DMSi provides an end-to-end software system for hardwood lumber companies. Our Agility ERP brings accounting, sales, purchasing, and operations into one system. This saves our customers a great deal of time, reduces costs, and improves accuracy. We want to bring every part of our customers’ operations into a unified system, from the warehouse to the shop floor to delivery to their customers. This is why mobile tools are a priority for us in 2018.
Mobile apps are more than a trendy gimmick. They provide our customers with real competitive advantages by eliminating the “in between” steps to many processes, saving time and improving order fulfillment. Just as Accounting and Purchasing no longer have to email spreadsheets back and forth, warehouse and shop staff no longer have to call admins or fill out paperwork every time they need information or want to make a change.
For example, our Agility | Mobile Warehouse Tools app lets staff members look up the specific location of tagged bundles. If the bundle needs to be split or moved, staff members can update the record directly in the app, and the change is immediately visible in Agility. Everything can be done in the moment from a mobile phone or tablet. Employees no longer spend time walking back and forth to the computer or printer. It also eliminates the risk of their forgetting to update records later. This is a huge asset in daily operations, and also when performing physical inventory and cycle counts.
In addition to managing inventory, Agility | Mobile Warehouse Tools streamlines the remanufacturing process. As soon as an item comes off the line, staff members mark the work order complete with a few taps on their phone or tablet. It’s all done on the fly from the shop floor, and records are updated instantly. There’s no need to use a stack of printed forms or enter the changes later at a computer. It saves time and paper, so products get to customers faster.
Mobile apps not only improve internal processes, they improve service quality and customer satisfaction. For instance, our Agility | Mobile Sales app provides real-time account and product information. Outside reps can answer customer questions, check available stock, and even create new orders while on the road. Our Agility | Mobile P.O.D. app not only captures proof of delivery signatures, it provides customers with real-time updates on the status of their order and gives them access to delivery-site photos. Customers know what’s happening with their orders without needing to call their sales rep.
In the coming year, we will be expanding the functionality of all these apps, giving customers even more opportunities to centralize their business operations.
This piece originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of National Hardwood Magazine.
