Success Stories

Activant Prophet 21 Helps Industrial Distributor Streamline Processes and Trim $1 Million in Operating Costs

Bill Holden, president of Haggard and Stocking and a 30-plus year veteran of the industrial marketplace, remembers the "old days" of trying to predict whether or not he would have a profitable month. "The last week of the month, everyone would stress over numbers," he says. "With our previous system, ready access to real-time data was at best difficult. In many cases information had to be extracted through queries and then output to alternative analysis tools. The process was time-consuming and in today's market, time is of the essence."

The "old days" have since disappeared now that the multi-branch, Indiana-based industrial distributor has invested in Activant Prophet 21. "With Prophet 21, we have real-time information that's available at the click of a button," he says. "And that information allows us to very quickly determine what's going on - at any time during the month."

Prophet 21, a Windows-based enterprise software solution featuring a SQL-Server database, has enabled Haggard and Stocking to survive - and even thrive - in a difficult economy. Since investing in the solution, the company has increased customer service levels, while reducing its direct labor cost by 35 percent. "Business and the economy may have slowed down, but in times like this, service requirements will typically rise," Holden states. "In an economy like today's, people shop around more, order less, but more frequently, and increase requests for expedited delivery. The net result is that workload in all functions increases. Fortunately, Prophet 21 provides us with much more information than we previously had and that allows our people to be significantly more efficient."

Better and more spontaneous information has resulted in a 20 percent decrease inventory levels. Holden says that Prophet 21 lets his staff access and analyze information about the company's inventory easily to assist in making more strategically sound decisions. This is crucial to his business - especially because of the volatility of the market. "Since the market is so volatile, we don't just indiscriminately accept what comes off the reorder reports," says Holden. Instead, his purchasing staff looks at the historical information they pull out of Prophet 21, and focuses closely on the last 60 to 90 days of usage information. This is crucial to avoid overstocking and to more effectively manage their substantial inventory.

A Shortened Learning Curve

Holden remembers training new employees on Haggard and Stocking's old software package: "It took up to six months before new employees were able to get around on that system, and it took them the better part of a year to become truly competent," he says. Prophet 21 dramatically shortens that learning curve. "Most everyone understands how to point-and-click," Holden continues. "All of my employees caught on to Prophet 21 quickly because it is so simple to navigate. As a result, most people are proficient within 30 to 45 days."

Haggard and Stocking's employees found Prophet 21's online help system to be especially useful during the training process. "No one has time to go pawing through cabinets, bookcases, and credenzas to find a users' manual - and then to flip through the manuals to find information," says Holden. "The neat thing about online help is that it's always there when you need it."

Holden finds Activant's extensive support network another benefit of making Activant Haggard and Stocking's technology partner. "When we run into road blocks and can't figure something out, we don't sit around for days waiting for an answer," explains Holden. "We just log a case online, and get help almost immediately."

Overall, Holden estimates, Haggard and Stocking has saved an amazing $500,000 per year since moving to Prophet 21. "We've reduced operating expenses by $1 million, a substantial portion of which can be attributed to the efficiencies we've gained with Prophet 21," he says. "I'd recommend the solution to any other distributor looking to reduce operational costs and improve customer service. 'Think smarter, not harder' is one of my favorite sayings," Holden concludes. "Activant and Prophet 21 allow us to do just that."

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