RSM Resources

New software application gives distributor tools to capitalize on the success of its booming business.

When business is booming, you can’t help but feel successful. But what if your IT systems can’t keep up with the growing demands? This was the business challenge faced by one of our clients.

The challenge
As more people began pursuing a healthier lifestyle, our client -- a lifestyle media company -- saw an opportunity to expand their product offerings and capitalize on a multi-channel distribution approach. The lifestyle industry was booming and business picked up quickly. But this increased volume presented a major challenge for the company.

Our client’s strategic acquisitions had resulted in IT systems not being tightly integrated. This meant the manual labor involved in critical tasks like collecting sales information was time intensive and inefficient. They realized this would restrict their ability to grow quickly and maximize their inventory investment.

Growing customer demands were not the only IT challenges the company needed to overcome. They also faced technology-related partner demands. Some of the major retailers they worked with started to require the use of electronic data interchange (EDI).

They quickly realized investing in a new software application was the only solution to help them capitalize on the success of their growing business.

The solution
The lifestyle media company partnered with RSM McGladrey to help them implement a software solution that would centralize and consolidate their systems. The application selected to accomplish this was Microsoft Great Plains®.

“This solution goes beyond integration and consolidation – it allows the company to manage increased volume and reduce staffing levels while still maintaining a high level of service,” says Matt Kenney, RSM McGladrey IT consultant-Denver, Col.

Although implementing Microsoft Great Plains® was a good start to improving their IT systems, the company still needed a few enhancements to gain even more efficiencies. Our consultants redesigned the order processing screen to match their procedures. This enabled employees to enter orders more quickly and accurately. We also helped with warehouse management integration to make the pick/pack process more efficient.

“Perhaps the most important enhancement we assisted this client with was the implementation of EDI,” explains Kenney. “Since their key retail partners were requiring the use of this technology, implementing EDI was vital to continuing their working relationship.”

The results
In 2002, just a few years after the new software went live, our client’s revenue increased with internal growth at 18 percent. The company continues to reach its goals and remains a leading force in the lifestyle industry. Having tightly integrated and consolidated IT systems is instrumental in achieving these objectives.