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Humboldt Group was stuck with old and out-of-date moving software for their business. EWS Group came along and created the perfect solution for their objectives. http://www.ewsgroup.com
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t r a n s p o r tat i o n
Humboldt Storage and moving
Customer Solution Case Study
Humboldt Storage
and moving
www.humboldt.com
Organization Size:
100 employees
Software and Services: SITUATION customer service capabilities, and
Microsoft Dynamics® GP provide financial insight so they could
Humboldt Storage and Moving, an agent
and MoversSuite of United Van Lines (America’s largest
plan for the future and ultimately become
a more profitable business.
Industry: moving company), assists companies
and families with everything involved in
Transportation-Moving & Storage the moving process, from relocating
“our biggest improvement
Country/Region: employees to moving priceless pieces has been in our customer
of artwork. Based out of Boston, MA, service department. our
United States Humboldt is the mover of choice.
Being in business for over 100 years, employees can actually
Business Need:
Humboldt understands the stress that understand the system
Enhanced Customer Service goes along with moving and strives to
meet their ultimate goal of creating a
and entering an order is
Streamlined Business and no longer rocket science.”
relaxing experience for all of their clients.
Accounting Processes
As a member of the United Van Lines Nick Abbatangelo, CFO of Humboldt Storage
Issue: operation, Humboldt was processing & Moving
Accounting Software their orders, customer data and billing
Management through legacy systems and applications.
These systems were green screens, SOLUTION & BENEFITS
Mover Management DOS based command entry, and
In 2004, Nick Abbatangelo visited
“cumbersome” to use according to CFO
Microsoft Partner: another United Van Lines Agency in
of Humboldt Storage & Moving, Nick
EWS Group Minnesota and caught a glance of the
Abbatangelo. It was time consuming and
software system they had in place.
difficult to enter orders correctly into the
“It was my first taste of something
system. It would take them at least 6
better and I was impressed with the
weeks to train new people to just enter
functionality.” In 2005, United Van Lines
an order and process it efficiently. This
pushed Humboldt into researching other
limited Humboldt greatly as they became
options as they were discontinuing the
more focused on who knew the system
software they had provided for years.
versus the quality of work they were
Nick had about five solutions for the
providing. The order entry systems were
moving and storage industry that he was
also all paper based which increased
interested in, but only one impressed
the chances of manual errors. Nick
him the most. “EWS Group’s Microsoft
stresses, “Our employees were servicing
Dynamics GP and MoversSuite were
the system and not the customer. They
Windows based applications that were
just weren’t able to place the focus
extremely easy and self-explanatory.
where it mattered the most.”
“I was also very impressed with the
These internal limitations restricted management of EWS Group. They
Humboldt in multiple ways. Most knew the industry and understood the
importantly, they were unable to provide pains we were experiencing. They knew
the levels of service to their clients Microsoft had the applications and I
they knew was possible. The financial respect that they didn’t try to recreate
information was limited and had to the wheel, but worked with what was out
rely on required multiple manually, there. I believe EWS Group really paved
created worksheets. Humboldt needed the way for improved workflow in the
streamlined processes in place that moving industry.”
could limit manual errors, enhance
EWS Group • 454 Main Street • Grand Junction, CO 81501
“this decade has been the worst for sales growth, who need to see it. With Microsoft
but we’re still able to sustain a profit thanks to ,
Dynamics GP Humboldt is able to drill
down into every order at the level of
Moverssuite and Microsoft Dynamics Gp.” detail needed for their company. This
insight is helping Humboldt not only
Nick Abbatangelo, CFO of Humboldt Storage & Moving
sustain their business, but also plan
for the future. “The financial reporting
EWS Group realized the pains within backend. Nick explains, “We enter the within Microsoft Dynamics GP is making
the moving industry related to move data into one place and it pushes it out it possible to weather the storms of
management and created MoversSuite to where it needs to go. It’s like magic!” economic change, and yet still grow”
in order to improve moving and Integration with United Van Lines’ says Nick.
storage administration and operational systems obviously makes data entry Humboldt recently installed EWS
efficiencies. Humboldt implemented much less labor intensive and allows Group’s credit management system and
MoversSuite and Microsoft Dynamics customer service representatives to is greatly pleased with their decision.
