Summary
• bisTrack includes sales, stock, and purchasing management and gathers intelligence.
• It is built in Microsoft Windows architecture.
• J Cavanagh says it helped to improve efficiencies at its three branches.
• James Latham is about to use the customer portal Web Track.

At the opening of Progressive Solutions’ new premises in Runcorn in July, managing director Arthur Duffy said the software provider’s role was to service companies and “help them on their journey”.

Two timber companies that probably wouldn’t argue with that are James Latham plc and J Cavanagh Ltd. Both have installed Progressive’s bisTrack management software and say it has helped them build a stronger business.

According to Cavanagh’s managing director, John Cavanagh, the system helped contribute to higher margins, and gave him the time to plan the opening of a third branch.

James Latham’s financial director, David Dunmow, said it provided immediate efficiencies and savings.

The standard bisTrack package, which is built in Microsoft Windows architecture, includes sales order processing, stock control, pricing and discount management for sales from multiple locations. As it’s Microsoft based, it’s familiar to anyone used to other Microsoft applications – and it links with Microsoft Office.

A year after implementing bisTrack at its three branches, Cavanagh’s margins had increased by 2.5%, which John Cavanagh attributes to the software’s elimination of miscalculations and human error.

The system has also provided better monitoring and control of the business.

“From day one, I could see what we were selling from the new branch through live information on my desktop in head office, as well as the margins we were making,” said Mr Cavanagh.

David Dunmow said there were immediate savings for James Latham too, as bisTrack relieved staff of administrative tasks and gave them more time to sell.

The system’s reporting capabilities are increasingly useful too. “bisTrack’s new Smart Views and Dashboards are great management tools,” said Mr Dunmow. “We’ve customised a dashboard which gives the directors a live overview of the number of orders taken by day, by week and by depot, and the value of invoiced sales and margins. It also shows us how close to target each branch is likely to be at the end of the month.”

Sales staff promoting ‘focus’ products are given a view of their performance against targets, the products’ sales trends for the past two years, the top customers buying them and stock availability, while the field sales team have information about their accounts and their performance against target.

“To gather this type of intelligence we used to run a Crystal Report, then analyse the figures produced. Now we have a constant, live graphical overview,” said Mr Dunmow. bisTrack, he added, also helped to keep an eye on the company’s credit situation.

“It lets us gather more in-depth information; for example against customers we hold additional information such as ‘balance insured’, ‘internal board limit’, ‘reason for changes in insured limits, and we can produce reports from this,” he said.

Now Lathams is about to introduce Web Track, bisTrack’s customer portal which will allow it to manage accounts on line. They will also be able to view Lathams’ technical information and FSC certificates.

Web Track will also provide a marketing tool for Lathams. “Our sales team will be in control of what information will be available to each of their customers. It’s another platform from where, for example, we can promote new MDF ranges and price promotions.”

Because it is part of bisTrack all the data is linked and customer specific price lists published in Web Track will be updated automatically.

“If we used a third-party portal, we would have to maintain these from a separate database, meaning more hassle and more expense,” said Mr Dunmow.

Web Track also allows Lathams’ customers to check the status of their orders and the company may include the online ordering facility in the future.