The benefits of a trading, stock control and accounting system for the timber industry used to be the sole preserve of larger national merchants. But, according to Ten-25 Software, in recent years as smaller independent merchants have focused even more on personal service and their diverse product base, they too have installed computer systems to further sharpen their competitive edge. And in five years’ time, says the company, all sizes of timber merchants will find that computerisation will become a necessity.
With this in mind, in 2001 Ten-25 launched UniTRADE – its first system designed for the needs of the smaller timber merchant. Within a month of its launch, timber and panel product merchant J Blewer and Sons Ltd had agreed to take the new system and it now says the software has proved a perfect match to its needs.
The company has two branches – one in West Kingsdown (near Sevenoaks), and a second in Culford (Bury St Edmunds). They supply a wide range of timber products both for commercial accounts and retail customers.
Managing director John Aylett said: “We looked at several general merchant systems, but eventually decided that a timber specialist system would suit our requirements more closely. Ten-25 offered the best package of software and industry knowledge.”
Included in the UniTRADE system was a range of services covering installation, implementation and training. Staff were trained both at the Ten-25 offices and also on-site at both branches. Although this was their first taste of a computer trading system, the Blewers team quickly picked up the principles of entering orders and looking up information, either using a mouse or simply with keyboard shortcuts.
The UniTRADE system is used in all areas of the business. Terminals on the trade counter are linked to bar code scanners, cash drawers and receipt printers. They stock control a wide range of planed timber, mouldings, boards and specialist products such as decking and flooring, and import packs of timber into the Culford depot with forward contracting.
Mr Aylett says Blewers Timber is “pleased it moved to UniTRADE and wish we had done it sooner”. But at the same time, the company says its needs have changed and, now that the UniTRADE system has integrated with the business, it is looking at the extra facilities that a Ten-25 UniSTRIP system might offer, from additional users to an integrated transport scheduling module.
Whatever the company chooses to do, Ten-25 Software says it will provide “the right solution for its plans”, pointing out that another advantage of UniTRADE is that it offers a “clear upgrade path to its parent product, UniSTRIP, without the need for re-training and costly data conversion”.
