Client Success Stories: Ampro Sales | Moderna
Ampro Sales
Imagine saving your warehouse staff kilometres of walking, creating an exceptional customer experience and streamlining your processes without employing more staff or an army of consultants.
For New Zealand company Ampro, that’s exactly what they have been able to achieve, thanks to a partnership of more than 20 years with leading accounting and business software company Attaché Software.
“Our Attaché consultant, KC Little from Tricolour Consulting, has been the key to us successfully applying the strengths of Attaché. Her accounting background, knowledge of the system and business acumen has maximised the system benefits within Ampro.”
Partners in business improvement
Today that partnership has seen the creation of an end-to-end solution by putting in place a number of Attaché products, including Accounts, sales intelligence tool Sales Matrix, ClearView dashboards and an integrated order-fulfilment system developed in conjunction with business improvement company Braintree.
Two decades of innovation
“Put simply, we would not be the business we are today without Attaché,” Managing Director Sandy McLean says.
With a focus on flexibility, service and support – the very things businesses look for today in long term partners – Ampro undertook a significant investigation in 1995 to find a modern, integrated system to move their business forward.
What the adventure equipment supplier found was Attaché, choosing the leading accounts and payroll brand because it was able to provide a focus on timely, accurate and well-communicated service.
“Attaché allowed us key flexibility unlike comparable systems and it has grown with our business,” Sandy said. “As our requirements developed, Attaché too developed by providing innovative solutions.”
Service and efficiency benefits
Ampro has been able to provide a whole new level of customer service and meet customer expectations, reduce manual data input, create staffing efficiencies and reallocate resources.
“Attaché has always provided a very strong foundation on which to build our processes.”
Better processes have helped Ampro grow, improve warehouse and logistics management and provide greater control over stock, product costing and purchasing.
“Our goal was to increase our level of service by providing information to our customers about their orders, including when it left the warehouse, and give them a link to their shipping tracking number so they could track the progress of their delivery,” Sandy says.
The integrated system has reduced the number of incorrectly picked items by allowing warehouse staff to scan by bar code and match codes and products, as well as reducing the pick and pack time.
More significantly, the system operates in real time, allowing operators to access live customer data, which has had the added benefit of reducing customer calls about deliveries, all while Attaché provides a single definitive source of all customer and product data.
“Our partnership with a proactive company like Attaché and the excellent consultant support from KC Little enables Ampro to maintain and develop the processes and systems required to build the business.”
About Ampro Sales
- Independently owned Wellington-based distributor of leading outdoor equipment.
- Works with specialist retailers to make quality products available to outdoor adventure enthusiasts.
- Ampro credit the partnership with their local Attaché support specialist, Tricolour Consulting, as a key ingredient in their success.
To request a free demo or to talk with KC, contact us today.
Moderna
New B2B online ordering web store puts the modern into Moderna
Innovation is the key to long-term growth we are told, but when you’ve enjoyed success since the 1980s, changing your business model in response to the shifting environment is no easy task. Wellington-based Moderna Trading faced that challenge head on and found new opportunities as a result.
Moderna Trading built decades of success on good old-fashioned customer service. Providing accessories for convenience, giftware and tobacconist stores and a wide variety of brackets and screws to New Zealand’s hardware retailers, Moderna’s sales model had stood the test of time. Regular visits by their sales reps secured orders which were then mailed back to head office.
However, the digital age has seen New Zealand’s postal service come under pressure and following reforms that reduced the frequency of deliveries, orders that previously arrived by overnight mail were suddenly taking two to three days.
“We used to pride ourselves on the fact that we got the orders out within 24 hours. However, instead of getting the orders from each rep out every day, we would now receive two days of orders every second day,” explains Alec Hildreth, Moderna’s Northern sales rep.
Warehouse staff were under pressure to cope with several days’ orders arriving at once. Customers who used to receive deliveries within 48 hours were often waiting three or four days. A new model for sales orders was needed.
End-to-end integration for faster deliveries
Moderna had already recognised the need to add online ordering to their website. Now fully implementing the system and educating customers became a primary focus while at the same time continuing their personal, business-as-usual approach.
“We talked to our Attaché consultant, KC Little from Tricolour Consulting, and she suggested that we try the Attaché Web Store. KC’s knowledge of our business and Attaché meant she could assist us in getting the web store tailored to our needs,” said Managing Director, David Wyllie.
Alec introduces clients to the web store by entering their orders using his iPad. “It takes a bit more time for me to enter the orders but it’s well worthwhile as it speeds everything up. If we can get stock to the client two or three days earlier, it means they’ve got two or three more days to sell it, which means they can re-order sooner. Getting stock to the customer so they can sell it sooner is a lot of what my job is about.”
“Customers have asked me, ‘The order I gave you last time arrived the next day. How did you do that?’ I tell them I did it on the website so the guys in the warehouse had it straight away. They packed it that afternoon and the courier got it to you the next day.”
In the Wellington head office, the changes brought by online ordering have been even more noticeable to office staff Adrienne Harmer and Kate Baggott.
“We are no less busy but our time has been swapped around. Instead of sitting here entering orders, they come through already created and with a delivery docket allocated from Attaché,” explains Adrienne. “Instead of entering orders, we spend more time managing the website, adding new products and images.”
Larger orders, more often
“People are now shopping rather than just placing orders. I believe orders are of a greater value as customers look around the site. It’s created an awareness of what we have beyond their particular niche. A lot of customers didn’t realise the variety of goods we have.”
“We are getting more customers placing orders between rep visits which we wouldn’t have received before. They love it. They really do like it. It’s like going down a supermarket aisle instead of just ringing up – you see so much more,” said Adrienne.
“There are also no problems with reading handwritten orders or incorrect codes. We can show the warehouse staff the product image if they are unsure about an item,” adds Kate. “We are now a 24-hour business. You can’t ring us at night but you can place an order from home after hours.”
“We have a large number of products. It’s been a huge effort and commitment to set up the website but well worth it,” confirms Adrienne.
About Moderna Trading
- Privately owned importing and wholesaling business established in 1980
- Products range from hardware, gifts, smoking accessories to toys
- Moderna use Attaché to manage their fully integrated web store, accounting and payroll solution
To request a free demo or to talk with KC, contact us today.
