Another battle lost?

e-Xact logo Bev James of e-Xact challenges merchants to adopt a more cohesive and integrated approach when it comes to using product data and IT systems to enhance any potential sale. It is something, she argues, that could have a real impact on your bottom line.

How often do you come across a builders' merchant that does not use a computer with a product file for the sale and purchase of goods? How often have you heard the expression "Garbage in, Garbage Out"? How often do you hear talk about how important it is to have quality data? The answers are likely to be rarely, often and loads of times.

Bev James, sales & marketing director, e-Xact Why is it then that no-one will put their money where their mouth is? Given the choice of attending a golf day, negotiating some marketing support or insisting on quality data from a supplier, why is it that the golf day or marketing support wins every time?

In spite of the BMF, CPA and other industry bodies preaching the importance of GTIN (more commonly known as EAN or bar codes) for at least 20 years we still trail behind DIY and retailing — and we have to conclude that this battle is already lost.

A report by GS1, the standards organisation that allocates EAN codes, concluded that even in the grocery sector (heralded as much more disciplined than construction) there is a high level of mismatch between the product information held by suppliers and that of the Supermarkets selling their products. If poor quality data and the associated problems in billing, logistics, customer service and so on costs them hundreds of millions annually, how much is it costing our industry?

"The companies that can quickly deliver high quality information to staff and customers alike are much better positioned to take advantage of technology – and ultimately witness improvements in their bottom line."

Just like merchants, Supermarkets use their own proprietary spreadsheets to manage updates to information — a practice that is known to produce a high level of errors and the abandonment of standards. It also forces a heavy cost on suppliers who have the job of creating multiple sets of customised data.

So how does a supplier keep on top of the information required to keep up with customer demands? The answer is "with great difficulty". It isn't that the information isn't available —indeed it usually is — but it is often the responsibility of different people or departments within the organisation, typically sales, IT, marketing and technical. And an essential part ofthe keeping up is actually doing the work to aggregate information from the various systems or departments.

The days when having a code, description and price fora product was sufficient are long gone. With the growth in internet usage and need for information such as features and benefits (bullet points), conformance (FSE, WRAS, etc.), multiple images, video and other 'eco' information, the task is likely to escalate out of control. Schemes that seek to address this by removing standards and limiting content to less than a handful of data fields will definitely leave users very frustrated.

So what is the answer? Firstly is the need to really believe in their heart that "Content is King" and that quality data has an enormous impact on business efficiency. The companies that can quickly deliver high quality information to staff and customers alike are much better positioned to take advantage of technology — and ultimately witness improvements in their bottom line. Then, when convinced of the value, they need to invest in the creation and maintenance of comprehensive and accurate information.

But why re-invent the wheel? Instead of every merchant trying to capture this 'common' information, why not join forces and support a managed pool of standard format product information that can be dipped into — a central repository.

A good repository allows information to be accessed, downloaded or automatically fed to user's back-office systems and websites, with information that conforms to a standard that has been agreed by representatives of the industry. The data also needs to be continuously checked to ensure its quality — ie: the repository needs to be managed. There aren't many areas where we are leading the race against retailing, but managed product data is one of them and it is encouraging that many companies are recognising that an investment in content can make them 'Kings'.

So perhaps our sector could still win the battle after all!

bisTrack's Product Catalogue offering can make use of e-Xact as a catalogue source. Our Product Catalogues can also take data from any number of sources, keeping all your data accessible and giving you a huge library of potential stock items.

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Testimonials

"The time was right for a change of software at Alsford's and we selected bisTrack from a shortlist of three. The key criteria was 'business fit'. We wanted a Microsoft Windows, intuitive solution which would best serve our claim to be 'The Timber Experts' in all our 20 branches."

Neil Fuller, MD, Alsford Timber
"The reporting capabilities of bisTrack really help the sales department answer day to day enquiries. It gives them instant access to information about purchasing volumes and when timber is due to come in."

Wayne Abrams, Project Leader, Arbor Forest Products
"We helped ourselves by getting bisTrack on board quickly and painlessly while business was slow, so we won't have disruption as we start to implement a very aggressive three year strategic plan."

Neil Fuller, Managing Director, Alsford Timber
"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."

Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber
"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."

David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons
"I can export information into Excel by right-clicking and manipulate it to my heart's content."
"Our staff have margin figures right in front of them now, so they're much more aware of the profit they are making."

