Maple Syrup Manufacturer/Distributor Goes From Bark To Bottle With Microsoft Dynamics GP and SalesPad
Customer: Crown Maple®
Website: www.crownmaple.com
Location: Dutchess County, NY
Industry: Manufacturing/Distribution
Customer Profile
Crown Maple is a manufacturer and distributor of organic maple syrup sustainably made from bark to bottle on 800 acres of pristine land at Madava Farms in Dutchess County, New York. They also offer education, entertainment and retail services.
Download Dynamics GP Distribution/Manufacturing Company Case Study – Crown Maple
The Challenge:
Crown Maple began in 2010 as a new manufacturer and distributor of organic maple syrup and right from the start they had a tremendous vision. Since their first season, syrup production has grown 93% with plans to double that amount in one year. They are on track to becoming the largest maple syrup distributor in North America and now also offer education, entertainment and retail services.
Crown Maple realized early on that their QuickBooks accounting software could not keep up with their growth. They wanted a robust inventory system, integration to eliminate manual processes and spreadsheets, and flexible reporting that could easily be shared with their remote management team.
Annette Cantilli, CFO, Tamar Roman, Inventory Control and Admin Manager, and Kerri Tiano, Financial Operations Manager, describe the benefits of the system:
The Solution:
Crown Maple evaluated Netsuite and Sage but felt both options were too expensive. They chose Microsoft Dynamics GP because it was a cost effective, stable product presented with the option of a phased implementation plan. A key selling point was the SalesPad add on tools suggested by CAL Business Solutions, designed to streamline the distribution processes.
The Benefits:
“Able to Change As We Grow”
“Crown Maple has a complicated setup, with six companies under one holding company. Microsoft Dynamics GP with SalesPad has the power to handle our needs, but still allows us to change as we grow. For example, after a few years using inventory control with Dynamics GP, I decided that I wanted to completely overhaul the way we assigned item numbers to components and shipping materials. I was able to do it very easily.” Tamar Roman
“Great Visibility into our Inventory”
“With Dynamics GP, I have so many capabilities for inventory that I didn’t have at all with QuickBooks. I can see what is allocated, what is shipped. I like the flexibility to run different stock status reports. The lot trace function allows me to assign a separate lot number to each barrel of syrup and track what happens to each barrel. I have great visibility into our inventory levels and I can easily get the reports I need.” Tamar Roman
“SalesPad Quick Reports Makes My Life Easier”
“CAL Business Solutions has created so many time saving reports for us. I used to spend at least 3 hours a month on a commission report. Now it takes me just 10 minutes; in a couple of clicks it is done.
I can create my own SalesPad Quick Reports. They’re fun; they’re easy to use; you can change them anytime, so the possibilities are endless. My boss needs something different every single day and Quick Reports allows me to give her what she needs right away. Quick Reports makes my life so much easier. ” Kerri Tiano
“SalesPad Mobile Boards is My Bible”
“All of us on the management staff look at sales stats on our phones constantly. We can scroll through screens that show sales summary, sales by customer, sales by product and a pipeline report. When I’m at home or traveling, SalesPad Mobile Boards is my bible.
When I’m at my desk, the first software I open is SalesPad, and throughout the day, I’m looking at the Sales Monitor screen. This software shows me exactly what’s being invoiced and what’s being shipped. It’s a wonderful snapshot.” Annette Cantilli
“Integration Eliminates Manual Entry”
“Over the holiday season, we get hundreds of online orders a day. Without integration, it would take many hours to enter those manually from our POS system. Because Dynamics GP is open and flexible and allows integration it saves us time and manual entry.” Kerri Tiano
“CAL Paid For Themselves”
“Some people say using a consulting company is very expensive. In the beginning I was watching the budget closely. Over time, we realized that every single time we used them, CAL made us more efficient and more effective, and the ROI was there. They paid for themselves. To us, CAL has been a godsend. For growing companies with a tight budget, CAL is a perfect solution.” Annette Cantilli
“The Support is Amazing”
“The staff at CAL Business Solutions has been phenomenal. Everyone has been so patient, so clear and friendly with their instructions.” Tamar Roman
“Hands down, I would recommend anyone using CAL Business Solutions. The support is absolutely amazing. We love CAL. We could not live without CAL.” Kerri Tiano
Today, Crown Maple has set the standard for maple products. From bark to bottle and from pantry to plate, Crown Maple delivers a unique gourmet maple experience. Now they can rely on Microsoft Dynamics and SalesPad to help them realize their vision of becoming the number one maple syrup distributor in North America.
If you are a distribution/manufacturing company that is looking for a new ERP system, contact CAL Business Solutions.