IT
BLUE ROCK IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Sanitaryware supplier Premier Contract Supplies has taken on the iQ system from Blue Rock.
et up by Vince Caldicott to sell heating supplies and bathrooms to the public, sanitaryware merchant Premier Contact Supplies, based in Frimley, now has seven branches, offers a national service and has built strong relationships with key housebuilders and manufacturers of bathroom equipment. Last year,the company realised that it needed to replace its existing accounting software with a more flexible, scalable and functional solution; the iQ system from Blue Rock was installed towards the end of 2021. Director Peter Caldicott says the company is seeing an improvement in efficiency and getting good feedback. “Of our 50 users, the vast majority are extremely happy with how it speeds up how they work – we have a few still getting to grips with it, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
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Operational Manager Graham Cuthbert adds: “We’re already seeing the benefits compared to our old system We know that there’s also so much more we’re going to be able to get out of it as we go forward. “ The most benefits are coming from the purchase ledger function, which is much easier and more efficient than the previous system was. Caldicott adds: “For me, the ease of access to data is so helpful for reporting and data analysis – management accounts are easily visible, much less fiddly than running reports. The internal sales account managers absolutely love it – they were our main focus when looking to go ahead with iQ in the first place and that department is probably where the biggest gains are. The way proof of delivery, Blue Scan, works improved our efficiency straight off the bat. The way it handles rebates, pricing, visibility of margins is brilliant from a reporting point of view. “With Blue Rock, we can speak to the Directors when we need to, and they’re always on hand to sort any issues out. This was brought home to me at the initial stages of the installation when Blue Rock were happy to contribute, without hesitation, extra time to keep the project on track – it was a real team effort.”
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Cuthbert continues: “I’ve found the workflows to be very powerful. I can also pull data very quickly – it just works. It enables me to help the other teams quickly. The ability to send a customer proof of delivery is so helpful too. One of the big differences with iQ is that we’ve been able to do so much stuff ourselves, it’s so easy to get your head around the control desks etc. They provide instant visibility of how the business is running without the need to print out reams of reports.” Moving forward, Cuthbert says the company wants to tighten up and fine-tune the way it uses iQ, to fully benefit from the features available. “We’re going to look into using the integrated dashboards with live data more – before we had to download and import CSV files,” he says. “Being able to carry out automatic invoicing has been a huge time saver too – we were doing an invoice run every morning so being able to do this automatically in the evening is great. We now have an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system without limitations, that can do what we want it to do – we just have to decide now what the problems are in the business that we can tackle with iQ. ”
Caldicott adds: “First of all, we’ll be taking time to analyse the data we can now see clearly, to see where our processes can be more streamlined and efficient. We’re also going to be going ahead with the warehouse management system soon, and we’ve been looking at the transport module to see if that’s a route we want to go down. An e-commerce customer portal is also in the pipeline – we had a demonstration from Blue Rock and were very impressed and can see the benefits for our customers, being able to view their orders with the live connection to the web from iQ.” Glen Jewell, Sales Director at Blue Rock Systems says: “Having a strong start with iQ is often down to how the company approach the process, and the Blue Rock support desk has said that PCS are easy to work with, friendly and made the go-live period run very smoothly – it’s a two-way street and being easy to work with on both sides leads to a successful go-live.” BMJ
BRADFORDS LAUNCHES DIGITAL CREDIT APPLICATION SYSTEM
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radfords Building Supplies has launched a new paperless online credit application system that allows customers to shop instantly. By partnering with DocuSign, Bradfords has created a secure e-sign solution that’s fully integrated into Epicor’s BisTrack ERP system and complies with GDPR and data privacy requirements.
The application process begins when a customer completes a form on Bradfords’ website to purchase goods immediately against their account on a cash basis. After a rapid verification and credit check process, a DocuSign contract is issued for customers to purchase goods on their account using Bradfords’ credit facility.
The solution can approve or reject a credit application in a matter of hours, provided all necessary details and evidence has been provided. The company believes the system, set up by Bradfords’ IT team, is an industry first. Jonathan Chard, IT Director at Bradfords, says: “To our knowledge, no other builders’ merchant offers a fully digital credit application process and the ability to shop immediately. This isn’t simply about digitising a paper- based process – we wanted to solve a genuine business problem. The automation and clarity of customer communications throughout the process means we can keep in regular contact with our customers and solve any concerns with their application quickly and effectively.” Carol Dawkins, Credit Manager at the merchant firm, adds: “The new digital process for the opening of credit accounts is a game changer for our department and the wider business. The system saves time for both us and the customer and has the added benefit of improved accuracy as we no longer struggle to read the handwriting of potential customers! “The feedback we’ve received so far has been very positive, with customers telling us they have been impressed with the ease and speed of the online process, plus the obvious environmental benefits of going paperless.”BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net February 2022
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