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The internal audit director at a $600 million-asset credit union was tasked with getting vendor management on track at five different financial institutions, ranging from a $90 million-asset institution to one with over $1 billion in assets. The common vendor management issues encountered included expensive autorenewals wasting money, lost contracts, no centralized vendor list or documentation, and overlooked vendor risk assessments. Managers were frequently overwhelmed with contracts, spending hours trying to decipher everything in the contracts.

First Financial Bank, a growing community bank with $16 billion in assets, was facing challenges in understanding the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) implications of new markets as it expanded. The bank had to analyze demographic and census information and learn about the new communities it served. It also had to understand how adding these new markets to its marketplace impacted its overall CRA performance. The bank needed to compare its performance with peers, ensure it was serving all assessment areas, and ascertain if its staffing was adequate for the needs of the community. This was a significant task for a large institution with over 150 branches and 2,000 employees. Data came from various lines of business at the bank, including mortgage, commercial, consumer, agriculture, and real estate lending, and all of it had to be reviewed. The bank was also navigating a changing regulatory environment with new requirements and expectations.

CBC Federal Credit Union was using multiple systems for vendor management, risk management, business continuity, and audit. This resulted in a managerial and administrative headache for the vice president of enterprise risk management and his staff. Each month, they would spend hours on reporting, trying to get a clear picture of risk by adding together all the pieces. They would generate reports from their vendor management platform and risk management platform, take audit findings from their audit platform, and then try to figure out how to connect the dots of these systems. They would then make their own reports on Excel spreadsheets and Word templates.

Extraco Banks, a $1.4 billion-asset bank based in Waco, Texas, was facing a challenge with its vendor management. The bank was concerned about unwanted auto-renewals slipping through the cracks and needed a way to organize contracts scattered across the bank. This was also important for exam preparation and to support the bank’s LEAN initiative. The task of finding a solution fell to the manager of Extraco Banks’ LEAN initiative, who wanted a way to digitize and centralize vendor management.

The Game, a leading sportswear brand, experienced significant growth and its warehousing functions became increasingly complex. In 1999, the company built a new 120,000 square-foot building to house warehousing and distribution, hoping for economies of scale. However, the move resulted in the opposite effect. The building was so large that it was difficult to find anything. The company needed a warehouse management system that would integrate with their existing Sage 100 ERP to provide a comprehensive solution that features streamlined efficiency and seamless data flow.

Rudy’s Tortillas, a 65-year-old, family-owned company that sells primarily to restaurant chains in 35 states, was facing challenges due to lack of integrated systems. The company was managing production and inventory in spreadsheets while customer service, purchasing, and accounting were managed with basic accounting software. This lack of integration resulted in the absence of meaningful data necessary to run a successful business. The company was unable to easily determine what stock they had on hand or what they needed to produce based on customer demand. There were also delays in finalizing monthly financial statements and cost analysis was a time-consuming process.

Avmor Ltd., a family-owned company that manufactures and distributes quality cleaning products, was relying on a legacy software system that had exceeded its useful life. The system was not based on Microsoft Windows and was heavily customized, making it expensive to maintain. It also lacked Material Requirements Planning (MRP) capabilities, and reporting was always a struggle. Avmor launched a comprehensive search for a new fully integrated advanced manufacturing and distribution enterprise software solution.

Aceto Corporation, a global leader in the importing and distribution of over 1,000 chemically derived pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, and agrochemicals, was operating on an antiquated legacy system that lacked integration. The company was subject to a myriad of U.S. government regulations, including MSDS requirements for the handling of hazardous materials and intense scrutiny by the FDA. In addition, the company faced new demands stemming from the Bioterrorism Act and the Customs Trade-Partnership Against Terrorism (CT-PAT) program as well as the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Many of the compliance activities were handled by manual processes with various spreadsheets, leading to insufficient controls with limited real-time reporting. The company recognized the need to implement a new back-office system, but the increasing demands placed on publicly traded companies absorbed available corporate resources.

UreSil, LLC, a leading manufacturer of products for interventional radiology and vascular surgery, was operating on an MRP system that was becoming increasingly unsupportable due to the number of third-party customizations it had undergone. The limitations in planning and flexibility were hindering the company’s ability to run an efficient business. Moreover, complying with FDA regulations and maintaining the required documentation was proving to be a significant challenge. The company needed a solution that could handle their growing needs and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

The Armed Services Mutual Benefit Association (ASMBA) was in need of an easy-to-use accounting solution that could integrate with its industry-specific software systems. The organization had been using Sage PFW ERP for over a decade, but when it came time to update its information technology systems, ASMBA decided to consider alternatives. They were looking for a solution that focused more on the core accounting tasks that they rely on and offers flexible, intuitive financial reporting tools.

