> Bryant Products, Inc.
"Connected's excellent manuals and comprehensive
import routines let us transfer two years worth of data
out of our old system with almost no manual entries..." - Fred Thimmel
Many small businesses build their first accounting system
with the same package they use to manage their home finances.
That's often enough to get started, or even to last for
many years--but for those businesses who need more, Connected,
a suite of accounting solutions from Bottom Line Software,
Inc is ready to help.
"As our business grew, we needed a fully integrated
accounting package," recalls Fred Thimmel, President
of Bryant Products, Inc., a Wisconsin manufacturer of mechanical
components. With growth exceeding 20% annually, the family-run
firm searched for an accounting package that echoed the
easy-to-learn, easy-to-use nature of the Macintosh. The
first product they tried fell short of expectations: it
didn't reflect the Mac's intuitive interface and led to
system crashes, data loss, and too much downtime.
Thimmel was determined to find a better solution. "We're
a Mac-powered business, and I wanted something that played
up the strengths of the Mac," he recalls. He struck
pay dirt when he learned about Connected. "They understood
the damage so much system downtime had caused and our need
for reliable, prompt technical support. And they even helped
us with customized outputs to match our business needs."
The people at Bryant welcomed the change. "Connected's
excellent manuals and comprehensive import routines let
us transfer two years worth of data out of our old system
with almost no manual entries," Thimmel recalls. "The
learning curve was minimal, letting us cross-train our folks
and get at least two people deep in every functional area."
The system went live in January 1996, and since then, Bryant
has enjoyed unprecedented productivity. Thimmel shares the
credit with Connected. "We've had only one system crash
and have never had to revert to a backup. We've gone from
2 days down per month to less than four hours total in the
first five months with Connected.
"We can close out a month and have accurate, detailed
financial statements in a day. The ease with which we generate
reports has improved all facets of our business. Inventory
has decreased and is in better balance. Receivables aging
has reached an all-time low. Payables and cash management
has improved greatly. We provide on-target information to
field sales and have improved our knowledge of the customer
base.
"We love Connected software, but send top praise to
the support staff," Thimmel concludes. "They are
pleasant, helpful and have a genuine concern that the software
is truly functioning to our satisfaction. Using Connected
has been a wholly positive experience."
