Eastern Industrial Supplies Harnesses Big Data With Phocas

Eastern Industrial Supplies is an independently owned distributor of pipe, valves, fittings and commercial plumbing products. Based in Greenville, S.C., Eastern has 16 branches and 3 support locations across the southeastern United States generating more than $100 million in annual revenue.


Dennis Karpinski, director of e-commerce and business analysis at Eastern Industrial Supplies had this to say about the company utilizing Phocas, “Automating our financial statements was a major step for our company, and is already saving time and resources,” said Karpinski. “Branch managers, regional managers and executives now have access to dashboards that give them a snapshot of what is happening with the business, including one-day, month-to-date, year-to-date sales; gross profit percentages; and average sales per invoice, among other data points.”


The biggest impact of Phocas was the ability to recreate branch and corporate income statements and balance sheets. Phocas has automated a manual process, allowing managers to access the financial information that is relevant to them and their specific locations. Once the controller completes the financial statements, an email is sent with a link that gives everyone access to the reports.


Beyond the financial statements, Karpinski has created a variety of dashboards that make it quick and easy to access and analyze data for several areas of the business. Karpinski created inside and outside sales dashboards that allow sales reps to see what they are doing by month-to-date and year-to-date with variances. One of the company’s biggest costs is freight, so Karpinski created a dashboard that highlights month-to-date and year-to-date freight-based spending. The data tracks how branches are billing, collecting or allocating freight costs.


Procurement is also now using Phocas to track the number of months of inventory on hand and monitor particular price lines for how much is in stock, how much is committed, and how much is associated with a bid and not an open order. Recently, new international steel tariffs were announced, which could have enormous impacts on Eastern’s pipe, valves and fittings business. Procurement came to Karpinski looking for data on piping price lines, specifically how many are on hand, committed, sold and their average cost. The department is using the data to determine what they need to buy in light of the tariffs, what products they need to unload and where the company’s average product costs will be below the tariffs so they can protect their cost advantage.


“We can now take the data that has always been there, manipulate it and distribute it quicker than we have ever done in the past. This is already having a significant impact on our ability to make decisions about expenses that are coming up, reducing and moving inventory, identifying purchasing needs and what products are not moving. We could not get where we are today without Phocas. The data is finally usable and in the people’s hands that need it.”


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.





Follow Us on Twitter

Villa Park Electrical Supply Streamlines Processes With Savance

Founded in 1973, Villa Park Electrical Supply Company is a family owned and operated electrical supply and lighting distributor, serving the Greater Chicago area. The company's 3,200 square foot Electrician's Superstore, located in Addison just outside of Chicago, IL, was built with the electrical contractor in mind, and offers products geared toward residential, commercial, and industrial use.


Villa Park's previous business system was an old DOS-based system dating back over 30 years. "As our business grew over the years, and technology changed along with it, we knew we had to upgrade the system to streamline some of our day-to-day processes," explains Rose Ann Deadessis, Managing Partner at Villa Park Electrical Supply. "We also needed to meet the demands of our customers, in order to move forward."


When the Villa Park management team started to look for a new business system, they turned to NAED, the National Association of Electrical Distributors, for a suggestion. "We were searching for software that was compatible with our industry, and NAED referred Savance to us," says Rose Ann Deadessis about how Villa Park first got into contact with Savance.


By making the deployment a priority and approaching it with the right mindset, Villa Park Electrical Supply handled the transition to Savance Enterprise very well. "A lot of distributors think they can just commit to a new piece of software, and magically – overnight – all their problems go away," says Steve Bardocz at Savance. "That’s not how it works. Instead, you have to identify areas where your business has weaknesses and identify opportunities for improvement, and most importantly, be willing to change. When a team is as cooperative as Villa Park, the before and after is like night and day."


Villa Park Electrical Supply has seen improvements in all major areas of its business operations since implementing Savance Enterprise. Many procedures have been streamlined and simplified, and now function much more efficiently. Statement processing and order processing are two examples.


"Statement processing is phenomenal," says Rose Ann Deadessis. "What used to take us all day to do is completed in a matter of minutes. Order processing has become more streamlined as well." When it comes to quoting, team members can put together a quote for a customer in a matter of minutes, and the customer will instantly receive a copy of the quote to their email. Villa Park's receiving and shipping methods have been improved, and now handle backorders and order fulfillment much more efficiently. Another big time savings for the company is that the end-of-day cash drawer reconciliation process has been automated.


"It’s rewarding to be a part of such a major transformation, and help a company that’s eager to succeed take their business to the next level,” Steve Bardocz concludes. “It’s one of the reasons I get up and do what I do. The complete transformation is both motivating and rewarding, and we couldn’t be happier to have had the chance to win Villa Park’s business, and to partner with them long into the future."




To learn more, visit the Savance 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.





Follow Us on Twitter

Wagner Machine Co. Grows Business With ECi's M1

Wagner Machine Company in Champaign, Illinois, was founded in 1982 as a precision machine shop. Today, Wagner operates out of a 30,000 square foot plant that houses more than 20 CNC mills and 20 CNC lathes. Over the past 30-plus years, it has seen steady growth, but sometimes, growth can also bring problems. As the company grew, management found the largely home-grown systems that were being used to run the business simply unable to keep up.


“Before we brought in ECi's M1, we were using six different software programs to run the company,” Wagner recalls. “None of them actually spoke to each other and one of our key programs was crashing frequently because the database could not handle the volume and complexity of the business we were processing.”