KUKA Robotics Corp. was in need of a state-of-the-art ERP system to serve as the backbone of their MIS. They were struggling with cumbersome paper-based processes in logistics, product assembly, and accounting. Additionally, they needed to comply with international reporting requirements. The challenge was to introduce an ERP system that could streamline these processes, improve interdepartmental coordination and responsiveness, and enhance profitability and corporate maneuverability.

Point No Point Casino, a newly built casino owned by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, was embarking on a large-scale business operation for the first time. They needed a robust accounting system that could seamlessly integrate with human resource, payroll, and security systems. The system also needed to be flexible enough to handle the complexities of two separate casino operations, as the same management group was also launching the Silver Reef Resort for the Lummi tribe across Puget Sound. The management group wanted a single accounting solution that could cater to the unique needs of both casinos.

PRD Management, a professional property management company, was facing issues with its existing business software. The system was inflexible and riddled with bugs, leading to a loss of over $20,000 due to a software error. The company needed a reliable and automated solution that could manage the complex financial operations of a large management company with properties in two states. The software needed to be capable of posting deposits, cutting checks, reconciling bank statements, and creating government reports.

QesTec, a provider of computer options such as upgrades for servers, workstations, personal computers, laptops, notebooks, and printers, was experiencing booming demand for its high-tech products. This led to a situation where the business was doubling every year, and the company’s computer system simply couldn’t keep up with it. Inventory was turning at least 25 times a year. The time had come to replace standalone PCs with a robust network, including software that would provide manufacturing and inventory management systems plus wider access to customer information. In other words, it was time to migrate up from Sage 50—U.S. Edition, the accounting package that had worked so well during QesTec’s earlier days.

Digital Signal Corporation, a worldwide leader in the research and development of three-dimensional facial recognition systems, was using QuickBooks as their accounting software. However, as the company grew, the entry-level software did not have the depth and breadth Digital Signal Corporation required. The company passed the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) audit by the skin of their teeth, only because they were able to produce paper records to supplement what they couldn’t get from QuickBooks. The company needed a more robust accounting system that could meet governmental requirements and provide comprehensive job costing data to better estimate future jobs.

Albert Lee Appliance, a family-owned appliance dealer with four locations around Seattle, faced a significant challenge when Washington state adopted the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax initiative in 2008. The new laws shifted nexus from place of shipment (one of Albert Lee’s stores) to place of destination (Albert Lee’s customer locations). What used to entail a small handful of manual tax calculations suddenly turned into potentially hundreds. The company realized its sales tax work was going to get a lot more complicated. The company's average transaction is about $2,000, which means the state audits them regularly. In fact, they see them so often that they’re on a first-name basis with a couple of the auditors.

Statile and Todd, a landscaping, nursery, and wholesale nursery products firm, was facing a challenge in managing their extensive inventory and data due to their aggressive growth. They were using a limited DOS accounting system which was not able to handle the increasing demands of the business. The company needed a high-powered solution that could smoothly transition from the DOS system to a more robust and efficient system that could handle the extensive inventory and data.

K.K. Penner Tire Centers, Inc. has been providing quality tires and service to its wholesale and retail customers for over 80 years. The company serves a vast area from central Alberta to central Ontario, and from the Canadian/U.S. border to the Northwest Territories. Despite its large inventory and fast and knowledgeable service, K.K. Penner faced the challenge of computerized inventory tracking. The company needed a reliable system for inventory tracking that could offer more functionality. Additionally, the company needed to submit detailed sales reports to its suppliers to show how many of what model were sold in a particular time frame. Suppliers frequently offer K.K. Penner rebates or bonuses based on their sales volume, making these reports of vital importance.

Clarke Phillips Safety Supply Ltd. (CPS) was using an outdated DOS-based system for its financial operations. This system required up to three days to relieve sales from inventory and did not allow employees to view inventory available in other stores. The company recognized that to continue to grow, they would need a more powerful, modern business management solution. The main criteria for the new software were ease of use, intuitive screens, and seamless integration between modules.

Caprock Home Health Services, Inc. (Caprock) has been providing attendant and skilled nursing care for over 30 years, enabling its clients across Texas to remain in their homes. However, the company faced challenges with its older accounting software package. It needed a robust financial accounting application capable of handling its multiple locations and myriad of programs. The company's financial reporting requirements were complex and extensive due to its 12 locations and 30 programs. The company needed the ability to slice and dice the data in various ways, which it couldn't achieve with its old software and had to rely on spreadsheets.

