"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
"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
"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 spent a long time evaluating several systems and I'm confident that bisTrack is the best available."
Andrew Laver, Arnold Laver Timberworld
"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
"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
"Good customer service is easier to achieve with good IT systems to back up our staff. Progressive provides us with an efficient system for dealing with customers, and good management tools to enable us to concentrate our efforts in the right direction."
David Dunmow, Group Finance Director, James Latham plc
"I can export information into Excel by right-clicking and manipulate it to my heart's content."
"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
"Inventory accuracy is higher because everyone is more focused and our staff can see the benefit of getting it right."
Ian Murchie, Operations Director, Howie Forest Products
"We saw benefits straight away, particularly with the time we saved on monthly stock takes and sourcing information for management reports."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products
"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."
East End Group
"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)
"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
"We spent a long time evaluating several systems and I'm confident that bisTrack is the best available."
Andrew Laver, Arnold Laver Timberworld
"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
"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."
Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"If we hadn't changed to bisTrack we simply couldn't have grown like this."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products
"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."
"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
"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."
Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"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 great thing is we can always export information to Excel and produce any report we need — such as an aged debt report by sales rep, or our bespoke ‘exposure’ report, which helps us assess potential credit risk and protect ourselves."
Damien Cosgrove, Credit Control Manager, Noyeks Newmans
"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
"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 decision to go with bisTrack was based on the relationship we were developing with the Progressive team, a confidence in deliverability and their aggressive approach to overall cost."
Stephen Mulhall, FD, McMahon
"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
"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)
"We spent a long time evaluating several systems and I'm confident that bisTrack is the best available."
Andrew Laver, Arnold Laver Timberworld
"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 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)
"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 spent a long time evaluating several systems and I'm confident that bisTrack is the best available."
Andrew Laver, Arnold Laver Timberworld
"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
"Inventory accuracy is higher because everyone is more focused and our staff can see the benefit of getting it right."
Ian Murchie, Operations Director, Howie Forest Products
"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
"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
"Performance across the system is continuously enhanced too. Since our last release, finding products is now significantly faster ...by up to 30%."
Gary Brookshaw, Product Director, Progressive Solutions
"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
"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 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
“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
"At Complete 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 through bisTrack for customers."
Richard Moody, Director, Complete Building Materials
"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
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
"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
"Inventory accuracy is higher because everyone is more focused and our staff can see the benefit of getting it right."
Ian Murchie, Operations Director, Howie Forest Products
"I can drop-down and drill into any business information easily, which enables me to analyse a situation very quickly. It gives me complete control."
Mark Congdon, Financial Director, Noyeks Newmans
"I can drop-down and drill into any business information easily, which enables me to analyse a situation very quickly. It gives me complete control."
Mark Congdon, Financial Director, Noyeks Newmans
"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
"We saw benefits straight away, particularly with the time we saved on monthly stock takes and sourcing information for management reports."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products
"I can export information into Excel by right-clicking and manipulate it to my heart's content."
"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
"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."
"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
"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
For example, C Blumsom Ltd, one of the largest timber importers in London, is enjoying a 2% rise in margin since the implementation of bisTrack software earlier this year. BisTrack manages sales order processing and stock control as well as purchasing – including importing, transport and works orders for manufacturing. The most important benefit however, according to managing director, Robert Blumsom, is the improved margin control. He believes the 2% increase is down to bisTrack keeping staff aware of cost prices and alerting them if they’re selling below the required margin. He explains, “Staff could have worked margins out before, but now they have the figures right in front of them and so they’re much more aware of the profit they are making.” Robert believes this has led to greater responsibility for earning the best possible margin by staff and at the same time has improved accuracy throughout the sales department.
