Contacts:
Corporate Contact:
Esker, Inc.
Renee Thomas, 608-828-6140
renee.thomas@esker.com
or
Investor Relations Contact:
Esker S.A.
Emmanuel Olivier, 33 (0)4 72 83 46 46
olivier@esker.fr
Leading wholesale distributor implements Esker DeliveryWare to enhance sales order processing and customer relationships
MADISON, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Esker, Inc., the leader in document process automation solutions, today announced that Outdoor Equipment Distributors (OED), a leading wholesale distributor of outdoor power equipment throughout the Southeastern United States, has implemented Esker DeliveryWare to automatically transport inbound customer orders received via fax into the company’s enterprise resource planning solution (ERP), Activant. This automation speeds the sales order process, eliminates common errors associated with manual handling and enhances customer relationships.
Prior to implementing Esker DeliveryWare, OED found that many of their business processes were not scaling well, and it became apparent that inefficiencies were holding back the company’s further growth. OED invested in Activant to centralize their sales inventory and order entry processes and an e-commerce solution to provide an easy and seamless way for their customers to go online and place orders instantly. However, many of OED’s customers preferred that OED accommodate other methods, i.e. faxing orders manually. OED sought a software solution that could be positioned between the fax machine and Activant to transport the incoming fax documents seamlessly into the ERP solution.
It was OED’s pre-existing familiarity with Esker, using Esker Fax since 2002 for outbound fax delivery, which directed it to Esker DeliveryWare. Esker DeliveryWare provides a single platform for automating the flow of business transaction documents directly into and out of ERP systems and other enterprise applications, eliminating manual order entry and physical document handling.
Currently, OED receives about 90 fax orders a day, but at seasonal times of peak business the company can receive up to 200 orders a day. Prior to implementing Esker DeliveryWare, it took customer service employees about 5 minutes to process each order into the ERP solution – and rarely could the staff process more than 35 orders per day per customer service employee. Now, as all documents are kept electronic, this process takes only 3 minutes, and the system has the capacity to process thousands of orders in a 24-hour period.
“The benefits Esker DeliveryWare has brought to our company have been tremendous. We are more efficient – we no longer need to hand-key orders, which has also reduced errors on customer orders significantly and more importantly our customers do not have to jump through hoops in order to do business with us,” said Todd Holland, OED’s IT and Operations Manager. “The technology is consistent, reliable and intuitive. It is such a powerful tool that I know we have only scratched the surface in terms of utilizing its capabilities. It can take information from any document in any form and translate it into anything you want. Basically, if you think about it, it’s doable with Esker DeliveryWare.”
Looking ahead, OED hopes to eliminate all paper documents and the process of hand-keying orders into Activant altogether. Another significant initiative will be to achieve electronic archiving, with the goal of emptying all of the company’s file cabinets currently stuffed tight with paper.
“The business community keeps unnecessarily killing trees with all the paper we use,” added Holland. “I want to reach the point where we do not print anything at all. As we continue to work with Esker DeliveryWare I know this will be something we can accomplish sooner than later.”
“OED’s challenge is something we come across often when speaking with potential customers. The company had invested in an ERP system to improve its own processes only to find it met with strong resistance from their primary source of revenue – the customers,” said Steve Smith, VP of Sales and Marketing, Esker. “Our success with Esker DeliveryWare is a result of the software’s flexibility and scalability, allowing users to adhere to all of their customers preferences without losing the efficiency gained through technology.”
About Esker
Esker is a recognized leader in helping organizations eliminate manual processes, gain process visibility and control, and reduce the use of paper by automating the flow of documents into, within and out of the organization. With patented document delivery automation software and hosted document delivery services, Esker offers a total solution to automate every phase and every type of business information exchange. Customers achieve significant and immediate operational efficiencies, cost savings and measurable ROI in as little as three to six months. Founded in 1985, Esker operates globally with more than 80,000 customers and millions of licensed users worldwide. Esker has global headquarters in Lyon, France and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.esker.com.
