Success Stories

Like many fastener distributors, Active Screw & Fastener provides a full line of products to OEMs of various sizes across various industries.

Unlike many fastener distributors, Active offers a host of value-added services that go well beyond simply filling an order and shipping it to the end user. "We see ourselves more as a sourcing and inventory management company than we do a traditional distributor," explains Buddy Blattner, Active's president and CEO. "We work with the customer to figure out their needs and fulfill them - rather than just send them what they order - a lot of guys can do that."

Whatever the customer's needs may be, Active sources the appropriate material from suppliers worldwide, buy it on the customer's behalf, keep it in their warehouse, and provide it to the customer when they need it.

With a focus on value-added services distinguishing Active from their competitors, Blattner understands the importance of operating a software solution geared toward streamlining even the most complex operations. That is why Active operates Activant Prophet 21™.

"I come from a history of closed-loop systems, and I can tell you, you have to make those work for you," Blattner says. "Since Prophet 21 is Windows- and SQL-based, and all of the modules are integrated, it's very powerful distribution software, and works that way right out of the box."

A Menu of Services

As a sourcing and inventory management company, Active partners with each customer and focuses on specific ways to reduce their inventory investment, improve inventory access, and reduce operating expenses.

Active embraces each partnership, and Blattner sees the relationship-driven approach as a key to continued success. "What we do is put a menu of services in front of a customer, ask which one fits their needs, then price it accordingly," he says. "So if a customer wants to reduce inventory, we provide a consignment plan, if they're interested in an extended billing cycle, we offer a longer payment stream."

Since Active's daily operations require the coordination of not only accounts receivable and order entry, but also purchasing, accounts payable, and warehousing, to name a few, having the proper information on hand at the right time can be a daunting task.

With Prophet 21's integrated and real-time modules powering their operations, Active can access the most up-to-date information and deliver high-quality, cost-effective services. "The biggest benefit for us is that anytime we make a transaction within the solution, each module is immediately updated with the appropriate information," explains Blattner. "We can have a planner, a sourcing person, a quoting person, and a salesperson all looking at the data they need, with the confidence that it will always be the most up-to-date information."

Beyond Dollars and Cents

With more than 20 years spent managing IT departments, Blattner sees technology as the foundation of any successful business. As the foundation of Active's operations, Prophet 21 provides the information necessary to grow, and makes an impact that cannot be measured in dollars and cents alone. "I don't view things through a soft-cost, dollars and cents lens," Blattner says. "What's great about the system is that is gives us accurate data from which we can make good decisions - whether it's a SQL query, or an Excel spreadsheet that consolidates several SQL queries - and the tool set to manage the business."

"We are pleased to have chosen a solution that works for us everyday, and a technology partner who takes an active role in our success and is committed to adding features to help us succeed in the future," concludes Blattner. "If we can operate a solution we never have to replace, I'll be a very happy man - and I'm a very happy man."

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