"It’s only Doors, Frames, Hardware and a few other product categories, how complicated could it be?"

"How much variation can exist from that of the conventional wholesale distributor? "

Common Questions heard by Architectural Opening Distributors when speaking with Vendors of generic ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Systems.

The answer to the above questions; as complicated as squeezing a square peg in a round hole. In other words, enough of a difference that without having a solution that supports the processing flow nuances of the industry and a deep understanding of how material and data is managed, you are forcing a fit that’s just not natural.

The Bottom Line: Not all Distributors Are Alike…

Conventional Wholesale Distributor:

• Purchases the majority of their inventory to maintain stock levels
• Sells from inventory through a Sales Order often with one shipment and one invoice.

Architectural Opening Distributor:

• Most sales begin through a sensitive bidding process, that could ultimately make or break the profitability before the fulfillment process even begins
• Following the estimate is the complex task of detailing the project. Defining specific material requirements by Opening (tag) No., then negotiating with vendors to improve potential net revenue on the contract.
• Most material will then be purchased or manufactured as a special order to satisfy this list of material requirements, associated to the sales contract.
• Contract-based sales are then typically fulfilled over a long period of time; often in several phases; with defined ordering and shipping schedules by the Architectural Opening No.
• Often conventional invoice per shipment billing models won’t be accepted and more complex summary billing models are required
• Often they will provide more value added services than just order fulfillment. Such as material fabrication, assembly, installation and potentially after-market services for the products they sell.
• Sales Contracts are also a moving target in that they are continuously issued requests to change the material requirements associated to these contracts, often complicating the purchasing and shipping processes.

So again, How much variation can exist from that of the conventional wholesale distributor?

Enough that Access IT, along with its partner Microsoft Business Solutions have invested over 12 + years embracing these “variations”; gaining priceless practical knowledge, so that Architectural Opening Distributors can gain the same technology advantages of the conventional wholesale distributor, with a business application that precisely automates this industry's processing flow.

contractERP™ completely automates your entire Architectural Opening business including:

• Integration points to industry specific bidding and detailing systems;
• Contract Management with real-time visibility into every transaction associated to the contract;
• Material handling management by architectural tag ID’s;
• Material Delivery, Purchasing and Shop Floor Schedule management;
• Accurate handling of Standard and Non-standard inventory;
• Specialized product configuration wizards during sales entry;
• Contract task management;
• Complex billing models including AIA requisitioning & Lump Sum Invoicing,
• Real-time detailed costing of inventory and contract expenses;
• Over-The-Counter Sales for both account or cash transactions;
• All accounting and ledger transaction functions;
• As well as serving the needs of architectural openings distributors who have a hybrid business model of both contract sales and conventional wholesale distribution;

And All with a single application without any re-keying of data as it move naturally from department to department.

As a result of implementation of this system, companies have discovered new efficiencies, lowered administration costs, and eliminated costly rekeying of data across multiple systems.