Sarnova – Medical Supply Distributor Drives Growth with an End-to-End Solution Centered Around Dynamics GP

Sarnova, the leading emergency medical supply distributor, outgrew its business software. Keep reading to learn how an end-to-end solution centered around Dynamics GP, implemented by Velosio, helped the company automate procedures, gain insights, leverage data, and enable growth.

Table of Content

    Velosio Case Study: Sarnova, Inc. Medical Supply Distributor

    Case Study PDFDownload “Velosio Comes to Aid of Sarnova, Inc.”

    About the Company

    INDUSTRY: Medical Supply Distribution
    LOCATION: Dublin, OH
    NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 5
    SYSTEMs: Microsoft Dynamics GP; Microsoft Business Portal; Mirosoft Office SharePoint; Microsoft SQL Server 2005; Microsoft Commerce Server

    Sarnova is the nation’s leading emergency medical product distributor. Fire departments, ambulance companies, and other emergency service providers rely on the broad range of emergency medical products Sarnova delivers. With a highly trained national sales force, Sarnova provides its customers with information and products, allowing them to maintain the highest standard of care.

    The Challenge

    Sarnova’s growth had outstripped the capacity of its old software, forcing the company to purge valuable sales history.

    The Solution

    Velosio implemented an end-to-end solution centered around Microsoft Dynamics GP.

    Results

    Automated procedures save the company 50 labor hours every week. Remote staff has real-time access to customer and inventory data. Business reporting is flexible, powerful, and accessible.

     

    Partner with Proven Winners

    Sarnova had been using a legacy software package until four years ago when the product reached the limit of its capacity. “It had a two-gigabyte limit on the database size, so we had to purge valuable sales history to keep it running,” recalls Rhiannon Greene, director of MIS for Sarnova.

    With the help of an outside consulting firm, several solutions were evaluated, and Microsoft Dynamics GP, represented by Velosio came out the clear winner.

    “We were comfortable investing in the Microsoft name and Microsoft technology, so Dynamics GP with its SQL database appealed to us, and Velosio impressed us immediately with their documented approach to the implementation and overall project planning.”

    RHIANNON GREENE, DIRECTOR of MIS, Sarnova

     

    Tailored Solution

    As part of the implementation, Velosio programmed several custom applications that integrate with Dynamics GP, including a module that tracks prescription drug licensing and another that monitors vendor rebates. Integration with the company’s Web store allows customers to see their contract pricing online and place orders that are sent automatically to the Dynamics GP software solution.

    “Velosio has a formal methodology and approach to this kind of project, and that helped ensure it stayed on track,” Greene says. “It was challenging, we had lots of customization, yet Velosio worked closely and delivered on their commitments.”

     

    Saves 50 Labor Hours Each Week

    Streamlining warehouse operations was a driving factor behind the software implementation and the company has achieved that goal. “The business logic and automation we’ve put into place is saving us about 50 labor hours every week,” says Greene.

    Among the automated processes saving Sarnova time is a nightly routine that scans open orders to determine which warehouse location can most quickly and most completely fill each order. A complex set of business rules considers proximity to the customer, freight costs, quantity on hand, a product’s reorder status, and whether an order can be shipped complete.

    “We want to get our products into our customers’ hands as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” explains Greene. “The software reduces the opportunity for human error and performs these calculations much faster than a person could.”

     

    Business Portal Accessible Anywhere

    Velosio helped to implement Business Portal for Dynamics GP to provide an employee- focused portal accessible by Sarnova’s 50 remote sales representatives. From the Business Portal, the representatives can access up-to-date customer, item, and vendor information. Sarnova also uses the portal to post news, company schedules, and the representatives’ commissions.

    “We’ve gotten great response from our reps regarding the portal,” Greene says. “They recognize the benefits of having anytime, anywhere access to the data they need to do their jobs.”

     

    Business Intelligence

    Access to business intelligence is another area where Velosio has delivered gains for Sarnova. The generation and delivery of reports has been standardized using SQL views and queries, Crystal® Reports, FRX for financial reports, and Microsoft Office SharePoint. Greene says that the ready access to data, such as a new Daily Management Report, gives management a snapshot of the health of the organization. The report includes sales by representative and by region, open order data, the Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable balances, and inventory status. “We’ve made huge strides in our reporting,” says Greene.

    “We trust Velosio,” Greene concludes. “They have vast knowledge about the product and related technology, plus they bring an objective view and real-world experience to each situation. Thanks to Velosio, we have a stable, efficient solution that can grow with the company.”