Major Drilling Group International Inc., a global metals and minerals contract drilling company, operates in various countries and deals with multiple currencies. The company needed a robust accounting solution that could handle its multicurrency and consolidation requirements. The company also needed a system to accurately order and track the stock of repair parts used to keep the drilling equipment operational. Additionally, as a publicly traded company, Major Drilling Group International needed to maintain impeccable financial records.

CPS, a sales and service group of companies based in Ontario, Canada, was facing widespread inefficiencies due to a lack of integration between its various databases. The company's outside sales staff had no way to download the sales information contained in their mobile devices into a centralized database that could be made accessible to inside staff. Instead, data had to be rekeyed into a separate database in order to generate weekly and monthly reports. In addition, a lack of database integration meant that staff had to use a word processor to create quotes and, when a quote turned into an actual order, had to rekey the information into the company’s accounting system.

Radisson Hotels & Resorts, part of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, was facing a challenge due to the wide variety of business management systems used in its portfolio of managed hotels. The company regularly acquires properties with unique backoffice systems, and the resulting consolidation of financial data was a labor-intensive and inefficient process. Lack of standardization constrained the quantity and quality of management information. It was difficult to perform in-depth analysis or generate customized and standardized reports. Like many companies, Radisson needed to continue accommodating change while finding an economical means of converting geographically distributed legacy business systems. The challenge was streamlining the accounting process while ensuring the operational efficiency and reliability of support systems—without growing infrastructure, staff, or budget.

Grant Thornton LLP, a member of Grant Thornton International Ltd., is a leading organization of independently owned and managed accounting and consulting firms. The Canadian firm operates from locations spanning from Victoria, B.C., to St. John’s, N.L., and employs more than 4,000 professionals. The firm standardized its operations on Sage 300 back in 1999. However, until 2005, each of the firm’s business units ran a separate instance of Sage 300 software, sending summarized data to the company’s headquarters in Toronto. This led to inconsistencies in account structure, security issues, and control of the database. The firm also found that the administration and reporting of Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) was more easily managed.

Ready Mix USA, a dominant player in the construction industry in the Southeast, was experiencing rapid and sustained growth. The company had been using Sage 100 Advanced ERP for years, but as the company expanded and the number of users increased to 160 across 29 separate company codes, the need for a more robust and scalable ERP solution became apparent. The company was also looking to standardize item numbers and deduplicate its customer database, which had become cluttered due to acquisitions and expanding operations.

Power Curbers, Inc., a leading manufacturer of slip-form pavers, was struggling with its existing Baan ERP system. The system was inflexible, difficult to customize, and expensive to maintain and upgrade. It was also very hard to learn, leading to high turnover among order-entry clerks. Month-end closing procedures were complex and time consuming, often taking 20 business days. The company was looking for a solution that would allow it to implement lean production techniques, curb costs, and increase efficiency.

SkyGolf, a busy distributor, needed a sophisticated solution to optimize its distribution and customer service operations. The company prides itself on efficient order handling, and its high volume of orders tests that capability daily. Each SkyCaddie unit is serialized, and that serial number becomes the key data element that enables the company to track the unit from receipt through distribution all the way to retail purchase, service, and repair. As retail customers purchase a new unit and register it online, that data flows into Sage SalesLogix, completing the cycle.

Mercy Health Plans (MHP) was struggling with an unreliable, labor-intensive accounting package that lacked substantial analysis and reporting capabilities. The balance sheets wouldn't balance, transactions didn't add up on the general ledger report, and system crashes were frequent. There was no audit trail for consolidated reports, as data had to be entered manually into a series of spreadsheets. The lack of reliability was very frustrating for the MHP team. They needed a solution that was 100 percent dependable, with greater functionality plus a complete range of intercompany capabilities.

Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Limited, a leading Canadian manufacturer of polyethylene products, was facing a continuity gap due to the use of two separate software systems to manage its accounting and manufacturing tasks. This disconnect was stifling the company’s growth as the software was not able to keep up with the speed of the business. The lack of transparency and free flow of information led to a lack of insight into operations and direction for decision making. The company was also facing issues with inventory inaccuracies which often consumed up to 15 percent of the company’s raw material costs. The purchasing decisions were based on inaccurate data and often resulted in waste.

Luzenac America, a division of the Luzenac Group, was using a tier-one financial system (JD Edwards, now Oracle’s PeopleSoft) on an IBM AS400 to manage its operations. However, the system was complicated and unwieldy due to numerous layered customizations. It was easy to enter data but hard to extract usable information. Plus, the system was expensive to upgrade and required dedicated IS and IT departments for support. The company was spending too much on the system, even for a company of its size. They needed a new system that could address most of their needs out of the box, wasn't buggy, and had superior warehouse and inventory management capabilities.