The key object of using new technology as far as Timbmet is concerned is to improve customer service and boost efficiency. As IT director Frank Conboy put it: “When there are so many companies out there attempting to sell the same product to the same customer base, you have to find something that sets you apart from the competition.”
Following this philosophy, the company launched a review of its IT systems to take advantage of latest advances in technology. “We wanted to find a suitable platform and forward-thinking partners to help achieve Timbmet’s ambitions,” said Mr Conboy.
After extensive evaluation of the business software available in the UK and North America, including a range of Enterprise Resource Planning products that would have needed customising, Timbmet said it selected Progressive Solutions because of the company’s “focus on the forest industry, state-of-the-art software platform, and the ‘comprehensive features’ of its Timber Track system”.
Timbmet also uses Progressive Solutions’ bar code technology. A new sorting line applies a code to each piece of timber and this information is sent to Progressive Solutions’ software so that stock
information is immediately available to the traders. Timbmet then uses hand-held radio frequency bar code readers in the yard operation to track movement of stock.
“The timber trade has been very slow to attempt anything by way of bar coding,” commented Mr Conboy, “but we’re no strangers to technology. With Progressive Solutions’ system, we can see what’s going on in manufacturing and out in the yard every step of the way. No other company is doing that.”
Among the greatest benefits Timbmet believes it will achieve from the new system is better customer service.
Specific requests
“We deal with a lot of people who have manufacturing outlets – machine and joinery shops and fitters,” said Mr Conboy. “They are very specific in what timber they want, so they can minimise their waste. It used to be very difficult to tell them what we had. Now, with accurate knowledge of our stock, we’re hoping that we can immediately find them suitable timber and close the order more quickly.”
In fact, Timbmet now hopes to be able to close 20% more orders. As financial director John Dobson said: “Once our stock is cleaned up, we aim to take at least two more orders per day per salesman. That makes a huge difference to our bottom line.”
In addition, better stock control will help Timbmet reduce stock levels.
“We have an inventory in excess of £20m in five sites,” said Mr Dobson. “We found we were actually carrying a lot of stock because we didn’t know how much we had. One of the big benefits of Progressive Solutions’ software is that, over the course of a couple of years, we’ll be able to reduce our current stock level by two-thirds.”
