Success Stories

Activant Prophet 21 Improves Inventory Management and Customer Service

Wake Supply Company, Inc., a fast-growing distributor of vinyl siding, doors, and windows needed to improve inventory management and customer service. Fortunately, they installed Activant Prophet 21 with the power of Microsoft BackOffice. Prophet 21, using a Microsoft Windows NT/2000 platform and SQL Server, posts inventories to the desktop in real-time, so employees can optimize customer service and management can make better business decisions.

In order to maintain competitive strength and thrive in today's marketplace, wholesale distributors need an enterprise-wide solution to manage all aspects of their business. Add to this the challenge of managing rapid growth, multiple suppliers, and a multi-branch warehouse, and it is easy to see why Wake Supply decided they needed a new system capable of carrying their business into the future.

"In the last four years, we've increased our revenue from $6 million to $12 million," says Wake Supply IT Consultant Jack Given. "We were turning inventory so many times a year across our five branch warehouse that our system simply wasn't capable of managing our growth and ever-changing inventory."

Solution Overview

Based in Raleigh, NC, Wake Supply has five branches that carry more than 22 major product lines. In addition to doubling revenue in four years, the company also employs more than 50 people.

Wake Supply needed to upgrade its business software to handle its rapid growth and changing inventory. Its accounting system did not track inventory between branch warehouses, making it difficult to manage inventory levels and provide the best possible customer service.

Wake Supply found a solution in Prophet 21, an end-to-end business intelligence system. Prophet 21 integrates all important business functions into one real-time system for all warehouses and the head office. Built to run on Microsoft BackOffice technologies, this solution showcases the robust, scalable properties of Microsoft SQL Server and provides a platform to take Wake Supply well into the future. Using Prophet 21, Wake Supply optimized inventory management and improved customer service. Integration between order entry and inventory enables real-time inventory tracking from the desktop, driving better business decisions at the head office, and improving customer service at the front desk. Inventory forecasting allows Wake Supply to put more fast-selling products on the floor, increasing their return on investment and cash flow.

Searching for an Integrated Solution

The search to replace Wake Supply's outdated accounting package on stand-alone PCs scattered throughout the organization almost ended in frustration, until Wake Supply learned about Prophet 21. Prophet 21 is the first distribution-centric Microsoft BackOffice Certified product supporting Microsoft SQL Server, a leading database for the Windows NT platform. "I was looking for two things: a software solution that posted inventory in each of our warehouses in real time; and an investment in software that would take Wake Supply far into the future," recalls Given. "I believe that Windows NT and SQL Server will be the primary technologies of the future. We looked at many products, but Prophet 21 was the only solution that offered the real-time business information we needed, while allowing us to take advantage of new technologies like SQL Server databases in the familiar Windows interface."

Since implementing Prophet 21, Wake Supply has integrated all of its business functions including order management, inventory management, purchasing, and financials, into one real-time operating system. "Using Prophet 21, we've optimized inventory management and cash flow, increased ROI and improved customer service," reports Given.

Integration On A Strong Platform

"Prophet 21 has combined the power of Microsoft's BackOffice technologies with a completely integrated suite of modules," says Given. Prophet 21 takes advantage of SQL Server for its back end database, providing both the scalability to handle high transaction volumes and an open architecture to incorporate complementary solutions, such as report generation. Wake Supply's SQL Server database also provides enhanced reliability and performance. "I have complete trust in the Microsoft platform and faith that Wake Supply's business can grow with Microsoft technologies," says Given.

Winning Inventory Management

Prophet 21 really made an impact on inventory management at Wake Supply. "Before we migrated to this system, inventory was not tracked online or shared with other warehouses unless paper reports were sent," recalls Wake Supply President, Jerry Downing. "Without a computer system to track orders or inventory levels, managing inventory was basically a paper shuffle. This made it impossible to forecast inventory needs or determine which products were selling faster than others. At the time, we were unable to collect data that would enable us to optimize warehouse space. We didn't know which products were moving quickly, and which were not.

"The integration between order entry and inventory enables our point-of-sale representatives to enter each order, track its progress, and see its immediate impact on inventory levels," continues Downing. "We now have the ability to review the past month and determine which products really move, enabling us to maximize our warehouse space, which ultimately makes us more profitable. Now we can see what inventory we have, its location, and how much it's worth. This has greatly improved cash flow and gives us a higher ROI on our inventory investments."

Improved Customer Service

Now that Wake Supply can identify which products are selling more quickly, they can optimize inventory by placing more 'hot' products on the floor. "This has impacted customer service immensely," says Downing.

"By forecasting inventory requirements, we are better able to accommodate our customers' needs. In addition, customer service representatives have all the relevant information they need, such as customer sales history right at their desktop. This enables us to provide quotes more quickly and accurately."

Easy Implementation

Prophet 21 impacts everyone at Wake Supply, from those who work with the system to those who use the reports generated. "Some of our employees were not that familiar with computers, however we found that the Windows NT-based system made the transition to a new computer system much easier," recalls Given. "Even though most of our users had not worked on computers before, many recognized the familiar Windows interface."

Help from Activant made the transition even easier for Wake Supply. "The Activant training staff and account management have done an impeccable job," said Given, "They jumped in and made sure that everything was taken care of."

"Activant Prophet 21 has had a positive influence on every part of our business and we are confident that it will continue to help Wake Supply grow," Downing concludes.

For more information on Activant's enterprise software solutions, please fill out our Web Contact Form.

Back to Top