Case Study: CentralBOS Automates, Integrates Back-Office Operations for C4 Belts

The Company

CentralBOS
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/centralbos
Twitter: @centralbos

CentralBOS offers a cloud-based SaaS platform using a monthly recurring revenue subscription model to provide a completely integrated back-office solution (accounting, inventory management financials, payroll/HRIS, customer management and CRM) at an affordable price point for the SMB market.{ad}

The company has built its own proprietary software solution, and offers a complete turnkey implementation that includes setup, configuration, data migration and tailored training all done typically within a three- to five-week timeframe

The Client

C4 Belts, a lifestyle brand, is an Atlanta-based distributor of custom-made fashion belts. Customers can choose from a selection of belt and buckle colors to create the combination that they like best. Customers can also choose which of four nationally recognized charities receives a $1 donation for their purchase. All belts come with a lifetime guarantee.

The Challenge

Rapid growth had caused C4 Belts to outgrow their antiquated systems for accounting (using Quickbooks) and for inventory (largely spreadsheets and manual tracking processes). Their rudimentary systems were beginning to cause disruptions, affect customer satisfaction and create employee inefficiencies within the flow of their daily business processes.

There was no integration between the legacy solutions and processes they had in place, so data, transactions and information did not automatically flow between departments and systems. The company sometimes found themselves weeks and months behind on inventory and associated analysis. It was challenging for the organization to input an order, fulfill it, convert it to a shipment and then invoice for it. The inadequacy of the systems affected work flow, customer satisfaction and revenue.

The Solution

C4 Belts chose to automate as much of their business as possible and selected the CentralBOS back-office suite of applications. Using a turnkey solution approach that included the applications, setup, data migration and training, C4 began to realize a much more cohesive and integrated approach to running their business. They had a single database shared by all applications and business units, and the data flowed from customer orders to billing and receivables, and from sales order to inventory; all those transactions automatically flowed to the general ledger and financial reporting. There were no duplicate entries, and the new work flow process enabled the business to work much more efficiently.

One example of the improved efficiency is in dealing with back orders. Prior to the CentralBOS solution, when materials needed for an order were out of stock, a disconnect in communications between purchasing and receiving could cause delays in receiving the needed materials and, in turn, completing the orders. This could lead to customer dissatisfaction and reduced revenues. With the CentralBOS solution, the flow of information among all departments meant that orders for material are placed quickly, notification of their receipt is sent out as soon as they arrive and C4 can finish fulfilling the customer requests in a timely manner. This results in happy customers and thousands of dollars of product being shipped, billed and collected.

The Results

The business realized a 25 percent reduction in operation costs. It was also able to grow significantly while using the system, which could easily facilitate the increased volume of work. There were many intangibles as well, including higher employee productivity — estimated to more than a 30 percent increase — leading to better morale and job satisfaction; happier customers, leading to higher sales; and an ability to grow the business and know that the systems will support the growth.  In addition, with the various departments tied together, it is possible to quickly make critical business decisions because all the data needed by management is at hand.

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