“Our company is unique because of the people that work here,” said Michael Sonderman, operations manager, Ridgefield Supply Company. “It's not only about business, it's about the companionship, which takes our company to the next level every day and helps us be the best in our market. We really have a desire to grow as a team and continue to keep it a wonderful place to work.”
Implementation of BisTrack
Prior to implementing Epicor BisTrack software, Ridgefield Supply Company was using an old, flat file operating system. “We realized that we were not getting the information we needed out of that system,” said Sonderman. “Every time we had to research something or look for data, it took a long time and endless work to get little bits of information in order for our company to run. We ended up selecting BisTrack software because we realized it was a platform that would allow us to get the information we need, exactly when we need it-whether trying a quick SQL query or creating a dashboard that a customer, employee, or manager needs to make a decision. We can now quickly access that data, whether it's emailed, displayed on a smartphone, or on a computer. With BisTrack software we can get that information in a quick and efficient manner.”
Building a stronger team
“The BisTrack solution has helped our company as a whole grow up,” said Sonderman. “We no longer have one department holding all the information, but everyone can access information so that we can make team decisions. We better understand how sales are affecting the whole company, and our sales team sees what our operations team is doing. BisTrack software lets us communicate without tying up certain individuals-bringing us together and taking away the small unnecessary phone calls that frustrate people.”
Invaluable delivery applications
“BisTrack has a great number of applications,” said Sonderman. “One of my personal favorites is the dispatch and delivery system. We tie that in with the integrated GPS Insight and it really gives us a powerful tool to push our journeys out to the actual vehicles instead of having team members sit down and type in each individual address. The delivery information gets loaded up and drivers go from one to the next. We're saving about 10 minutes per delivery, which ends up being around 14 hours total among all trucks.”
“As for our deliveries, we run six delivery vehicles, three box trucks, two piggyback trucks, a knuckle boom, a flatbed, and a pickup truck,” continued Sonderman. “These are not always all on the road at the same time. We try to make sure one is being loaded while the others are out on the field. On average, each truck will do six stops a day. The savings we see with BisTrack helping to decrease the amount of time between stops and increase turnaround time is really paying back for us.”
“The scan track feature is also great for our orders,” added Sonderman. “It gives us the ability to access related documents quickly, which makes going through orders much easier. With that, everything involved with the sales order is accessible-with a click of the button we can see who created the order, where it was purchased, the actual physical document that came in on the truck, a picture of the delivery, and more, without having to search anywhere else. That really makes account or order research more streamlined.”
Third-party integrations
“Another great aspect of BisTrack software is the ability to integrate with third parties,” said Sonderman. “For example, we use many different software tools to quote windows. We are able to import all the data from all our window company software with just a click of a button in BisTrack-making those operations run much more smoothly.”
“Same thing goes for take-offs when we use a take-off platform,” added Sonderman. “It all gets put into the BisTrack system without re-keying data. That saves us time, reduces errors, and allows us to give customers a look and feel that they're familiar with. Whether it's a window quote or a whole house take-off, it all gets delivered on our letterhead in the same manner, with the same information that we've always presented.”
Well-suited for lumber and building materials
“BisTrack is a new generation of software-it is not your old lumber dealer software,” said Sonderman. “It really brings the beautiful things we do as a company, and as an industry, to the modern age. It's not about being able to produce information or sell the ticket at the cheapest rate possible. It's about becoming efficient and discovering where you're losing money or holding onto your profits. Utilizing BisTrack software is a way in which you can reinvest in your company to bring it to the next level. Whether it's through mobile applications, dispatch and delivery, or inventory, there really is so much there that will grow with you. All the information you need is at your fingertips.”
Business differentiation
“The BisTrack solution is helping our company be more competitive by allowing us to find out what is really important-not only for us, but also for our customers,” said Sonderman. “We learn a lot more about what we do as a business, who our customers are, and how much they're buying from us through the data that BisTrack software provides. You may think you may have your best customer and you end up looking at the data, the number of deliveries, how many returns they do, and end up saying, 'Well, that customer is not as profitable as I thought.' We have been able to reduce deliveries per week to certain customers to make a little more money. We've also discovered average deliveries on certain customers were higher than we thought. Because of that information, we started nudging them a little more to see how much more business could come our way to make that customer more profitable.”
