ECM Software for Distribution

Durst Corporation enjoys a well-deserved reputation for personal service and rapid order fulfillment. Even so, this fast-growing company found it had a problem: some incoming sales orders were getting lost, hindering its ability to deliver the outstanding customer service for which it is known. In addition, its paper-based sales order processes were cumbersome and the company had no way to measure and track orders.

Durst Corporation, a plumbing supplies distributor, operates from a facility in Cranford, New Jersey where they sell pipe, fittings and related supplies to “big box” retailers, wholesalers and hardware stores. In addition, they sell decorative plumbing products such as high-end faucets, showerheads and quarter-turn valves in 18 finishes to showrooms, supply houses and wholesalers, as well as to architects, design firms and hotels.

Hundreds of incoming sales orders are faxed to Durst daily, both from the company’s own sales people and from its customers. Each order must be sorted by a “gatekeeper” and then routed to one of 15 order entry processors for keying into the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Complicating the challenges presented by a high volume of orders, Durst’s salespeople often submit multiple orders on a single fax document and some customers’ orders are handwritten and require interpretation.

Before turning to GlobalSearch to manage orders electronically, Durst was overwhelmed with hard-to-handle fax paper sales orders that would either get stuck together, slip behind file cabinets, slide under fax machines or “hide” in desks – out of sight. What do you tell customers who ask “Hey, did you get my order?” Equally frustrating, Durst had no way to determine the number or type of orders pending and where to allocate resources accordingly.

“GlobalSearch met the challenge of lost orders,” says Chris Pike, Chief Operating Officer of Durst Corporation. “Now orders are filed electronically in GlobalSearch and most of the paper is gone. And the GlobalSearch solution allows us to be nimble – an important factor in our success. With GlobalSearch, we can accurately measure sales order volume, track orders quickly and push out next day deliveries.”

Today, Durst’s incoming sales orders are received via a digital fax server and fed directly to GlobalSearch. A gatekeeper quickly sorts the orders – now captured as electronic documents – and directs them to the appropriate GlobalSearch “Inbox.” The orders are then keyed from the captured images into Durst’s order entry system, eliminating any possibility of loss. With GlobalSearch, managers and and warehouse personnel can see at a glance the number of orders pending and their status, and orders can be annotated and shared immediately with others, including national sales reps.

For Durst Corporation, GlobalSearch has become an essential productivity tool. Pike measures its positive impact on his company in labor savings and improved customer service. “Introducing GlobalSearch has been like gaining an additional employee,” he says. “Now I hear many of our customers say ‘Wow, you guys are on the ball! You can say you got my order and are filling it; other companies I deal with can’t do that.’ We’ve begun using GlobalSearch on the Accounting side of our business, too. I would strongly recommend GlobalSearch to any organization facing challenges like those we had.”