Success Stories

Activant Prophet 21 Helps an Electronic Connectors Distributor Take Business to the Next Level

When Scott Jacobs and his family debuted their company in 1985, they had to face the same sort of challenges that all entrepreneurs face when starting out. They knew that in order for their business to grow, they would have to enhance their product knowledge, expand their customer base, deliver exceptional customer service, and keep the dog quiet when taking orders over the phone.

Some challenges are more unique than others.

Boasting a 35,000 square foot facility housing inventory that supplies upwards of 12,000 customers, Interstate Connecting Components, Inc. (ICC), an electronic connectors distributor based in Moorestown, NJ, seems light years removed from its modest beginnings in the Jacobs family condominium, where Scott, along with his mother, father, and brother, decided to make a mark on the world of distribution.

Now president of ICC, Jacobs reflects on the journey: "In the past year, we've brought on new military electronic connector lines, not just for the shipboard community, but also for aerospace and army programs - these products have expanded our reach into all of the military markets and their sub-contractors," he says. "It's amazing considering we were once working out of a condo, trying to finalize sales as our dog barked in the background."

Getting More Bang for Your Buck

Seven years ago, ICC hit a glass ceiling. "We were running on a system that I had programmed, and while it served our needs for many years, it was clear that it couldn't take us to the next level," explains Jacobs. "We were working too hard, and getting too little bang for our buck from the system, and consequently, our personnel."

Knowing a change had to occur in order to continue their company's growth, the Jacobs family decided to implement Activant Prophet 21. A leading enterprise software solution that combines the power of SQL Server and the familiarity of Windows in a solution designed especially for distributors, Prophet 21 represented a significant leap forward in technology adoption for ICC.

"Our belief in technology, and growing with technology, really sets us apart," says Jacobs. "We've watched many of our competitors continue to use the same system they've been on for 20 years, and I guarantee you it stunts their growth. Simple things like being able to e-mail quotes or shipping alerts - when customers see that you're on the leading edge of technology, it gives them the confidence they need to do business with you."

Putting Technology to Work

"I'm a bit of a maniac with reporting and alerts." Jacobs swears by Prophet 21's executive metrics module, which delivers real-time business information right to his screen. "I live by the numbers, so I'm quoting them all day long to the staff," he says. "I don't have to wait for end-of-month or end-of-period to see our progress - with real-time info I can say ?look what's happening,' instead of ?look what happened'."

Besides utilizing Prophet 21's reporting capabilities, Jacobs also relies heavily on its kitting and production-order functionality. "90 percent of my business is kits and production orders," says Jacobs. "The Prophet 21 system has a quantity-available-to-make field that automatically calculates how many kits can be assembled based on the quantity of component parts in our inventory."

ICC also uses B2B Seller, Activant's Web-based storefront, to expand their reach. "Not only is B2B Seller a great customer service tool, in that customers can view item and order information," Jacobs says, "but a lot of customers stumble upon ICC for the first time through the site - all it takes is one order from the Web and bam, we've pulled in another one."

As a business owner and a former software programmer, Jacobs is in a unique position to evaluate the Prophet 21 solution: "In our first year on the solution, our sales grew over 25 percent, and we haven't looked back," he concludes. "Prophet 21 is a no-brainer - I don't know what we would've done without it."

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