Overcoming EDI

Progressive start to overcoming EDI issues

The buying societies remain the driving force behind the uptake of EDI trading, according to software company, Progressive Solutions.

“We are aware that some buying societies are putting commercial pressure on both customers and suppliers who are not currently trading electronically with them,” says Progressive Solutions' Tony Watson. He heads the company's support team and specialises in supporting customers using EDI.

eBusiness reduces paperwork and increase efficiencies between trading partners“Nearly all our users who have implemented our bisTrack eBusiness module have done so because they are being encouraged to do so by the buying societies.”

Some of the larger bisTrack users have been trading successfully using EDI for more than a year.

For example, several users supply Unimer members and send invoices electronically to the buying society on a daily basis. In this scenario, the bisTrack user sets up Unimer as a customer with all the Unimer members set up as individual delivery addresses.

Unimer places orders on the bisTrack users who fire the invoices back automatically — all by EDI. Other bisTrack users use the eBusiness module to raise purchase orders on suppliers in Europe and receive the invoices back by the same method.

Progressive's eBusiness module is closely integrated with the core bisTrack software and therefore with all the customer, supplier and product data it holds. It uses the system's existing messaging infrastructure and supports all industry standard EDI formats.

There is an element of training required and some setting up to ensure each of the trading parties recognise each other’s part numbers. “This is where there is often some resistance when merchants think they will have to key in thousands of part numbers or barcodes so the system recognises what is being ordered or invoiced,” Mr Watson explains. “It is our customers' responsibility to obtain this information from their trading partners and to enter it but it only has to be done once at the outset.

“Also, a merchant might sell 2000 product lines but only a small subset may be traded electronically.”

All bisTrack eBusiness users agree that time saved is the major benefit.

For example, when a supplier invoice is received, it can be quickly checked and then forwarded straight through to the ledger.

“Without eBusiness, bisTrack users have to type a supplier invoice on receipt of an order. With eBusiness, a message alerts you when an order is received, you can open it up and drill down to check it over and then the invoice automatically gets sent back to the customer with no typing involved.”

One bisTrack eBusiness user says a major benefit is not having to physically fax an order or have someone sitting at a screen typing in the purchase ledger invoice. Another likes the way it forces his team to have purchase orders spot-on, the stock receipts up-to-date and accurate prices on the system.

"Our eBusiness module was designed for straightforward and transparent exchange of information with suppliers and customers, without our users having to grasp any of the technical complexity of how it all works."

“Our eBusiness module was designed for straightforward and transparent exchange of information with suppliers and customers, without our users having to grasp any of the technical complexity of how it all works. We are happy to demonstrate how easy it is to use, and we can do this remotely, so merchants can take a look without having to leave their desks.”

© 2009, Kindly reproduced courtesy of Builders' Merchants News.

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Testimonials

  • "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 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 was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."

    Operations Director, CF Anderson

  • "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."

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

  • “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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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 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

  • "We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."

    Andy Halpin, Payne 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

  • "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

  • “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 Merchants)

  • "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

  • "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

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

    Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products

  • "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

  • "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

  • "We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."

    Andy Halpin, Payne Timber

  • "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

  • "We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."

    Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty

  • "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

  • "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

  • "We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."

    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

  • "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

  • "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."

  • “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

  • "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 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

bistrack Customer Portal | Progressive Solutions UK

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