Robert Blumsom, Blumsom Fine Timber
"Progressive's experience was important, as was the link with Microsoft. We think that's the way ahead for all merchant systems."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"With bisTrack we now have real-time information on our profitability, which allows us to continually optimise and make decisions on our business plan."

Stuart Hall, General Manager, Lawcris Panel Products
"It's a very nicely laid out system with easy to follow structural menus and taskpads which, even if I haven't used a particular function before, I find relatively simple to complete."

Chris Pratt, Pratts Timber and Builders Merchants Ltd
"I can export information into Excel by right-clicking and manipulate it to my heart's content."
"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."

Payne Timber
"Stock counting is one of the best facilities in bisTrack ever. Stock counting across multiple locations is effortless with multiple entries of the same product. Entering a count is even easier. Counting 10,000 lines used to take two of us 4 days. This time it was 8 hours."
"The time was right for a change of software at Alsford's and we selected bisTrack from a shortlist of three. The key criteria was 'business fit'. We wanted a Microsoft Windows, intuitive solution which would best serve our claim to be 'The Timber Experts' in all our 20 branches."

Neil Fuller, MD, Alsford Timber
"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."

David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons
"One reason we chose Progressive was because their team was so approachable. It wasn’t just because the software was better. We really felt we could work with them.”

Director, Ridgeons
"If we hadn't changed to bisTrack we simply couldn't have grown like this."

Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"The people at Progressive Solutions are likeable, straight-talking individuals who have a commitment to continuously develop and push the software forward."

Joe Tipper, Walter Tippers Ltd
"Our real differential is not in software features, it's in our relationships with customers. How we work with them and how we can make an effective difference. You need the staff and the expertise to be able to do that."

Arthur Duffy, managing director, Progressive Solutions
What will YOU do with your week off?

"With the time saved we've carried out branch refurbishments and I've taken my first holiday!"

John Cavanagh, MD, Cavanagh Timber
"One reason we chose Progressive was because their team was so approachable. It wasn’t just because the software was better. We really felt we could work with them.”

Director, Ridgeons
"Stock counting is one of the best facilities in bisTrack ever. Stock counting across multiple locations is effortless with multiple entries of the same product. Entering a count is even easier. Counting 10,000 lines used to take two of us 4 days. This time it was 8 hours."
What will YOU do with your week off?

"With the time saved we've carried out branch refurbishments and I've taken my first holiday!"

John Cavanagh, MD, Cavanagh Timber
"We looked at several systems, but most of them were using the same out-of-date technology as the system we were replacing!"

Rodney Scoles, Director, T Brewer & Co
"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."

Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber
"I can export information into Excel by right-clicking and manipulate it to my heart's content."
"Progressive's experience was important, as was the link with Microsoft. We think that's the way ahead for all merchant systems."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."

Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber
"We helped ourselves by getting bisTrack on board quickly and painlessly while business was slow, so we won't have disruption as we start to implement a very aggressive three year strategic plan."

Neil Fuller, Managing Director, Alsford Timber
"Progressive's experience was important, as was the link with Microsoft. We think that's the way ahead for all merchant systems."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"We looked at several systems, but most of them were using the same out-of-date technology as the system we were replacing!"

Rodney Scoles, Director, T Brewer & Co
“A member of our buying group told us about bisTrack, although we looked at four or five other software packages. Key factors in the eventual selection of bisTrack were its SQL platform and our confidence in the people we dealt with.”

Gordon Rothwell, James Hargreaves (Plumbers Merch)
"We helped ourselves by getting bisTrack on board quickly and painlessly while business was slow, so we won't have disruption as we start to implement a very aggressive three year strategic plan."

Neil Fuller, Managing Director, Alsford Timber
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"Our staff have margin figures right in front of them now, so they're much more aware of the profit they are making."

Robert Blumsom, Blumsom Fine Timber
"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"We were drowning in paper and, as a business turning over £2.2 million, the time had come for us to invest in business management software."

David Biddle, MD, Huntingdon Timber & Roofing
"Our staff have margin figures right in front of them now, so they're much more aware of the profit they are making."

Robert Blumsom, Blumsom Fine Timber
"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."

Payne Timber
"With bisTrack we now have real-time information on our profitability, which allows us to continually optimise and make decisions on our business plan."

Stuart Hall, General Manager, Lawcris Panel Products
"The reporting capabilities of bisTrack really help the sales department answer day to day enquiries. It gives them instant access to information about purchasing volumes and when timber is due to come in."

Wayne Abrams, Project Leader, Arbor Forest Products
“A member of our buying group told us about bisTrack, although we looked at four or five other software packages. Key factors in the eventual selection of bisTrack were its SQL platform and our confidence in the people we dealt with.”

