December 2010
Holt & Bugbee Experiences Inventory Accuracy and Faster Turns with Agility
Having accurate information when you need it is the only way to run a fast-paced business. Hardwood manufacturer Holt & Bugbee out of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, understood this concept and chose to implement DMSi’s Agility Software in 2008. Agility’s inventory functionality and accuracy made a big difference to the company, but it was what they could do with that information that really made an impact. By using Agility’s end tally tracking solutions, Holt & Bugbee found an easy and quick way to track lumber. The hand-held technology seamlessly brings critical lumber inventory information into Agility for tighter inventory control; from receiving to remanufacturing, through the final output.
“We gravitated to Agility because of the inventory functionality, specifically being able to tally lumber,” Bill Robinson, Holt & Bugbee’s IT systems manager said. “Most software out there doesn’t deal with the lumber aspects so well. We chose Agility for the inventory control, mobile processing, reporting and a lot of little things; it was just the whole package.”
Agility’s end tally functionality give users like Holt & Bugbee the tools they need to efficiently track unit piece tallies by the thickness, width and length of every board or by total board footage per length. In addition, an extra edge is achieved by functions that improve the speed and accuracy of inventory updating from receipt through manufacturing and shipping. Robinson notes, “We use handheld mobile units to collect bundle tally information that updates Agility. The result is everyone in the company has full visibility into exactly what we have in inventory at any point in time right down to the piece. It’s accurate, works well, and does what we need it to.”
Holt & Bugbee looks to Agility not only for accuracy, but speed. “I definitely think there are some cost-savings from Agility that have helped us with the downturn,” Robinson states. “Right now, everything is about being able to turn faster. How fast can you ship and how fast can you manufacture. If you aren’t quick enough, customers will go to someone else - Agility has given us that speed advantage.”
With 55 users actively using the system to make their business run better, Robinson had to have software that would work for employees of all skill levels. “One of my big things when I looked at Agility was how easy it was to train others and that we could get our users on it quickly,” Robinson explained. “That is one thing that I liked and still like about DMSi. Even with the newer updates, it is still fairly easy to get a new user on board and get them trained.”
Because Holt & Bugbee’s employees understand how to use Agility, they have seen great improvements in automating processes. “It has cut a lot of time off processes and taken a lot of manual list implementations out,” Robinson said. “The ability to export Agility to Excel is a fantastic tool. You can e-mail it back and forth and manipulate it. Someone who used to use a handwritten list can put it right into excel, edit it and have it done in 5 minutes versus typing out a whole list.“
“Technology is ever evolving, it never stops. You just have to go with the flow and get there,” Robinson added. “There is a lot of technology that DMSi keeps bringing out to the forefront.”
About DMSi Software
DMSi Software is a privately held company providing software to nearly 400 building materials companies in North America. Since 1976, DMSi Software has consistently empowered its users to become more productive, competitive and efficient. For more information on DMSi Software, please call 800-347-6720 or visit dmsi.com.
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