Kasco Greases Wheels of Sales Force With Sage 100 ERP

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Industries

Automotive
Retail

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing
Business Operation

Use Cases

Supply Chain Visibility
Inventory Management

Services

System Integration
Software Design & Engineering Services

The Challenge

Kasco, a distributor of BG Products, wanted to automate its sales force, which was 20 strong. When salesmen visit customers, nine times out of ten they have the required products in their van. It makes sense, therefore, to deliver an invoice at the point of sale—to avoid duplicate data entry at the head office and speed up the revenue stream. For ten years the company had been happy using Sage 50—U.S. Edition as its business software. But it needed an application that would integrate with the Route Management System (RMS) on its salesmen’s hand-held computers. Other BG distributors used an interface between Sage 100 ERP* and the RMS designed by Quality Data Products, a Sage licensed developer.

About The Customer

Kasco is a distributor of BG Products, a manufacturer and worldwide distributor of specialty lubricants, greases, chemicals, and service equipment. BG products are sold through a network of independent distributors, each with an exclusive marketing area. Kasco's territory is comprised of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. The company sells fuel and transmission additives and equipment such as transmission flush machines to gas stations and private repair shops. Another key market is dealerships’ service departments. The company advertises widely on both television and radio, and its products are endorsed by the local auto maintenance guru. Kasco is based in Temple Hills, Maryland and has 35 employees.

The Solution

Kasco implemented the interface, migrated to Sage 100 ERP, and now has an end-to-end system with complete accounting, inventory management, and field sales reporting capabilities. Salesmen generate invoices using a printer in their vans and present them to the customer. They download the information to headquarters using a modem or phone line, either on-site or from their home at night. This has eliminated the need for an accounts receivable clerk doing data entry of sales tickets. Salesmen can pull up customer data on a daily basis. When they visit an account, they know the credit status without having to place a call to the head office, and they can give friendly reminders about payment and avoid further transactions with delinquent accounts when necessary.

Operational Impact

Streamlined automation from A to Z; realtime data flow with RMS mobile access; informed and effective sales force; easy, flexible AR and bank reconciliation.
Accuracy has improved in other areas, too. The Sage 100 ERP Purchase Order module verifies data between inventory and purchases, double-checking vendor billings. The system ensures that items are posted to the correct customer account, flagging mistakes for immediate correction. Addition errors are a thing of the past. Even tax is calculated automatically.
One feature of the Bank Reconciliation module that Moyers likes is the flexibility to establish cut-off dates for end-of-month reports. She can enter transactions without worrying whether the bank account has been reconciled yet, knowing that future transactions will be recorded properly. She also appreciates using Sage 100 ERP to export data into other programs like Excel®, so she can reformat price lists or create reports using familiar tools.

Quantitative Benefit