Gordon Rothwell, James Hargreaves (Plumbers Merch)
"It's a very nicely laid out system with easy to follow structural menus and taskpads which, even if I haven't used a particular function before, I find relatively simple to complete."

Chris Pratt, Pratts Timber and Builders Merchants Ltd
"Progressive's experience was important, as was the link with Microsoft. We think that's the way ahead for all merchant systems."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"I was working with 2.7 in our test environment and looking at all the work you have done. Just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate all you do to make this a great technology partnership."

Brian King, Lumber USA
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"If we hadn't changed to bisTrack we simply couldn't have grown like this."

Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products
"bisTrack was a big investment for us but it's the best change we've ever made. We've grown so much over the last four or five years, we simply couldn't have carried on using a manual system."

Gerwyn Thomas, partner, TL Thomas (builders' merchant)
“There are other systems of course, but none have had the development time that’s behind bisTrack. I can’t believe there’s a better system out there. I’m convinced there’s nothing that can deliver better what we need.”

Peter Buttle, md, Buttle plc
"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"Once we started building up information we could trust, we started seeing real benefits. If stock accuracy was the main benefit, then quality of management information was next."

Peter Kerr, FD, Palmer Timber
"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."

Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber
“Hargeaves are ideally placed to take advantage of the offer – whilst we plan to continue using e-Xact to update our product file we also want much better control over special product sales and purchases."

Gordon Rothwell, James Hargreaves MD
"Our computer system impacts on every aspect of the business. Buying, selling, importing, transport planning, as well as accounts. If you install the wrong software, without the right level of performance or functionality, it will cause significant problems throughout your business."
"I'm happy bisTrack will grow with us. If we find we need something which isn't already incorporated, I'm confident Progressive will work with us to fill the gap."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"We were drowning in paper and, as a business turning over £2.2 million, the time had come for us to invest in business management software."

David Biddle, MD, Huntingdon Timber & Roofing
"bisTrack was a big investment for us but it's the best change we've ever made. We've grown so much over the last four or five years, we simply couldn't have carried on using a manual system."

Gerwyn Thomas, partner, TL Thomas (builders' merchant)
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"Our staff have margin figures right in front of them now, so they're much more aware of the profit they are making."

Robert Blumsom, Blumsom Fine Timber
"bisTrack is an excellent piece of software and getting better. Their approach to meeting our needs is excellent. eBusiness is not going to be big for another 12 months but PSI are there already, which means we’re ahead. They're very open to ideas and keep getting better at turnaround."

Adam Myers, Beesley & Fildes
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
“Hargeaves are ideally placed to take advantage of the offer – whilst we plan to continue using e-Xact to update our product file we also want much better control over special product sales and purchases."

Gordon Rothwell, James Hargreaves MD
"We have a responsibility to the environment. That’s why we’re trying to lower our carbon footprint. We introduced e-commerce, cut down on paper receipts & are introducing electronic billing for customers."

Director, building materials supplier
"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."

Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber
"Our relationship with PSI has been transformed this year. This is due almost entirely to having an Account Manager as a single point of contact, who knows our system and our business."

Eric Jones, IT Manager, Alsford Timber
"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."

David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons
"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."

David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"We looked at several systems, but most of them were using the same out-of-date technology as the system we were replacing!"

Rodney Scoles, Director, T Brewer & Co
"The great thing is we can always export information to Excel and produce any report we need — such as aged debt by sales rep, or a bespoke exposure report, which assesses potential credit risk & protects us."

Damien Cosgrove, Credit Control Mgr, Noyeks Newmans
"Once we started building up information we could trust, we started seeing real benefits. If stock accuracy was the main benefit, then quality of management information was next."

Peter Kerr, FD, Palmer Timber
"One reason we chose Progressive was because their team was so approachable. It wasn’t just because the software was better. We really felt we could work with them.”

Director, Ridgeons
"Progressive's experience was important, as was the link with Microsoft. We think that's the way ahead for all merchant systems."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"One reason we chose Progressive was because their team was so approachable. It wasn’t just because the software was better. We really felt we could work with them.”

Director, Ridgeons
"Our staff have margin figures right in front of them now, so they're much more aware of the profit they are making."

Robert Blumsom, Blumsom Fine Timber
"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"I'm convinced there's no other system that can deliver better what we need. Apart from its Windows architecture and its powerful functionality, it now has ten years of development behind it."

Peter Buttle, Buttle plc