sales are now placed electronically
  • Sales representatives and customers can now print their own price lists
  • Increased profits due to decreased costs in processed orders
  • Achieved greater order accuracy
  • Issuing fewer credits because of miskeyed orders
Learn more about the Kerridge ecommerce system for distributors on their 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 2019 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guide:



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


Also, read our 2018 Mid-Year Supplements at 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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Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Establish Your Online Storefront With Distribution One's ecommONE

Amazon has spent years shaping user expectations of modern online selling through their website so if you business is not set up to sell online correctly, you’re making your competitors happy. Today, B2B customers now expect the same B2C user experience and convenience when ordering online from their distributors. As a result, distributors need to implement a solution that not only establishes themselves and their products but also provides the functionality needed for successful online selling.


The numbers prove the growing power of Ecommerce. By 2023, US B2B Ecommerce sales will reach $1.8 trillion and account for 17% of all B2B sales in the U.S.1 For distributors and wholesalers looking to expand sales opportunities through a user-friendly online storefront, Distribution One presents ecommONE.


A complete Ecommerce interface, ecommONE communicates directly with ERP-ONE+ distribution software to place orders, check inventory availability and pricing, view open and back order items, and more. Serving the needs of distributors of every size, Distribution One provides 3 portal sales packages in addition to Vendor and Customer portal options. Intuitive menus and product search functionality further smooth user navigation. Being fully responsive, the ecommONE website extends sales functionality to both desktop and mobile devices. Functionality like credit card payments and shipping rate comparisons is available in higher tier portal options with the addition of supplemental integrations. Lastly, ecommONE also includes hosting as part of the monthly service plan. The ecommONE interface is an excellent tool for distributors looking to both establish and expand their online sales presence.


Learn more on the Distribution One 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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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

D’Addario Canada Increases Sales With Blue Link

Established in 1988, D’Addario Canada is an importer and distributor of musical accessories and instruments, with products sold exclusively to retail outlets across Canada.


The company wanted a comprehensive on-line ordering system, to place and receive orders 24/7. D’Addario also wanted to enhance its services by providing a different way to market, and promote items, track purchases, and check on buyer profiles. In considering the company’s needs, the following elements were deemed necessary:


•Fast, efficient reporting/tracking orders and inventory: the company needed a system which would minimize the time between a price change, discount, or special offers in-house, and the reps (and customers online) receiving that amended information.
•Flexibility: The system had to allow for temporary special pricing to assess sales changes, and volume discounts to increase sales.
•Ease of use: with minimal in-house technical staff, D’Addario needed a system that would be easy to set up and administer.


The Solution D’Addario’s existing software package, Blue Link Elite – an integrated accounting, business management and inventory management solution – was originally installed at D’Addario in 1999. Once D’Addario examined Blue Link’s Web.Venture e-commerce solution they realized it served their needs.


The Web.Venture site could be configured to D’Addario’s specific visual and text ‘look’, including layout, colours, labels, and language, without expert web design knowledge. D’Addario product could easily be displayed on the site, together with video and links.


Web.Venture also met the company’s specified needs on a wide range of fronts:
•reps can order online, and get pricing, and specials almost as instantaneously as changes are made on the central database;
•customers have more options – some continue to order by telephone, or through their rep, but they can access product information online prior to making an order;
•information is accessible 24/7 Results •Increases sales: To date 10% of total sales come through Web.Venture, and it is seen as having potential to create extra sales, outside the ones directly generated by the reps or company staff.
•Better tracking: Orders can be tracked in real-time, and customer information is immediately accessible.
•Improved customer service.
•Order tracking: for efficient ordering.


To learn more, visit the Blue Link 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.

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Chelford Farm Supplies Boosts Earnings With Vision33

Established in 1975, Chelford Farm Supplies provides equestrian clothing and footwear, farm supplies and feed, garden and forest machinery and shooting equipment, clothing and ammunition throughout the United Kingdom.


In addition to a brick and mortar outlet, Chelford also operates a successful online store. To keep up with the latest equestrian brands and farming products meant cycling through stock three times a year. However, by time the inventory grew to over 24,000 products the company needed a business tool to increase their capacity for managing more inventory without increasing the number of employees.


