Case Studies
Saving Over $3 Million by Optimizing for Demand
Client: Mid-Sized Prepared Foods Company with 30 Ready-to-Eat Products
Problem: With an inventory of over 400 ingredients (many perishable) and an unreliable reporting system, this client lost sales, wasted product in excess, and struggled to meet their customer’s needs. Their forecasts, based on sales figures from the previous thirty days, failed to keep up with fluctuating demand.
Solution: We implemented an intuitive custom Excel-based system that improved their ability to serve their customers and predict demand. By integrating their ERP and recipe generation program, we were able to provide this client with daily forecasts that analyzed their current inventory and accurately determined exactly what ingredients they needed to buy. We helped the company save more than $3 million in one year—without increasing labor.
Automating a 2-Day process into a one-click solution
Client: Large Medical Equipment Supplier with 500+ Accounts
Problem: This client’s method for tracking the performance of their 15 sales representatives was expensive, manual, and tedious. While their current solution, Quickbooks, provided all the information they needed, it cost two days of labor for an accountant to compile and format the data.
Solution: We developed an Excel add-in that directly connected to QuickBooks and generated performance metrics with a click of a button—transforming a two-day process into a few-second solution. This client received sales and margin-per-representative data—broken down by new and existing customers—automatically, while the add-in incentivized their sales team by presenting their up-to-date expected performance-based bonuses.
Streamlining Labor for a Complex, Multi-Office Organization
Client: A Mining Company with a Partially Unionized Workforce
Problem: This client’s labor tracking system was out of control. Payroll was inefficient: remote offices emailed timesheets to central headquarters, only to be manually processed (one accountant spent ¾ of their time converting timesheets into payroll records). Add a range of union agreements across their company, and their ability to close books and calculate labor costs lagged behind by three weeks.
Solution: We implemented an Excel- and Access-based system to automatically process payroll and calculate, forecast, and control labor costs in real-time—while accounting for each employee’s specific union terms. Furthermore, this client was now able to import labor cost data into their ERP only one day after the end of the reporting month.
Simplifying Bank Reconciliation to Save 15.75 Labor Hours
Client: Commercial Construction Parts and Equipment Supplier
Problem: With a number of banks and locations, this client’s methods for bank reconciliation were cumbersome, costly, and time-consuming. Their payments and receipts were scattered across several banks, costing their accountant two days' time per month—and exposing their accounting to a high risk of error.
Solution: We developed a custom system for this client, automatically importing files directly from each bank and reducing their monthly bank reconciliation process from two-days to fifteen minutes. This not only decreased unnecessary labor, but freed their accountant to pursue cost-saving opportunities, also.
Shrinking Report Processing From 1 Hr./Day to 10 Min./Week
Client: Small Business Installing Fiber Optics for Residential Properties
Problem: This client’s report processing system was fully manual, wasting time and leaving data prone to error. Field employees sent daily email reports outlining their work to their accountant, who then spent one hour per day interpreting this information, entering data into Excel, and creating invoices in Word—all by hand.
Solution: We increased efficiency while decreasing labor time by developing an organized Excel-based report processing system. Each field employee’s data is automatically imported into a master spreadsheet, enabling their accountant to produce invoices and payroll calculations with a single click and reducing processing time from one hour a day to 10 minutes a week.
Eliminating Several Days of Tedious Manual Edit
Client: A Business Appraisal Company with a Proprietary Model
Problem: A disconnect between this client’s Excel-based financial model and their customer-facing Word reports forced them to spend several days manually fixing inconsistencies every time they adjusted even one of their hundreds of variables—leaving them vulnerable to inevitable oversight, human error, and incorrect data.
Solution: We seamlessly integrated their Excel model with World, enabling the client to edit and update reports with a click of a button. We made it effortless for the client to connect as many Excel sheets and produce as many Word reports as they want, without the risk of corrupting their model or leaking erroneous data.
Improving Complex Payroll Accuracy While Reducing Time Spent
Client: An Orchard in Washington State with Complicated Payroll
Problem: Existing accounting and payroll systems lacked the capabilities to manage this client’s complicated payment system. They paid employees on a per-unit basis—with each fruit and each box commanding a different value. Therefore, their accountant spent over two days per pay period calculating payments by hand—often making costly mistakes.
Solution: We built a customized Excel-based solution that connected precise data from their reporting systems with payroll, making accurate payment a breeze. This solution helped their accountant deliver error-free payroll in 15 minutes or less.