Auto-Chlor of Golden Light and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems Leverage VAI to Streamline Operations

VAI S2K Provides an Unprecedented Level of Customer Service

Ronkonkoma, N.Y. – June 25, 2012 – VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.), a leading ERP software provider announced that Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment Co, and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems, LLC, are leveraging VAI S2K Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software to automate and streamline operations across all key business functions including inventory planning, retail sales, accounting, scheduling and service. With VAI S2K remote access and enhanced service billing capabilities, Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems can now gain an accurate, real-time view of inventory and customer data, whereby providing an unprecedented level of customer service that’s so critical to the organization’s ongoing success.

Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems provide industrial grade dishwashers for a wide range of customers including restaurants, school districts, hospitals and prisons. All service and maintenance is accomplished using Route Salesmen throughout several states. One of the nuances of this relationship is that all accounting processes for both companies including billing and invoicing are accomplished through the use of handheld computers in the route trucks and managed through the central accounting location at Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment. Unfortunately, the previous ERP system limited their ability to efficiently and cost-effectively perform critical every day sales and service functions. To address these issues, Auto-Chlor of Golden Light and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems needed a turnkey ERP solution that would automate and integrate all of its ERP processes and provide an accurate, real-time view of their organizations’ customer and inventory data.

"We turned to VAI because they truly understood our business challenges and were able to develop a highly customized solution that has transformed our organizations’ operations," said Judy Madden, CFO of Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems. "VAI was able to get both organizations up and running in six months with a go-live date on the first of the seventh month for both companies, and we are already delighted by the results. With truly automated operations and real-time access to critical data, we are now able to offer our customers outstanding service and support that truly sets us apart from the competition."

Mobile and ERP Technologies Brings Customer Service to the Forefront Previously, service billing was a labor intensive process due to both organizations using paper invoices that needed to be printed before going to the customers’ sites. In addition, sales and service reps didn’t have a clear snapshot of what products the customers were using, what they were already billed for and what they already paid. Inventory processing and billing were previously delayed by one full week as a result of the salesmen checking in on a Friday, then the accounting department entered the sales and cash receipts during the following week.

After implementing VAI S2K remote access and service billing, the entire billing and invoicing process was completely automated, which now allows Auto-Chlor Golden Light Equipment and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems to significantly enhance the level of service and support they provide to their customers.

Leveraging mobile technology was a key factor in upgrading its services and support functions. By arming Auto-Chlor’s service teams with tablets and handhelds, technicians are now able to gain remote access to VAI S2K, providing real-time access to key business applications as well as inventory and customer data.

Furthermore, all of the data generated from Auto-Chlor’s service billing is sent directly back to Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems in real-time and gets automatically updated in the main system that connects back to the handhelds. Invoicing is now done directly and automatically through the handhelds. This eliminates thousands of dollars a year in postage costs as well as a very inefficient paper process.

In addition to significantly improved customer service and support, Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems are now able to reap the following benefits as a result of the VAI implementation:

• More efficient and up-to-the-minute inventory management;
• Real-time accounts receivable control;
• The possibility of human error is significantly decreased;
• Suggested truck loads can be obtained and altered, if necessary, in real-time;
• DOT sheets can be printed automatically based on truck loads; suggested loads can also be altered in real-time to ensure load optimization; and
• Royalties and commissions are generated automatically in the system after each sale.

"VAI is focused on providing the most powerful and effective ERP solutions for our mid-market customers," said Robert Jones, project manager, VAI. "Most large software firms do not take the time to develop highly customized, flexible solutions for their mid-market users, often leaving them with mediocre or generic software that doesn’t address their most pressing problems. We are gratified by Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment and Heartland Auto-Chlor System’s accomplishments and know that our proven solution will help them continue supporting their business goals and achieving ongoing success."

About Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment Company and Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems: Both companies are franchisees of Auto-Chlor Systems, which is a nation wide organization providing services for restaurants, school districts, hospitals, hotels and prisons. Auto-Chlor of Golden Light Equipment Co. has been in business for over 75 years providing restaurants, school districts, hospitals, hotels and prisons with a myriad of services such as being a distributor of Restaurant Equipment and Supplies, designing restaurants and kitchens through the Contract Design Division, providing dish machines and cleaning products through the Contract Dish Machine Lease and Service Division, as well as manufacturing many of the dish machine, laundry, hand and housekeeping products that are sold to and provided to their customer base. Heartland Auto-Chlor Systems, LLC was organized in February, 2008 and is a separate company providing dish machines and cleaning products through the Contract Dish Machine Lease and Service Division, as well as manufacturing some of the dish machine, laundry, hand and housekeeping products that are sold to and provided to their customer base. These two companies provide these services with all accounting procedures being handled through a central accounting office.

About VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.) VAI is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its customized solutions and ability to automate critical business functions for the distribution, manufacturing, specialty retail and service sectors. An IBM Premier Business Partner, VAI is the 2012 IBM Beacon Award Winner for Outstanding Solutions for Midsize Businesses. VAI continues to innovate with new solutions that leverage analytics, business intelligence, mobility and cloud technology to help customers make more informed business decisions in real-time and empower their mobile workforces. VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY with branch offices in Florida, Illinois and California. For more information, please contact Diane Dady at 800-824-7776, visit www.vai.net or follow @VAISoftware on Twitter.