Capitol Lighting Improves Sales by Moving to a Modifiable ERP System

QUOTE:

“Instead of being bogged down by technology, we’re now much more able to interact with our customers,” says Jason Lebersfeld, Capitol Lighting’s vice president and CTO.

THOUGHT:

They are using technology as it is meant to be, a tool to enhance what they do, not a self sustaining entity.

 

Read the full article by clicking this link.

 

QUOTE:

As Lebersfeld explains, “I have no doubt that the abilities of this system have made it easier for us to sell our products and give our salespeople more time to deal with our customers than on technology. Of course, we still need technology, but it’s now allowing us to be more nimble and efficient than we had been in the past.”

THOUGHT:

Customer service is key.  Provide your team with the tools and resources they need to get their job done and service your customers.  As a consumer who would not like to get the information they need in a timely manner.

 

QUOTE:

That’s partly why Capitol Lighting’s sales have increased over the past year despite the still-struggling economy. Getting to this point wasn’t a simple, hit-a-switch-and-you’re-done proposition. Instead, it required finding the right solution for Capitol Lighting’s foundational-change philosophy.

THOUGHT:

Increased sales are a result of happy, loyal customers who respect the efforts you undertake as a business to better serve them.

 

QUOTE:

Now, with VAI’s S2K ERP suite, the company is looking ahead. As Lebersfeld explains, “Instead of being bogged down by technology, we’re now much more able to interact with our customers, which of course equates to increased sales opportunities—and who doesn’t want that?”

THOUGHT:
Looking forward is always better than dwelling on the past which cannot be changed.  Hopefully you have learned from your experiences and are using them to grow.  More, personalized, interaction with customers is always a good thing.  Utilizing technology to achieve that goal is a smart move.

 

QUOTE:

Capitol Lighting has since bolstered its Web presence with a related secondary site, 1-800lightingPRO, which caters to professional contractors and designers, allowing them to manage multiple customers under one account, according to Lebersfeld. “They can see their order histories. They can fill shopping carts. They can communicate with their customers,” he says.

THOUGHT:
Serve your customers and help them generate more business and you will do better.  I shop where I get the best service, not necessarily the lowest price.  I know I am valued where I shop.  My business means something to them.   We all have a need to be valued and I am proud to let others know about my relationship with my suppliers.

 

QUOTE:

Before standardizing on VAI’s S2K, the company’s operations had essentially been split into two, with its New Jersey locations running legacy RPG code and the Florida locations using an earlier version of VAI’s software on an IBM Power Systems* server.  The disconnect between the two systems created some problems for Capitol Lighting. Inventory reporting, for example, was often delayed until overnight batch processing took place.

THOUGHT:
Anytime there are separate systems, you are inviting problems.  Every time a human is involved you multiply the opportunity for errors to manifest.

 

 

QUOTE:

“We were in a position where we didn’t have real-time inventory information,” Lebersfeld says. “We would have people checking on computers, but they couldn’t tell if the information was accurate. They would have to call locations to confirm the validity of what they were being told. Because of this disconnect, the merchandise flow wasn’t easily tracked, where you would start an order and go from there to check on a purchase order and then verify the order status. Very little of this was linked,” Lebersfeld says.

THOUGHT:
How frustrating it must have been to be their customer in the ole’ days.  How frustrating it must have been for the sales people.  How frustrating it must have been for the purchasing department.  Real time inventory across all locations is a necessity, not luxury in today’s world.

 

QUOTE:

“We needed a system that would allow all of our showrooms to run point of sale, see each other’s inventory and integrate with our website. It also had to be reasonably modifiable to allow us to run our business like we wanted, with the ultimate goal being able to get merchandise to our customers as quickly as possible from any location,” Lebersfeld recalls.

THOUGHT:

Knowledge is key.  The right hand must know what the left hand is doing.  If for no other reason than to allow your customers the comfort of knowing that you have what they want and when they can expect it.  Cross location inventory visibility is key here.

 

QUOTE:

The company also wanted a product flow that was tightly integrated with its general ledger to ensure everything was being properly accounted for.

THOUGHT:
The finance guys need totals to tie into and generate a comfort level using any system.  If a system is fully integrated, then this is not an additional thought or step.   All the information at your fingertips.  Faster reporting, less errors, less time tracking down information that should be available.  Good idea.

 

QUOTE:

“I have no doubt that the abilities of this system have made it easier for us to sell our products and give our salespeople more time to deal with our customers than on technology.”   —Jason Lebersfeld, vice president and CTO, Capitol Lighting

THOUGHT:
A good system that is a right fit should enable your staff to do what they already should be doing, just a lot easier and without having to concentrate on the technology.  When we drive to work we usually do not have to think about the car we are driving, just the destination.

 

QUOTE:

As an added bonus, Capitol Lighting gained access to S2K Analytics as part of VAI’s offering. S2K Analytics is also highly modifiable and allows company users to easily find the information they need by themselves, without having to request individualized reports from others within the company, including IT.

“Even laymen are able to go out and author their own reports,” Lebersfeld says. “This has given us the ability to dive into our data from multiple angles.  We can start with a product and get further detailed information, such as sales orders and purchase orders. We can look at items from an order perspective and see items on order and in inventory.  VAI has done a great job of meeting our requirements and allowing us to jump from one view to another with very little effort.”

THOUGHT:

Any time you can enable your staff to gain access to the information they need to get their jobs done, the better you will operate.  Remove the barriers and let you people do what they know what to do.  They will feel empowered and make your customers happier.  A happier customer returns over and over again and is proud to tell their associates how happy they are working with you.  A referral is the best compliment you can receive.

 

QUOTE:

Whatever the reason for the company’s growth, Capitol Lighting is more customer focused than ever before. By unleashing the power of modifiable and, in some regards, nearly invisible technology, it can now go about business the way it wants to, without IT being an inhibitor.

THOUGHT:
Any and I mean ANY organization that wants to grow must be customer focused.  If new software enables your team to do that, then make the investment.  Think about yourself and who you like doing business with.  More than not, it is with an organization that has invested in themselves in order to invest in your best service.

 

FINAL THOUGHT:

Customer service has always been and should remain the top priority for any organization that is interested in growth and the future.  At Dolvin Consulting we pride ourselves in our industry partnerships that bring real world solutions to your challenges.  Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve your goals for the future.  No fancy promises, no hype, just customer service.