Success Stories

Activant Prophet 21 Helps Growing HVAC Distributor Streamline and Centralize Processes

A few piles of paper sit on Tim Cox's desk. But, Cox admits that without Activant Prophet 21, there would be reams more.

"With Prophet 21, I have all the information I need right on my computer," says Cox, who serves as controller at Shelby-Skipwith, Inc., a seven location, Memphis, TN-based HVAC supply house. "I don't have to print dozens of reports. I can drill down into the financial and inventory information I need right onscreen."

Activant Prophet 21, an enterprise software solution for distributors, uses a Windows-based platform and SQL Server to give businesses like Shelby-Skipwith the power to streamline processes, increase sales, and reduce costs while better managing inventory. Plus, Prophet 21's strong accounting and financial management tools help distributors increase profitability.

"The first year we were on Prophet 21 was our most profitable ever," Cox testifies. "We were able to look at margins in real-time to see where we got the most bang for our buck."

The Search for a Solution

When Cox joined the Shelby-Skipwith team in the late 1990s, company leaders charged him with the task of finding a new operating system for the growing company - which was then only two locations. "When I got here, we were on a really low-end, ten-year-old batch system that had never been upgraded," Cox remembers. "It offered no connectivity." While the system managed the main office's accounting and inventory processes, the branch location's business processes were handled manually.

Cox, a CPA, knew that he wanted an enterprise-wide package, not an accounting program. "I needed something that was going to help us operate the business," he recalls. Company engineers suggested he look into Windows-based solutions.

After seeing Prophet 21, his decision was made. "It handled everything from financials to inventory, and gave us the connectivity we needed to grow," he says. "Plus, it was user-friendly and easy to get around."

Growing and Growing

Since going live on Prophet 21, Shelby-Skipwith has added three new locations. Though the company has grown by leaps and bounds, administrative payroll during the same time period has remained roughly the same. "Prophet 21 has saved us from hiring additional staff to handle back-office tasks," says Cox. For example, only one person handles accounts payable - even though the company works with approximately 50 percent more vendors than it did several years ago.

Additionally, Prophet 21 has enabled Shelby-Skipwith to centralize administration. Branches are inventory and sales centers, not office buildings, and are connected, in real-time, to the central location in Memphis.

Intuitive and Easy to Use

Shelby-Skipwith's current accounts payable (AP) clerk began her career as a receptionist at the company, fresh out of high school. She never worked in an office, and had no accounting experience - but was familiar with Windows-based applications from her high school classes. "When our old AP person left, I offered her the job, and she was willing to do it," he remembers. Training the young woman on Prophet 21 was easy, Cox contends. "She already knew how to use a mouse to click around. I've trained a lot of accounting clerks in my lifetime - but this time was much easier than others."

Other employees also find the solution intuitive and easy to use. "All the new people I've brought on board love it. They get the information they need to help our customers and help themselves. It's really just very user-friendly."

Cox concludes that he would recommend Prophet 21 to anyone else in the distribution industry. "I've been in this business for years, and have seen a lot of systems. Prophet 21 offers more depth - in accounting and inventory management - than anything else I've seen. I doubt that there's anything better."

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