Case Studies
As much as companies have in common, they differ in their daily operations and business processes. Each of these case studies illustrates unique business challenges that limited the potential of the company’s efficiency. By working as a technology partner and a consultant, Software Concepts and the DS90 iSeries software helped these companies work more effectively to meet their business goals.
Boston Warehouse
The Customer: Boston Warehouse is an importer, manufacturer and distributor of innovative houseware products with continual expansion in both wholesale and retail eCommerce sectors.
The Challenge: The company needed a comprehensive distribution solution to improve efficiency, manage in real-time and streamline operations to keep up with their rapid growth. Reliability and 24/7 up-time were non-negotiable.
The Response: “…We chose Software Concepts as a solutions provider because of the Price-Support-Local-People equation. Our specific criteria were user friendliness, integration capabilities and turnkey ease of implementation. The system is amazing – it’s been running 24×7 since 1996 and still ticking. The efficiency and productivity that we now have because of the new system is immeasurable … I cannot imagine being able to do any work without it. The integration capabilities enabled though the software helped us become more responsive and flexible. We have adopted PDA integration, UPS applications and better warehouse management practices. As we’ve gained these information technology abilities, we’ve acquired smaller companies in a more efficient manner. I cannot even estimate the ROI, as it is beyond estimation. And I can’t imagine our staff size without this system…” Peter LaPrad, IT Manager – Boston Warehouse (Boston Warehouse began working with Software Concepts in 1996 with seven users; today it is a $35 million company with 75 users.)
From the Client
“The system is amazing! It’s been running 24×7 since 1996 and still ticking. The efficiency and productivity are immeasurable.”
Peter LaPrad, IT Manager, Boston Warehouse
Crusader Paper
The Customer: Crusader Paper Company is a leading supplier of paperboard and laminated paper products for the printing and packaging industries.
The Challenge: Over 2,500 tons of inventory. Hundreds of SKUs. And volume orders requiring an inventory pipeline to ensure 100% on-time shipments. Crusader needed an advanced suite of customizable solutions and a responsive partner with hands-on expertise.
The Response: “The team here finds the software provided by Software Concepts very easy to use … It’s a piece of cake! I like the fact that I don’t have to wait for the next software release to have my business needs addressed. I like just picking up the phone, reaching a techie immediately and discussing my problem. And there’s no way we would have gotten the commission tabulation capability from the previous software vendor!” Jack Costello, Executive Vice President – Crusader Paper
From the Client
“I like the fact that I don’t have to wait for the next software release to have my business needs addressed.”
Jack Costello, Executive VP, Crusader Paper
Sure Winner Foods
The Customer: Sure Winner Foods is a leading frozen foods distributor serving retail and foodservice customers from Maine to Maryland from their two large facilities in Saco, Maine and Syracuse, NY.
The Challenge: The client needed a turnkey yet affordable ERP system to meet the demands of their growing distribution business. The ability to customize for future needs and skilled, responsive support were key priorities.
The Response: “Sure Winner Foods is very pleased with all aspects of working with Software Concepts …the technical support and responsiveness has been immediate and complete. We feel that the relationship is more of a partnership than a vendor-customer relationship. The primary measurement for assessing improvement was the number of transactions processed per agent. We now process up to 1500 orders weekly. Processing these orders previously required five agents; we now perform this task with 1½ agent!. We have also grown our business by 75% since implementing Software Concepts’ software and added no additional administrative or office staff.” Mark Irving, Technology Director – Sure Winner Foods
From the Client
“We feel that our relationship with Software Concepts is more of a partnership than a vendor-customer relationship.”
Mark Irving, Technology Director, Sure Winner Foods
