Breaking into the Picture Business
When the Franz brothers started a picture frame company in 1996, they ventured into unknown territory. “We actually ran an automotive business,” says Fab Franz, co-owner of Quadro Frames. “And we simply decided we wanted to try something else.”
The Winnipeg, Manitoba-based company now manufactures, imports and distributes picture frames for customers across North America. To expand into the US market, they needed to replace manual processes supported by legacy systems that lacked the automation to handle large orders from big retailers. Inventory management and warehouse operations needed to be part of an integrated system. They also lacked the visibility to identify inefficiencies and make rapid business decisions.
The Right Solution and the Right Partner
Quadro Frames chose SAP Business One because it supports automation for the company’s key business processes and delivers an accurate, unified picture of critical business information in real-time. They liked the software’s strong inventory control functionality and support for order automation with large retailers. In addition, the Franz brothers and their team liked that the software integrated tightly with partner solutions being implemented simultaneously – including inventory forecasting software from Valogix and warehouse management software from N’Ware Technologies, both SAP partners.
Quadro Frames chose ProjectLine Solutions as their implementation partner, as they offered the right mix of knowledge, reputation and focus on customer service. An SAP partner, ProjectLine offered a proven implementation methodology targeted to the needs of customers using SAP Business One. The implementation took just six weeks. A decision to use historical data stored in legacy systems eliminated the need for data conversion, helping to speed completion.
Growth is in the Picture
With the project complete, Quadro Frames has increased its order volume and existing customers, and is now poised to expand rapidly in the United States. They've reduced their workload – eliminating manual orders, reducing seasonal and contingent employees, and enabling higher productivity at current staffing levels. With accurate inventory control, planning and forecasting, the company has reduced safety stock levels and automated ordering processes with key retailers.
Quadro also consolidated their EDI sources into one solution provided by SAP partner TrueCommerce. This has helped reduce EDI costs by 80%.
Today, the company has a single, reliable source of information that supports detailed reporting and instant data visibility. Meaningful performance metrics from inventory and warehouse operations enable managers to more accurately determine inventory on hand. “SAP Business One gave us a better handle on our business,” says Franz. “We can now see opportunities to improve process efficiencies where we couldn’t before.”
Framework for the Future
Continuing their transformation, Quadro Frames is now using the software’s embedded customer relationship management functionality to develop and manage a remote sales force to facilitate expansion into the United States. And leveraging integration with their retailers, they want to develop vendor-managed inventory capabilities to compete even more effectively over the long term.
