US ServTec was founded to serve authorized service and repair dealers of youth model ATV’s and on-road gas powered scooters. The company provides parts ordering, technical support and warranty claims processing for dealers across the United States.
Stalled Software
As the interest and demand for ATV’s grew in the early 2000’s, so did US ServTec’s inventory. However, their Peachtree (Sage 50) accounting system couldn’t handle the growing company’s needs. With parts inventory surpassing 5000 items, an increase in shipping volume, growing receivables and reporting that had to be done outside of the overtaxed system, US ServTec realized they needed to make a change. They needed a solution that was bigger, faster and more accessible so all departments could have visibility to critical data.
“We looked at a number of options,” stated Carroll Walker, US ServTec Warehouse Division Manager. “Sage MAS 200 (Sage 100 Advanced) clearly stood out over all of the other choices as it fit everything we needed.” They setup a meeting with a local Sage MAS 90 (Sage 100 Standard) and Sage MAS 200 (Sage 100 Advanced) partner, Accounting Systems, Inc. (ASI). Carroll recalls, “We instantly liked the team from ASI. We could tell they knew what they were doing, grasped our business needs right away and instilled a sense of confidence that we were making the right choice.”
Systems Re-Started
ASI started the implementation process late in 2003, and US ServTec went live in early 2004. “The implementation went so smooth thanks to the team at ASI,” stated Carroll. “They walked us through everything and it just fell into place. I doubt if it would have gone that smooth if it wasn’t for ASI. There was a lot of worry about how the transition would go. We have customers that rely on us every day and thanks to ASI we didn’t skip a beat.”
As part of the implementation, US ServTec’s shipping software, Starship, was integrated with the Sage MAS 200 (Sage 100) system. “This was one of the most impressive and somewhat unexpected benefits of Sage 100,” said Carroll. “The integration between it and our shipping software has streamlined our operations considerably. It was such an unexpected difference.” Previously, when customer service entered an order, the warehouse staff would have to re-enter the information into the shipping software. Not only was this extremely time consuming, but it was also highly error prone. Now, with Sage 100 and Starship integration the information shows up automatically decreasing the time it takes to perform shipments and eliminating double data entry. Shipping errors have been almost eliminated due to the integration. “As long as the order was entered properly in customer service it goes out accurately,” states Carroll. “This one benefit alone saves us thousands of dollars annually.”
A Well-Oiled Machine
Since implementing the system in 2004, US ServTec’s inventory has increased by 35-40%. The company attributes being able to grow and produce more because of their Sage 100 system. Carroll states, “There was such a huge gap between what Sage 50 could do versus Sage 100, it was really an unexpected difference. Everything in Sage 100 worked so much better and now our accounting, customer service and warehouse departments are streamlined as an operation. The system helped us ship quicker with less errors, and the reports I need are instant which is a huge time saver.”
All seven people in the company use the Sage 100 system every day. Users adapted to the intuitive system quickly, and with education and support from ASI the company is well positioned for further growth. “ASI has supported us along the way, and we consider them an extension of our company,” said Carroll. “We have been pleased as a company with Sage 100, but most importantly we are so happy with ASI. It’s important to know we have someone we can trust to be there when we need them. This was overall the best financial investment we’ve made as a company.”
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