Fast forward to today—with the company now using M1 to steer the ship—and those six different programs have been replaced by a single system that seamlessly integrates all the company’s critical management and data functions, providing the kind of efficiency and productivity the Wagner team needs to maintain its solid growth pattern.


Wagner points to several features that made M1 the right choice for the company. “I really like the way M1 gives you the ability to have multiple modules open at the same time,” she says. “Switching back and forth from Estimating and Quoting to Purchasing, for example, is seamless with M1. You don’t need to close out one window before switching to another and you certainly don’t need to open up a second instance of the program and use up a second license,” she points out.


M1’s ability to provide quick and easy access to critical business information also earns high marks. “M1’s search functionality is incredibly robust,” says Wagner. “I can modify M1’s search grids however I want and then save my preferences in the system so they’re there when I need them again—that’s a huge plus for just about any aspect of our operations.”


But even with all that growth, the basic philosophy the Wagners put in place continues to drive the company, due, in no small part, to the power and flexibility M1 has provided. That’s good news by any measure. And what’s even better is that regardless of where future growth may take the company, M1 will be more than able to help keep it healthy and profitable.


To learn more, visit the ECi 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.





Follow Us on Twitter

Furniture Start-up MYCS Selects NetSuite To Expand Business

MYCS, a Berlin-based start-up for customizable furniture, has quickly and easily expanded its business to France, Switzerland and the UK. Oracle NetSuite has enabled MYCS to take advantage of the cloud to gain a single view into key business metrics across its entire operations, streamline business processes and rapidly set up local operations in new markets. To support strong demand and ensure the best possible customer experience, MYCS wanted a cloud-based IT system that could automate manual tasks, help it manage complex sales and warehouse processes and scale to support its international expansion. After careful evaluation of different IT systems, MYCS selected NetSuite.


“We wanted professional process management that could scale and grow the business and facilitate expansion into other countries,” explained Nico Gronwald, Operations Manager & ERP Product Owner, MYCS. “NetSuite provides us with the means to control processes remotely. I am master of my own system. Even for users without any IT knowledge, NetSuite offers simple administration.”


With NetSuite, MYCS has been able to take advantage of localized solutions, ranging from country-specific reporting and audits to the automatic adjustment of currencies and the adaptation of regional tax regulations, to quickly and easily expand into new countries. In addition, by taking advantage of a cloud ERP solution, MYCS has had the flexibility to easily relocate warehouse operations and adapt its product portfolio to local requirements. In the long term, MYCS has further plans to expand into other European countries.


To learn more, visit the Oracle NetSuite 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.





Follow Us on Twitter

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.





Follow Us on Twitter

A.S Bryden Grows Operations With VAI's S2K

Brydens, a large distributor of wine and spirits, and food and hardware, is headquartered in San Juan, Trinidad with three warehouse facilities in North and Central Trinidad. Brydens needed a way to integrate the operational and financial aspects of the business, but it also needed a solution capable of turning raw data into useful management information for better decision-making capabilities.


Brydens was looking for a comprehensive system with many advanced features and specifically, a solution that could support varying units of measurement. It was essential that the company be able to stock goods in one unit of measure and sell those same goods in other units of measure—no simple request. Since the distributor operates three separate warehouse facilities, Brydens needed a way to increase and better track order fulfilment—all in an integrated ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system that was compatible with the firms IBM Power™ Systems platform. The goal was to streamline operations, not only in the warehouse, but also across the entire organization, which meant removing many of the time-consuming manual tasks that were slowing efficiency levels.


VAI, possessed the exact combination of tools to help Brydens transform its business, and three warehouse facilities, into a fully integrated, top-of-the-line distribution company. With VAI’s S2K Enterprise for Distribution, Brydens found a single software product that fit the bill.


After carefully planning and evaluating each of Brydens specific business and warehouse needs, VAI installed S2K Enterprise for Distribution and the S2K WMS package. VAI worked seamlessly with Brydens staff to ensure that each package met their every demand and individual specifications. VAI also paid close attention to Brydens need to work within different units of measure—a high priority demand for the company in being able to deliver orders quickly and accurately.


According to Roy Ramkissoon, Group IT Manager, Brydens Trinidad, “With S2K, greater financial transparency has led to better operational and financial decisions. In fact, since implementation, our company sales and profit margin have increased respectively by an average of 20% and 23% per year, providing Brydens with a true return on investment that can be overwhelmingly attributed to VAI’s S2K product line.”




To learn more, visit the VAI 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.







Follow Us on Twitter

Shaw Electrical Captures Cost Savings With DDI

Shaw Electrical Supply was using FACTS. It was difficult to navigate and even harder to pull out critical data. They initially considered implementing a larger, more expensive business software such as Eclipse, but determined that the costs of these systems were prohibitive.


Fortunately, DDI's Inform software was a perfect fit in both cost and functionality. The transition from FACTS to DDI's Inform software went smoothly and DDI provided two dedicated employees on site for assistance and training when it went live. By the second day, Shaw employees were up and running on the new system without missing a beat.


DDI's Inform has allowed Shaw to capture significant cost savings by streamlining their basic paperwork flow and eliminating the need to buy and stock preprinted forms. Customers now receive invoices and statements via fax or email, recognizing cost savings in decreased postage and reduced time spent processing. Processes that once took us minutes can now be done in seconds, and processes that once took hours can now be done in a fraction of the time. This has allowed the company to reduce the time staff spends on administrative duties while at the same time offer a higher level of service to their customers, as well as increased data accuracy.


The learn more about DDI's Inform, visit the DDI 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.







Follow Us on Twitter