Polycoat Products Scales Operations Nationwide with
Net at Work & Sage X3
Since its founding in 1979, Polycoat Products has grown from a small California manufacturer of industrial coatings into a multi-entity, multilocation enterprise with over one million square feet of manufacturing space and a nationwide distribution network. The company’s 200-plus employees continue to fuel the ongoing innovation and personalized service Polycoat is known for. As part of that commitment to innovation, the company invests in its technology infrastructure—infrastructure grounded in Net at Work and Sage X3.
THE START OF SOMETHING SPECIAL
A decade ago, when its previous ERP reached the end of its serviceable life, Polycoat’s management team took action. “Our previous version of ERP was being sunsetted by the manufacturer,” recalls H.K. Sharma, Vice President of IT for Polycoat. “We began looking for our next long-term solution. We only had two locations then but had a long-term growth strategy that would require a powerful ERP that could scale.”
Polycoat engaged its Sage business partner, Net at Work, to lead the search. “They recommended we move to Sage X3,” Sharma says. “Sage X3 is designed for process manufacturers like Polycoat and is almost infinitely scalable. We’d had a good experience with Sage and Net at Work, so remaining with a Sage solution made good sense.”
EXPANSIVE CAPABILITIES
Sustaining Polycoat’s rapid growth and expansion wouldn’t be possible without the efficient workflows supported by Sage X3. All of the company’s manufacturing, distribution, and operation processes run through Sage X3. From complex manufacturing tasks, to supply chain management and warehousing, Sage X3 is helping Polycoat optimize its resources and grow its operations sustainably.
Even routine tasks like the company’s optional business audit have been simplified. “Our annual audit used to take three months,” notes Sharma.
“All the documentation was stored in file cabinets. Now, we sit down with the auditors, access everything electronically, and we’re done in hours rather than months.” Sage X3 has also proven to be as stable and scalable as Polycoat hoped. “We’ve grown from two locations to ten and have completed multiple acquisitions,” explains Sharma. “We process thousands of transactions every week through Sage X3. Sage X3 is foundational to our ability to scale — as is Net at Work. Having a top-notch team is the only way to achieve this level of success and efficiency.”
CONTINUITY OF CARE
The Net at Work team continues to earn Polycoat’s trust. “Like us, they’ve also grown tremendously over the years,” Sharma says. “I initially worried that our service level would drop as a result of their growth, but that has definitely not been the case. Year after year, they continue to exceed our expectations.”
He recalls one instance in particular. It was late Friday afternoon on the last weekend of the last month of the year and Polycoat was experiencing some glitches during month-end processing.
“Our regular Net at Work consultant was out on vacation, so I logged a ticket with the help desk and quickly got a call back,” Sharma explains. “They escalated the call, and at 7:00 AM Saturday, I had an expert team of consultants on the line with me to fix the issue. On Monday morning, our consultant called me to follow up and make sure our issues were resolved. That’s above and beyond, and it’s how Net at Work works.”
Sharma makes an apt comparison to further describe Polycoat’s relationship with Net at Work: “We all need a primary physician who knows us and understands our history. But from time to time, we also need specialists with specific talents and capabilities. With Net at Work, we have both — a trusted consultant we’ve worked with for years backed by an expansive team of developers, accounting professionals, IT specialists, and more. They work together to keep our business in peak health.”
NEVER STAND STILL
With assistance from Net at Work, Polycoat is rolling out a customer self-service portal and web store where customers can view transactions, shop, and place new orders. “We’re excited about that,” notes Sharma. “It will both free up staff time and empower our customers.”
Net at Work maintains a library of Sage X3 customizations, ranging from simple efficiency upgrades to comprehensive, industry-specific functionality. Sharma says he likes to browse that library for inspiration and ideas that could spark additional efficiencies. “We’re not standing still,” he says. “We want to leverage technology in smart new ways. Net at Work is our conduit into that technology, sparking new ideas and helping us make them a reality.”
As Polycoat expands its footprint and its workforce, it adds additional Sage X3 users. Recently, Net at Work performed a cost optimization analysis and recommended the company move from its perpetual license model to a subscription model. “It will ultimately save us money,” Sharma says.
LOOK FOR A PARTNER, NOT A VENDOR
Sharma has one final piece of advice for companies looking for a technology provider: “Look for a partner, not a vendor. The technology itself is important, but it’s only effective when deployed by a knowledgeable team. Sage X3 is a great piece of technology, and it’s even better in the hands of a partner like Net at Work. I’ve seen what they can do firsthand, and I’d choose them again.”
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