Turning Data into a Business Advantage: Boosting Margin and Customer Value with Epicor BisTrack deployed in the Cloud
TAL Building Centers (TAL) is on quite a trajectory. With roots dating back to 1906, this family-owned business affectionately refers to itself as a 120-year-old startup. And understandably so, as the company has been in rapid growth mode, acquiring reputable building materials companies and tripling sales volumes and headcount since 2022.
Today, the company stands tall with 14 brands throughout the Pacific Northwest, backed by over 520 employees and a commitment to delivering building solutions for professionals and homeowners alike.
But according to Jason Blair, CEO of TAL, rapid growth isn’t all roses and rainbows. Following several acquisitions, the company was operating two different point-of-sale platforms across seven instances—this created behind-the-scenes complexity and disparate information, such as SKU sets and ledgers. The time was right to standardize with a single ERP solution.
Epicor was an ally during the BisTrack migration process. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, confirming we’d chosen the ideal partner.
”We wanted to advance our business and streamline processes, management metrics, and cross-department reporting,” shares Blair. “We weren’t looking for just another software vendor but rather a long-term partner for our business.”
TAL was focused on driving widespread efficiency gains and had platform requirements tied to improving accounts payable, credit processes, and dispatch and delivery, as well as tapping into analytics and a mobile app for employees.
“We evaluated our existing solutions and other industry options, speaking with businesses we respected about their ERP vendor of choice,” continues Blair. “It was evident, very quickly, that Epicor BisTrack was the leader in the building supply market and the right choice for us. So, we went all in!”
Once the decision was made, TAL set an aggressive timeline to convert five databases to BisTrack across multiple locations within 18 months—a stretch goal that put TAL and Epicor’s agility to the test. While TAL had an experienced internal technology team who understood migration processes, the company looked to Epicor Professional Services to make the timeline a reality. Blair highlights how TAL leaned heavily into the partnership, leveraging Epicor’s system conversion best practices to complete a database conversion every few months—an incredible pace.
“Epicor was an ally during the migration process. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, confirming we’d chosen the ideal partner,” adds Blair.
With 31 operating units targeting a mix of lumber and building materials professionals, contractors, and consumers, TAL’s ERP platform needed to support omnichannel business models and deliver business intelligence to help management better understand performance across products, departments, and locations.
To that end, TAL cites BisTrack as a huge operational advantage, leaning on new insights to evaluate internal processes, identify opportunities, and drive widespread improvements. A heavy user of Epicor Data Analytics, Blair keeps EDA open during the day, assessing how the business is performing from a sales perspective. “It’s amazing how fast we can manipulate information and zero in on business analytics to know where to prioritize efforts.”
BisTrack helped TAL gain control of 1,000’s of stocking codes across 31 locations, which spearheaded a major pricing overhaul, allowing the company to turn manual pricing adjustments into an automated, intelligent process. As a result, the company can quickly modify prices across product lines and branches, customizing SQL routines to perform automated updates based on desired parameters—improving gross margin.
We can instantly monitor, manage, and influence pricing on a daily basis to be more reactive to customer and market demand, leading to a 100 basis point increase in margin across categories.
“We can instantly monitor, manage, and influence pricing on a daily basis to be more reactive to customer and market demand, resulting in a 100-basis point increase in margin across all categories,” Blair continues.
But the operational benefits don’t stop there. TAL has homed in on inventory reporting across product categories and locations, reducing inventory by 15%.
The company is also able to dig into information to layer on efficiencies tied to accounts payable and receivables, rebates, purchasing, and financial management, resulting in a 20% reduction in back-off headcount across functional departments. Plus, with BisTrack Journey Planner and BisTrack Delivery, TAL has standardized dispatch and delivery processes, improving order tracking and proof-of-delivery capabilities to boost customer satisfaction.
For companies considering a move to BisTrack, Blair says, “Don’t wait! The sooner you make the move, the better.”
TAL credits BisTrack as an operational asset, contributing to customer retention and financial success. “Moving to BisTrack wasn’t a decision we made lightly, but one of the best we’ve made,” ends Blair. “We’ve gained a partner for decades and an ERP foundation to bring even more value to our customers and communities—today and for years to come.”