ifi implements the business edge at one-third the cost of ... · industrial fasteners, inc. •...

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IFI Implements The BUSINESS EDGEat One-Third the Cost of Other Software

Industrial Fasteners, Inc. • 1510 McGilchrist St. SE • Salem, OR 97302Phone: 503-588-8304 • Fax: 503-588-2379 • www.ifibolt.com

ndustrial Fasteners, Inc. (IFI) customers can counton a comprehensive selection of fastener prod-

ucts stored in multiple locations. This enables them toreact directly to customer needs providing quick anddependable service. They are now known for superiorcustomer service and they have five major warehousesthroughout the United States.

IFI specializes in customized services designed tosuit their customers’ needs: custom packaging of fas-tener kits labeled to customer specifications, along withbin stocking programs for OEM and MRO applications.They offer fleet delivery in Oregon and southern Wash-ington, and also provide expedited service for emer-gency needs.

IFI is part of Valmont, Inc. Valmont is recognizedthroughout the world as an industry leader in engineeredsupport structures and services for infrastructure, andwater management for agriculture.Essential to their success is acompany-wide commitment tocustomer service and innovation,and the ability to be the best costproducer for all products and ser-vices they provide.

IFI had the objective of mod-ernizing techniques and increas-ing their capabilities of wholesaledistribution. They reviewed mostof the industry standard applica-tions on the market. “The BUSI-NESS EDGE” was one package that was reviewed earlyand set aside because it was not a Microsoft Windows basedapplication and didn’t have all the bells and whistles of-fered by that platform. After calculating the huge onsiteimplementation and consulting fees associated with thetraditional implementation approach, they came to the real-ization that most applications were just not a good fit for afastener company.

As a last resort they revisited The BUSINESS EDGEapplication and found that it was fastener specific soft-ware and it fit their business model quite well. Con-cerns of MS Windows and MS Office integration andability to use these applications from within this soft-ware evaporated upon closer review. The stability,speed, and price of the Linux operating system madeit a viable enterprise solution and one they looked for-ward to using. After completing a review, they realizedthat The BUSINESS EDGE was the best match of allapplications they had reviewed.

Rich Versolenko, MIS Manager, stated, “As I startedthe purchasing process I realized that this applicationwas a tremendous value at about one-third the cost oftheir competitors’. Additionally, their remote implemen-tation model with no onsite consulting is unheard of inthis industry. I must say I was a bit leery at first, but

having gone through it, it is very effective. Because of theoverall cost of this application and implementation pro-cess, I was able to move our e-commerce project plannedfor next year to this year’s budget.”

He went on to say, “One last thing I would like tocover is software modifications. Every business hassome unique ways of doing business that are not cov-ered in canned software packages. We were no ex-ception. The Computer Insights staff has respondedto these needs in a very expeditious, professional, andcost effective manner. Suffice it to say, I feel that theyhave gone above and beyond expected levels to en-sure our success. These things all come together tomake this software and service one of the best buysin the market place.”

Managing the multi-warehouse, multi-location inven-tory is a key benefit of the system. Orders can be split

and shipped from multiple ware-houses or transferred to a singlewarehouse for shipping. The abil-ity to decide line by line on anorder, and how it should behandled, enables IFI to take fulladvantage of their inventory andprovide better service. The entireinventory is available for ship-ment regardless of physical lo-cation.

The system helps eliminate“stock outs” and maintain appro-

priate margins. It automatically tracks lost sales toprovide Purchasing with a view of products that theyshould be stocking or stocking in greater quantities. Itwarns if products are being sold at an unacceptablemargin and it will even automatically calculate the ap-propriate minimum price for the Customer ServicePerson. On the Purchasing side, the system will warnif a proposed PO is a specific percentage more or lessthan the Default PO Cost. The percentage is set byInventory Class.

Customers see the benefits through:• Up-to-the-minute status on orders,• Faster processing.• More accurate information, and• Higher levels of customers serviceLee Kuske, General Manager of IFI, puts it clearly.

He said, “The BUSINESS EDGE is simply the bestvalue for your business dollar in fastener software.”

IFI can be reached at 1510 McGilchrist Street SE,Salem, OR 97302; phone 503-588-8304; fax 503-588-2379; web: www.ifibolt.com.

Computer Insights can be reached at 108 SouthThird Street, Bloomingdale, IL 60108; phone 800-539-1233; fax 630-893-4030; web: www.ci-inc.com.

IFI has complete in-house plating operations

Reprinted from Distributor’s Link Magazine