When Daniel Gross accepted the role of VP of Operations at Trans-Atlantic Company, a Philadelphia distributor of builders’ hardware, he took a step back in time. The calendar said 2007, yet the business was almost entirely paper-based, with orders handwritten on multi-part forms: one copy would go to the warehouse, another to the files, yet another to accounting. If the papers were lost, orders would go unfulfilled. If the orders were illegible, as they often were, they would ship the wrong product or to the wrong address.

Inventory was everywhere, with no rhyme or reason to where a product might be found. Warehouse employees often had to search from floor to floor, looking for that one elusive item. The company lacked the focus that it needed to become a success.

This $10 million hardware distributor did have a computer system, but the 1980s hardware and software were a hindrance, not a help. “The computer wasn’t working for us,” says Gross. “We were working for it.” IBM had long since abandoned hardware support for such old models, and when the hard drive crashed it took three eBay purchases to find a working replacement and restore their valuable business data, leaving them offline and falling behind on order fulfillment for three weeks.

Knowing What’s Needed
Gross had used Sage MAS 90 at a previous company, so he was already sold on the product’s capabilities. He knew that Sage MAS 90 offers a broad selection of feature-rich solutions including core accounting, financial reporting, distribution, manufacturing and e-business management. The software is widely recognized for its flexibility, ease of use and its ability to empower customers with insightful information by choosing modules that best suit their business needs.

But CompuData offered more than just software. “They didn’t just generate a quote over the phone,” says Gross. “They came in to look over how we do things, and make suggestions for how they can improve it.” That attention to detail was a powerful element in his purchasing decision.

CompuData offered a complete solution for all components of their technology upgrade: AT&T T-1 Internet access, modern telecommunications equipment and service, Sage MAS 90 software and a lease/purchase agreement on the computer system. The comprehensive quote saved Trans-Atlantic a substantial amount of time that would have been spent researching hardware components that other software providers did not include in their proposals.

Leaping Ahead
When Trans-Atlantic and CompuData took the new system live in November 2007, it was as though the company had leapt forward in time by two decades.

CompuData pre-trained the 22 employees at Trans-Atlantic, minimizing discomfort with the new systems. Employees who had never used a computer were comfortably working with the Sage MAS 90 software. “We have employees in their 20s and employees in their 70s, and all of them picked up Sage MAS 90 like it’s a piece of cake,” he notes. “It’s that easy to use.”

Because inventory management had gotten out of control—nearly $100,000 in inventory was lost in the prior fiscal year—Gross made the executive decision to shut down warehouse operations for four days in order to take an accurate and detailed inventory of all stock. With the new, simplified workflows of Sage MAS 90, they had not only caught up on backorders in just three days, but have been same-day shipping ever since. It’s a whole new way of doing business.

“It was the smoothest go-live I’ve ever seen,” says Gross, noting that he’s been through several during his career. He credits the combination of the ease of use of the Sage MAS 90 software with the exceptional performance of his partners at CompuData.

Striking Results
“The company has been reborn,” says Gross. Margins have gone up and costs have gone down. The company is operating at an entirely new level of efficiency. Employees are empowered and accountable. “We’re shipping more and shipping faster, without additional people.”

Even seemingly small changes have had a big impact on the company’s bottom line. “Just by changing our long-distance telephone service, we’re saving enough money to cover 2/3 of the lease on our hardware,” he notes.

Automated order entry and fulfillment has saved the company a small fortune in returns. Returned merchandise used to be common due to addressing errors or illegible handwriting leading to incorrect product shipments, but they have been virtually eliminated. Customers now get the right product shipped quickly and efficiently, and even get email notifications letting them know that their merchandise is on its way.

From a customer service standpoint, “it’s amazing,” he says. “Everything is just a click away.” Employees can quickly track orders, shipping status and in-stock information about all of the Trans-Atlantic products. Customers are much happier because they can get the information that they need, when they need it.

Gross believes that the improvements in business efficiencies and customer satisfaction will enable Trans-Atlantic to be the regional leader in high-quality builders’ hardware for the 21st century.