Record first quarter

Progressive Solutions have record first quarter

Progressive Solutions International, suppliers of the merchant-tailored bisTrack software, have had their most successful first quarter since the company established themselves in the UK five years ago.

Arthur Duffy, Operations Director of Progressive Solutions Ten companies across the UK have implemented the bisTrack software in the last few months, including Baudains Trade Supplies in Guernsey, Cricklewood Timber and Building Supplies and Quinn Building Supplies in County Tyrone.

"Delivering business solutions to help customers achieve their goals."

"By engaging fully with all our customers, we understand their business objectives so we can deliver business solutions to help them achieve their goals - and make them more profitable," says PSI's director of sales Arthur Duffy on why bisTrack is becoming popular.

Progressive Solutions have now started utilising web conferencing to demonstrate and implement the software, in reaction to the remote location of some of their newer customers.

Baudains was one of the first to use web conferencing to implement the software. "The last time I was involved with implementing a new computer system, it involved lots of IT people coming to Guernsey at great cost," says managing director Peter Baudains.

"Additionally we had to organise staff training at the time of the day when the staff were needed most in their work areas."

This flexibility has proved popular among new customers and PSI say that they will use web conferencing with future clients.

"Web conferencing can be set up at a lot shorter notice than an actual physical visit."

"As well as offering time and cost savings to our customers, web conferencing is also a great way of demonstrating bisTrack to companies who are still in the early stages of considering new or upgraded software," says Duffy. "Web conferencing can be set up at a lot shorter notice than an actual physical visit and we can cover as little or as much of the system as the customer wants to see at any one time."

By including web conferencing sessions in the implementation programme, PSI believe that they can bring their clients' go live dates forward, as time normally spent by the implementation team travelling to and from the customer site is put to better use. the explanation, demonstration and configuration of the software took place during one three hour configuration session with Baudains.

The basic requirement for web conferencing is a PC or equivalent with an internet connection. The end user also has the option of taking control of the remote PC and using it as effectively as if they were sitting at that machine, to demonstrate the system in a hands-on way.

Sessions can also be set up using multiple remote PCs using either the web conferencing chat facility or via a simultaneous conference call.

For larger groups, the customer can project a laptop to a screen in the training room.

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Testimonials

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

Operations Director, CF Anderson
"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
"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 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."
"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
"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
"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."
"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
"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
"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
"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
“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 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
"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."

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

Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty
"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
"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
"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
"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