Natural Wellness USA, Inc., doing business under the brand name Veria, is a complete source for natural products and services, an interactive online knowledge base, and a new TV experience on the Dish Network. The company’s goal is to introduce physical and mental wellness to the millions of people seeking to discover their path to better living. In just three years, the company has defined its formula for success—a formula that relies heavily on its technology partners. Mindover Software and Sage 300 ERP (formerly Sage ERP Accpac) are the partners Natural Wellness relies on to keep its financial, accounting, and distribution operations in perfect health.
Growth Spurt Challenges
As Director of Operations, Larry Presby was charged with implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that would support the company’s rapid growth and address the logistical challenges the company faced.
“The company was using Sage Peachtree just to cut checks, essentially,” recalls Presby. “We needed a true ERP solution that would bring our financials, inventory control, distribution, and retail sales activity together.”
Select the Strongest Solution
Presby initially gathered data on more than 30 ERP software packages, quickly knocking that list down to six contenders. “Of those six products, we spoke to four vendors and Mindover Software was the standout,” he says. “Instead of working to sell a product, they worked to identify our company’s current needs and then helped us project how those needs would grow and change. They helped us define our requirements to ensure we would make the right ERP selection, which turned out to be Sage 300 ERP.”
An Integrated Approach
The company has point-of-sale software for its retail stores sales and e-commerce software in place for its website orders. Integrating data from these two disparate systems with the Sage 300 ERP financial and distribution software was the challenge. “Mindover Software developed the schedule, the steps, the timeline, and the points of coordination that drove the project,” Presby explains. “They constantly monitored milestones, kept communication flowing between all of us, and were very quick to adapt to changes and overcome roadblocks during the project.”
The Sage 300 ERP Insight component is the backbone of the integration strategy. Serving as a central data warehouse, Insight collects data from the stores’ point-of-sale software and the Web site and feeds the ERP system with current demand, sales data, and on-hand quantity information. “All of our software is now communicating,” says Presby. “Mindover Software designed and developed the whole integration strategy, and it works beautifully.”
Insight processes and formats orders from the Web site, creating a sales order in Sage 300 ERP. Transactions from the point-of-sale software are summarized by Insight and dynamically update inventory status, cash receipts, and customer sales history in Sage 300 ERP.
Insightful Data
Through inquiries and reports, the Insight database delivers the vital business data that Natural Wellness needs to make strategic business decisions. “It has become invaluable,” says Presby. “By analyzing what is selling, where, when, and at what price, we are better able to have the right products in the right place at the right time and at the right price.”
Longevity is Key
The scalability of Sage 300 ERP and its companion products mean that Natural Wellness can continue on its growth track for years to come, without reaching the ERP solution’s limits.
Currently, Mindover Software is implementing Sage CRM and Sage 300 ERP WMS for Natural Wellness. Sage CRM will provide the staff with a single point of contact for all information regarding the company’s customers. Sage 300 ERP WMS, a comprehensive warehouse management system, will bring fast, reliable, and accurate wireless technology to Natural Wellness’s warehouses. With all items barcoded, the warehouse staff will use wireless handheld devices to ship, receive, and count. “This will be a big move for us,” explains Presby. “Our goal is no less than a 97 percent accuracy rate in shipping and inventory counts, and we believe Sage 300 ERP WMS will get us there.”
Picture of Health
“Mindover Software combines a deep knowledge of the product with a broad understanding of the business world. It’s that blend of experience and expertise that made this project a success,” Presby notes.
Presby concludes, “We’ve come so far in just one year. I attribute that success, in part, to our talented internal team here at Natural Wellness, but the majority of the credit goes to Mindover Software. They have done a superior job for us—I have absolutely no regrets.”
