NextLevel Delivers the Right Amenities to RTI Hotel Supply

March 2, 2010 - PRLog -- For 20 years, RTI Hotel Supply, Inc. has been providing specialized procurement services to the hospitality industry. Focusing primarily on the Caribbean and Latin American marketplace, the company has built a solid reputation as a single-source provider of high-quality products. Through its professional and experienced staff, RTI Hotel Supply delivers personalized service that keeps its customers returning time and time again. For more than a decade, RTI Hotel Supply has relied on Sage Accpac ERP as its accounting and distribution software, and NextLevel Information Systems as its trusted advisor.

Challenge
The company, has successfully used Sage Accpac ERP for years, and recently decided to add SageCRM to improve customer and vendor relationships.

Solution
The dynamic combination of Sage Accpac ERP and SageCRM deliver end-to-end functionality to RTI Hotel Supply.

Results
Easily accessible sales history data helps the company hone its purchasing decisions. Comprehensive order details help minimize freight costs.  Integrated CRM functionality provides a comprehensive view of customers and vendors, helping to build stronger relationships.

No Reservations
The company has never considered switching from Sage Accpac to another software package. “It has always worked well for us — why would we switch?” says Robert Perlman, president and owner of RTI Hotel Supply.  Perlman firmly believes in the value of technology and understands how to leverage it to gain a competitive advantage.  In fact, the company recently engaged NextLevel to implement Sage-CRM, delivering a 360-degree view of its customer and vendor relationships.

Build Strong Relationships
With the addition of SageCRM, Perlman and his staff have a definitive source of customer and vendor information.  “We can find customers or vendors quickly based on any attribute, keep detailed notes about our conversations, and access orders and invoices in Sage Accpac,”  Perlman explains. “SageCRM synchronizes with Microsoft® Outlook®, so that all of our calendar appointments and e-mail are up to date in both places. It is a sophisticated product that helps us to better organize our operations.”

Warehouse Checks Out
At the 18,000 square-foot Miami warehouse, customer orders are picked and packed for shipping. Sage Accpac delivers the information warehouse personnel need to consolidate orders to minimize freight charges.

“We ship in containers or use freight forwarders,” explains Perlman. “In both cases, item weight and the total order weight is key. We keep that information in the system so that it is readily available during the shipping process.”

Staff makes extensive use of the note functionality throughout the software to record order or customer-specific requirements or preferences. “The notes stay with the order so they are always accessible,” Perlman adds.  

RTI Hotel Supply performs monthly cycle counts and a full physical count of the warehouse annually. “I appreciate how easy it is to pick a particular brand or item category and review just those items,” Perlman says. “When counts are easy to do, they get done more consistently and that increases our overall accuracy.”

Refine Purchasing Decisions
RTI Hotel Supply keeps thousands of items on hand to ensure its customers receive prompt   shipments, but as a successful distributor, the company must make careful buying and stocking decisions to avoid wasteful overstocking.  “If we don’t have it available, our customers are likely to look somewhere else. Sage Accpac has the tools to help us maintain the perfect balance,” explains Perlman.

Sales statistics, including sales by period and gross margin by item, give the company the information it needs to refine and perfect its product mix.  “Sage Accpac shows us the items that are moving, and those that are not,” Perlman explains. “We can compare current sales with historical sales and make seasonal adjustments to help ensure that we always have the right mix on hand.”

Grow Without Adding Staff
The overall efficiencies Sage Accpac brings to RTI Hotel Supply’s operations have allowed the company to grow without adding staff. “I see significant improvement in efficiency,” says Perlman. “The dynamic flow of information, from purchasing to inventory to accounts payable, is very efficient and has allowed us to hold our staff level steady even during a period of significant growth.”

Here To Stay
Perlman believes that Sage Accpac has worked so well for so long for RTI Hotel Supply because of its ease of use, broad-based functionality, and stability. “We can add components as our business grows and changes, and still have the same bullet-proof accounting program we have always had.” He feels equally positive about his relationship with NextLevel, “They are an ideal partner: accounting experts who also understand Sage Accpac and technology inside and out.

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NextLevel Information Solutions is a Premier Sage Accpac ERP Business Partner, and a member of Sage President’s Circle. With offices in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, New York, and New Orleans, they specialize in offering small and medium sized (SMB) clients complete end-to-end business management solutions that include core accounting modules, ERP, CRM, human resources and warehouse management solutions. Their broad range of expertise in custom programming, workflow analysis, systems support, tailored reporting, and training ensures clients a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. NextLevel offers their services to clients throughout the US, Caribbean and Latin America. NextLevel has more than 600 customers throughout the United States, Caribbean, and South America. To learn more about NextLevel, visit www.nextlevelis.com.