Executive Summary: After years of managing their concrete pumping company on RapidWorks, leaders at An-Mar were convinced no other software could handle the scope of their business, despite its long list of inefficiencies. When the company discovered Tough Commerce, they beat that misconception – migrating to a sophisticated system that dramatically improved their invoicing, order entry and scheduling processes.
Who We Spoke To: Jennifer Beamish, a director at An-Mar, who plays a crucial role in managing invoicing, payroll, accounts receivable and accounts payable.
Company Overview: An-Mar has been a staple in the Canadian concrete pumping market since 1984. Under the ownership of Leroy, An-Mar has expanded its operations from Alberta to British Columbia. With a fleet that includes pumps ranging from 33m to 55m and a workforce of 17 employees, An-Mar is dedicated to delivering exceptional service in the concrete pumping sector.
The Challenge: Hours Lost on Manual Tasks
An-Mar’s chief complaint with RapidWorks was their inability to integrate with their accounting system, forcing them to spend countless hours and dollars transferring the invoices manually. Beyond that, the interface was lackluster and far from intuitive.
Pain Points Identified:
Laggy customer service response times, with minimal urgency to address issues
Archaic invoicing process that lacked the ease of clicking on a company name and seeing all their associated invoices
Incredibly easy to miss order entry details when collecting info for an order
Inability to grow with their company due to the manual labor it demanded
Lack of receptivity to suggestions on what they could change to make the software more user-friendly and functional
The Solution: Committing to Tough Commerce
Choosing Tough Commerce
No asset-based construction business takes the decision to change software lightly. It’s a mammoth task that usually seems so imposing, they put it off for years. For An-Mar, the turning point came when Tough Commerce reached out to them directly and demonstrated what they were capable of. "As soon as they mentioned exporting to Sage, we were sold," Beamish says.
The transition was surprisingly smooth. The team at Tough Commerce took charge of importing all necessary data into their system, ensuring minimal disruption to An-Mar's operations. Beamish applauded the hands-on support during this process, which included transferring all of their customer lists and truck information without missing a beat. This proactive approach made the onboarding experience painless and efficient, despite being an admittedly huge task.
The Result: Widespread Savings and Attentive Support
Tough Commerce eliminated nearly all of the issues that bogged down An-Mar’s experience with RapidWorks. Improvements included:
Invoicing Efficiency: The ability to export invoices directly into Sage has saved An-Mar countless hours previously spent on manual data entry.
Cost Savings: With more users able to access the system without additional licensing fees, An-Mar has reduced operational costs associated with their software. They also spend less man hours on the manual exports Rapid required.
Wider Team Access: Unlike Rapid, which charged per license and limited access to three users, Tough Commerce's pricing model is based on usage/tickets, allowing broader access for dispatchers and accounting personnel without additional costs.
Customer Experience: Although there were initial adjustments needed after the switch, Tough Commerce quickly adapted their system based on An-Mar’s feedback, meeting the company’s specific needs.
Comprehensive Order Entry: No more flying through orders and forgetting to gather key details. That said, Tough Commerce is flexible, allowing for easy manipulation of order details in cases where complete information may not be available.
Stronger Customer Service
One standout feature is the chat support offered by Tough Commerce. Beamish highlights how quickly her queries are addressed, often receiving solutions within minutes. This level of customer service has fostered a strong relationship between the An-Mar and Tough Commerce teams. Beamish went so far as to say that the relationships she’s built with the Tough Commerce team are “worth their weight in gold.”
An-Mar’s Advice to Other Concrete Pumping Companies:
Beamish strongly recommends switching to Tough Commerce, despite any potential reservations that a company may have about switching their software. She emphasizes that while there may be initial challenges with any transition, the long-term benefit of improved efficiency is invaluable.
In her own words, when it comes to the switch, Beamish says: "Do it. Tough Commerce is a lot more updated than Rapid and they’ve been such a great help. How easy it is to access support is huge—no more waiting around for three days to fix your issues."
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