Chelford knew it needed a new business management application and spent time carefully evaluating many applications on the market. Say Sarah Kranz, finance director, Chelford Farm Supplies. “SAP Business One comes with a fantastic reputation; it really does what it says on the box. After seeing a software demonstration, we were impressed by its flexibility and ability to integrate with our retail and online business”.


Vision33’s dedicated support team mapped out the company’s requirements; integration points with its web store, MRP requirements and identifying manual processes that could be automated. The implementation took just a few months and after the go-live, the results were immediate. With full purchase ordering through receiving and invoicing the company has identified thousands of pounds in discrepancies. But for Chelford the biggest benefit was in the amount of time saved. “We can now spend more time on value-added tasks instead of things like manual data input”, explains Kranz. “If we were doing a payment run for our suppliers it used to take the whole day. Now with SAP Business One that same process takes half an hour”.


To learn more, visit Vision33's Customer News page.


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.

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.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Millcraft Finds Success With Hitachi Solutions Ecommerce

The Millcraft Paper Company is an independently-owned business serving the professional paper, packaging and graphic art industries. Millcraft currently has sales and distribution centers in 14 cities, covering seven states and Canada and processes more than 8,000 stocked items in more than 500,000 square feet of warehouse space, resulting in $15 million in inventory annually.

Millcraft’s previous ecommerce software simply could not keep up with the changing needs of the growing business, and the interests of the customer base. As a result, Millcraft sought an ecommerce platform powerful enough to process thousands of items, while providing scalability for changing business processes and flexibility to meet continuously evolving customer needs.

With Ecommerce for Microsoft Dynamics, Millcraft was able to create a polished, user-friendly ecommerce platform for its customers. By incorporating customer feedback into the design of MyMillcraft, the web store front became a top choice for placing paper orders online.

With Hitachi Solutions, Millcraft is able to achieve:

•Quick Order Entry
•Custom Search Functionality
•Integration with Microsoft Dynamics AX

In addition to providing a rich customer portal and web ordering platform, Ecommerce for Microsoft Dynamic’s integration with Microsoft Dynamics AX ensures that everything is running smoothly on the back end as well. Inventory information is updated real time via an automated flow of information between Microsoft Dynamics AX and Ecommerce for Microsoft Dynamics. This ensures that accurate pricing and availability is displayed on MyMillcraft, and orders are fulfilled more quickly.

To read more, and learn about the services provided by Hitachi Solutions, visit their Customer Profiles page.

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.

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.




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Wednesday, July 6, 2016

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.


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.
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Wednesday, February 25, 2015

NetSuite Helps Outdoor Products Distributor Grow 95% Without New Staff

2Pure UK, an Edinburgh, United Kingdom based wholesale distributor of outdoor products, needed an efficient way to promote specific brands through multiple websites using software compatible with both Macs and PCs. The company was experiencing rapid growth, and required an accessible, user-friendly system to scale with the business. 

2Pure selected NetSuite for their ERP, CRM, and ecommerce needs as a way to move away from their previous model which used disparate systems from a variety of other vendors. NetSuite's role-assigned dashboards allowed various staff to manage everything from CRM and Ecommerce to stock control and accounting as well as administer multiple websites for separate product brands.

As a result of making the switch to NewSuite, the following business outcomes were achieved:

• The new system helped to support a 95% increase in revenues without additional staff.
• Due to the system's integrated business processes, sales staff reported an increase of 25% of available time no longer spent on manual processes.
• Warehouse distribution efficiencies reduced the need for warehouse space by 40%.
• Browser-based access allows Mac and PC users the same access and user-experience.

To learn more about NetSuite's products for distributors, and read additional customer success stories, visit the NetSuite Customers NewRoom.

The Brown Smith Wallace 2014-15 Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information about these latest editions.

 
2014-15 Manufacturing Software Guide: 
 
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Friday, July 5, 2013

eCommerce and the Supply Chain Management plan

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

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

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

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

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



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

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