VAI S2K for Food Software Helps Hillcrest Foods Manage Its Route to Growth

S2K for Food and Analytics Improves Truck Routing, Inventory Management and Special Order Tracking for Wholesale Food Distributor

Ronkonkoma, NY - March 10, 2014 - VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.), a leading provider of ERP software, announced that Hillcrest Foods, Inc. has implemented its S2K for Food software. The software enables Hillcrest Foods to better serve its customers through improved inventory rotation, enhanced rebate tracking and processing and total application integration to enhance visibility into product information. Hillcrest Foods is a wholesale distributor of bakery ingredients, dairy products, specialty items, gourmet food products and disposables.

Operating out of a 40,000-square foot facility in which rail car shipments are accepted, Hillcrest Foods found its previous system outdated and lacking the necessary support to meet the company’s growing needs. Along with these challenges, a primary focus for Hillcrest throughout implementation was enhanced truck routing management capabilities. VAI’s S2K for Food Truck Routing Module has provided warehouse managers the ability to organize customer order routes, while also allowing for return authorizations and back-hauled purchase orders to be assigned for pick-up along the way. Through the use of these additional capabilities, Hillcrest Foods has streamlined operational processes and improved its routing efficiency.

"In response to the growth Hillcrest has seen over the past few years, it was critical to find a software package that was going to address all of our truck routing needs. After considering a number of different solutions, we felt that VAI’s S2K for Food Software was the best fit for our company," said Kris Dubrey, Office Manager and System Administrator, Hillcrest Foods, Inc. "The extensive capabilities provided through VAI’s software has not only met all of our truck routing expectations, but has also provided our team with the ability to make better informed business decisions, whether it be special ordering, just in time inventory or warehouse management. We love what S2K is doing for us and where we can go from here."

With VAI’s S2K for Food, Hillcrest is now able to expel any and all issues with order tracking and inventory management, two factors that are critical to the company’s success in the competitive wholesale distribution market. S2K for Food has also provided Hillcrest Foods with support surrounding lot control, item documentation, accurate inventory, technical support and enhanced rebate tracking and processing. Hillcrest Foods implemented a number of S2K modules including:

• Warehouse Management
• Purchasing
• Accounts Receivable
• Accounts Payable
• General Ledger
• Sales Analysis
• Customer Orders
• Customer Rebate

"As Hillcrest and similar companies grow, it's vital for truck routing, warehouse management and purchasing capabilities to align with their growing operations to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of products to customers across their territory,” said Ira Dannenberg, VP of R&D Food Division, of VAI. “We are proud that Hillcrest Foods relies on S2K for Food Software to help them grow their business and respond to changing needs in a market where customer satisfaction is a top priority."

About Hillcrest Foods

From our humble beginnings we’ve grown into a multi-million dollar wholesale distributor that specializes in bakery, dairy and gourmet specialty foodservice items. Hillcrest was established by the Reginald Barkyoumb family and operated as a poultry farm for 33 years. In 1983 the egg business began to decline, Chris Barkyoumb (Reg’s son and current owner) began asking restaurant owners, bakers and chefs what products they were having difficulty sourcing. He then traveled to Boston and began knocking on doors looking for ways to expand the family business.

We still have the heart and soul of a smaller company that is passionate about service. Hillcrest emerged into the nineties as a specialty supplier to the bakery and foodservice industry. In 1992, Hillcrest Trucking & Storage was established to facilitate timely and cost-efficient delivery to customers. Our fleet delivers the bulk of Hillcrest Foods orders.

The owners are hands on and available daily. Hillcrest Foods continues a family partnership with our customers and strives to strengthen business relationships. At Hillcrest we believe it is important to preserve our personal touch, as every account we service is special and important to us. Bakery items and specialty ingredients continue to be our primary focus. Product quality and customer satisfaction continue to be our number one priority. Our long-term goal is to maintain and develop business relationships that are mutually beneficial to all!

About VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.)

VAI is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its flexible 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, visit www.vai.net, follow @VAISoftware on Twitter or "like us" on facebook.com/VAISoftware.