GP in the spring of 2006. To streamline focus on their clients. They can now easily see bill collector’s
the process, Humboldt compiled a information without needing to request
team of 10 project managers within On a daily basis, customer service
representatives are now able to reports. The CFO himself can access
the company to oversee decisions and the data and see everything relevant
planning throughout the implementation. manage more moves on a daily bases.
They can manage about 15-20% to his inquiry into a particular issue.
Nick Abbatangelo explains, “It took He is also able to exchange reports
about 6 weeks total to implement, train, more moves annually. MoversSuite
makes it easy with task reminders with United Van Lines electronically.
and transfer our data over to the new Humboldt is happy to say they are
system. It was very quick and easy.” so representatives know when to
follow up and how. They can also onnow on the road of becoming
The accounting applications were the paperless!
last to be installed, but the transfer was easily share notes with other agents
completely seamless. Nick continued, throughout United Van Lines about Nick Abbatangelo, CFO of Humboldt
“We started with a new set of books, customer conversations and email Storage & Moving explains, “If it
but still had access to everything prior, correspondence. Management of the wasn’t for MoversSuite and Microsoft
giving us enhanced insight into our moving process has never been easier ,
Dynamics GP I know we wouldn’t be in
financials almost instantly”. EWS Group as MoversSuite is the one stop shop for the position we are today. It’s the best
has been creative in their training all updates and Humboldt can now trust software decision that we have made.
approach, offering various online that the information is correct. Nick
trainings that can be viewed live or on adds, “Our customer service scores SUMMARY
demand. This method is respectful of have also seen an increase since we’ve
deployed. I note this point to prove Humboldt Storage and Moving was
Humboldt’s time and makes it possible struggling with a legacy green screen
for a new hire to easily and quickly that we have not sacrificed service for
productivity.” and DOS based system they had
obtain the training they need. in place. These limitations made it
Humboldt is now able to monitor difficult fordifficult for Humboldt to fulfill
their clients at every step within the their ultimate goal of reducing their
moving process in real-time through customer’s stress. provide the high
MoversSuite. Microsoft Dynamics GP level of customer service they needed
is also making it possible for Humboldt in oirder to reduce the stress of their
to manage their financials online; no customers.
more paper based worksheets and EWS Group came to the rescue with
purchase orders. Together, MoversSuite MoversSuite and Microsoft Dynamics
and Microsoft Dynamics GP are helping .
GP This dynamic duo worked together
Humboldt preserve their ultimate goal to provide streamlined management
of creating a relaxing experience for of the moving process as well as deep
their clients. Sustainable Profit Margins
“This decade has been the worst insight into Humboldt’s financials. Today,
for sales growth, but Humboldt has Humboldt is able to provide industry-
BENEFITS best customer service with less difficulty
remained financially solid thank in part
Customer Service Made Easy to MoversSuite and Microsoft Dynamics through streamlined processes, making
Nick Abbatangelo believes, “Our biggest GP” says Nick. Because of the efficiency them a more profitable business.
improvement has been in our customer now in place due to MoversSuite,
service department”. He continues, Humboldt is now able to easily identify
“Our employees can actually understand profit margins on various product lines,
the system and entering an order is which has allowed them to generate
no longer rocket science.” It used to additional profits not previously realized.
take Humboldt 6 weeks to train in their For example, because of the automated
employees with their old system, and processes and accurate information
now it takes a few days.! that MoversSuite is able to provide,
As a United Van Lines agent, Humboldt Humboldt’s Revenue Ratio per Employee
needs to connect their data with United (how many employees it takes to
Van Lines’ corporate system. They used support their revenue) has seen a 17%
to spend hours entering their customer increase since they deployed in 2006.
and financial data manually, but now Less Reporting, More Insight
with MoversSuite and Microsoft Humboldt’s financials are now housed
,
Dynamics GP it’s all connected on the online making it visible to those
970.256.1616 www.ewsgroup.com
