Success Stories

Activant Acclaim Helps Distributor Increase Margins

In 1988, Flowline Components was founded to provide hose assemblies for construction equipment manufacturers in the Maryland region. In the years since, Flowline President Greg Johnston has seen a lot of his competitors bought or disappear. "Bigger customers are turning to integrated suppliers rather than sourcing from up to 400 possible suppliers," says Johnston. "Since Flowline is smaller - we have 28 employees - and more flexible, we're able to react faster and better accommodate customers' odd requests."

As with most distributors, the biggest challenge facing Flowline is shrinking margins. Unlike most distributors, the company has found a way to counteract that trend through their Activant Acclaim enterprise software solution.

"Since moving to Activant Acclaim, margins have actually increased at Flowline," says Johnston. "The company has grown by 25 percent. Acclaim offers so many features that have increased our efficiencies and enabled us to grow without hiring additional staff."

Among the many benefits recognized by Flowline since moving to Acclaim are functionality enhancements that help employees do their jobs better and in less time. For example, the company has been able to cut the processing time of unvalidated credit orders by 50 percent.

In addition, Johnston notes that customer service has improved considerably. "With Acclaim, our customer service department can now handle a higher volume of customer inquiries and requests because the information is all right there for them," says Johnston. "This has freed their time so they can focus on proactive initiatives."

Johnston also points to improved inventory control and report writing as further evidence of the benefits Acclaim brings to Flowline.

"We're always looking for ways to improve our processes and may our company work more efficiently," says Johnston. "Consequently, we are always looking to Activant for the latest products and services. We are thrilled with the value we have found in Acclaim."

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