Micro Force

Micro Force Case Study

• Case Study: Santinelli International

    

  Profile:

  Santinelli International, Inc. (“Santinelli”) is a family business that is the sole importer and distributor in the U.S.A. of Nidek Optometric finishing equipment and supplies.  Through its unique alliance with Nidek of Japan, products are imported from the Far East, and sold to both large and small retail outlets throughout the United States.   Sales are made directly, as well as through representatives located throughout the United States. These products are supported by a network of service representatives.

   

  Scenerio:

  Santinelli recognized the limitations of its software and was seeking to identify the optimal migration path.  The choices were an operations-centric solution focusing on field service functionality, or an ERP solution.  In each category, there were a number of options. Micro Force, Inc. was retained to help analyze Santinelli's needs and identify alternative solutions. Micro Force and Santinelli collaborated on a Gap Analysis Study which identified a number of alternative solutions for the company. Santinelli chose Microsoft Dynamics™ GP and Micro Force as the partner.

   

  Critical Issue:

  The largest challenge that Santinelli faced was the use of disparate systems. This led to ongoing duplication of effort in its processes which was the result of this lack of integration between the operating and accounting systems. Generated reports gave differing information.  Significant time was spent corroborating numbers to see which ones were correct.  In the words of the President of the company, "80% of the time was spent gathering information and 20% analyzing it to make better decisions."

  For Santinelli, the investment in Microsft Dynamics GP has paid off in many ways:

  • Dynamics GP has allowed process improvements that substantially reduced redundant practices throughout the company.
  • Quick reporting access - Using FRx and Crystal reports allowed quick and easy access to information.  In the past, Income Statements and Balance Sheets were manually entered into Excel, which was included in a monthly financial package to the President.  This package is now easier to prepare, more timely and relevant, thus giving more time to analyze information and make better decisions.
  • Inquiries - Great Plains allows Santinelli to gather more information by inquiring on the fly instead of relying on printed reports.
  • Improved business practices - A new procedure in Order Processing alerts the processor when printing picking tickets if there is a credit limit issue. This process automatically places the order into a hold status pending approval by the Credit Department. In their old system, users had to visually check the terms field and bring orders to Finance if they caught a credit issue, which led to orders slipping through the cracks.
  • Collections – The Collections Management module has radically improved collections leading to a reduction in Days Sales Outstanding and improving cash flow.