"It's the kind of industry where a lot of things can go wrong," admits Dan Sanker, CEO and founder of CaseStack, a nationwide logistics, warehousing, and shipping services company for medium-size businesses. So Sanker turned to technology to reduce costly mistakes.
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"What's different is that our software has filters and built-in intelligence to make sure the data is all accurate," says Sanker. The Web-based Microsoft .Net programs have enough smarts not to hold up a customer's 40,000-pound order just because 5 pounds of products are not in the warehouse. And optimizing software links the company's network of 21 warehouses to over 1,000 independent truckers to determine if orders can be consolidated, what trucker has the best on-time reputation, and who has the best pricing.
By reducing errors and integrating with customers' order-management systems, CaseStack has grown revenue 620 percent over the past three years. It's now looking to expand internationally, thanks to its recent merger with AtomicBox Logistics, which has a distribution center in Shenzhen, China. The merger expands CaseStack from 110 to 420 employees.
Sanker says the key is the flexibility to work with not only XML but also EDI and flat files from customers. Now he's working with RFID systems to squeeze out even more efficiencies and information in the future. —JRQ
Handyman Matters Inc.
Employees: 22
Location: Lakewood, Colorado
Launched: 1998
Best tech advice: "Technology is constantly changing, so it's important to keep up with the changes and be open-minded."
www.handymanmatters.com
Sometimes it's the small things that matter. Like odd jobs around the house that are too small for a contractor but too difficult for you to tackle during half-time on Sunday. Getting someone reliable to do the work can be difficult, which is where Handyman Matters comes in.
The franchising outfit trains local craftsmen (and women) and then sells their services nationwide online. Jobs are distributed to regional franchisees who then perform maintenance, repair, and minor remodeling on residential and commercial properties. The typical job is about $300.
Handyman customers fill out a work request online, which is then sent to the appropriate territory. "We created our own Web-based software that then estimates the amount of time required, schedules a time, and does the dispatching," says company vice president Mark Douglass. All job tracking is done online and downloaded into QuickBooks Online. Cell-phone text messages alert craftsmen to jobs, including links to Google maps with driving directions.
It's a level of customer service and global reach that would be difficult without the tech infrastructure. The company has 130 franchisees in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland.
"Our motto is to do the little jobs," says Douglass. And thousands of little jobs a day can really add up. The company says it posted $3.4 million in sales last year. —JRQ
Sew What? Inc.
Employees: 33
Location: Rancho Dominguez, California
Launched: 1992
Best tech advice: "Try to have a technology budget, even if it's small. You can do it incrementally."
www.sewwhatinc.com
Video conferencing and search-engine optimization aren't technologies one would naturally associate with a custom theatrical-drapery manufacturer. But those are just two of the technologies Sew What? has enlisted to raise the curtain on new business opportunities.
With a sophisticated Web site that includes digital swatches, instructions on using different types of fabrics, and the ability for customers to upload multimegabyte designs, founder and president Megan Duckett says she's shaved days off the time it takes to produce custom curtains.
She also deployed a host of technologies to improve customer service. "We can now do daily reporting to clients using live video feeds, send progress photos, and trade installation diagrams," she says. The practical benefits have been immediate. By creating customized templates in QuickBooks Enterprise, Sew What? enabled sales reps to send copies of flame-proofing certificates to clients' PDAs so that fire marshals can see the documents instantly.
How has such technology affected Sew What?'s business? The company has gone from about 600 clients a year to around 3,000, says Duckett, with the likes of Sting, Madonna, and Prince seeking its services. "Eighteen months ago, 80 percent of our customers were in California," she says. "Now it's about 33 percent in California and 67 percent around the world." —JRQ
Author: Array
Previous news: 17 August 2007
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