The Progressive Solutions blog

This is our blog, with extra news, tips & product features. Main Progressive Solutions website here.

Progressive Solutions named top employer

Progressive Solutions wins top employer in BC award for 5th straight year

Vancouver BC (Nov 5, 2009) – For the fifth year in a row, Progressive Solutions Inc. (PSI), has been named one of the top employers in British Columbia. Founded in 1989, PSI is the fastest growing supplier of software systems for the forestry and lumber and building materials industries.

Organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, the annual BC’s Top Employers competition recognizes BC companies offering exceptional places to work. Companies are judged on: physical workplace; work and social atmosphere; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement.

“We’re delighted to win this award,” said Len Williams, president, PSI. “We think it’s especially significant when you consider the competition is open to any BC company in the private or public sector, regardless of size.

“After 20 years in the software business, we recognize that to create great software you have to recruit and retain great people. That’s why we’re committed to making PSI a fantastic and rewarding place to work and are continually looking for new ways to enhance the work experience for each of our employees.”

PSI human resources manager Paula Bifano said the company’s growth from a startup in 1989 to a recognized leader in the lumber building materials and wood products industry is due, in large part, to hiring and retaining the best and brightest people in all aspects of the company’s operation.

“We believe that when our employees succeed, we succeed,” said Bifano. “Being named one of BC’s top 50 employers shows that we’re just as committed to employee development as we are to developing great products and customer support. When you consider the tremendous input each of our 125 employees has in how our company operates, this really is an award that belongs to each one of them.”

For more information on the BC’s Top Employers competition, visit  www.canadastop100.com/bc/

Biggest ever newsletter online

Our Autumn 2009 newsletter is our biggest yet — plenty of success stories from companies with vision, positioning themselves for the future. There’s no doubting that those companies working hard to see a way through the downturn and investing in new systems and practises are the ones that will thrive when the upturn comes.

You can read about our move into the newly-opened Progressive House. Len Williams, PSI president: “Our move into Progressive House demonstrates our commitment to making further investment and to developing our market-leading position.”

Customer and software stories from James Hargreaves (100-user plumbers’ merchant), Complete Building Materials (using bisTrack and Scan Track at their builders merchants in Halifax), John Cavanagh’s new timber branch (powered by bisTrack), and the use of Web Track at timber giant James Latham.

>> Read more here (PDF, 888k).

Cutting edge e-commerce at Arnold Laver

A leading national timber merchant is combating the difficult economic climate with its cutting edge approach to electronic commerce (e-commerce) using bisTrack’s eBusiness module.

Arnold Laver Timber World, based in Sheffield, has made major developments to its modern communications and information technology over the last two years, with state-of-the-art computer systems and the integration of modern web based facilities. [Read more on Arnold Laver]

Laver takes a smarter view

bisTrack’s recently launched Smart Views are proving a hit with Sheffield-based Arnold Laver Timber World. The company has created about 500 smart views since they were introduced earlier in the year.

Read more on our website

A quick overview of bisTrack

bisTrack gives you Windows-based cash and credit sales, stock control, pricing and discount management, for delivered and direct sales from multiple locations. bisTrack is so easy to use, making the transition from another system smooth and immediately productive. A few of the basics:

• full sales order processing
• simple to use at the counter
• powerful search — find anything, fast
• cash, credit and cards… [bisTrack on the Progressive  website]

ECC invests in lumberTrack

Irish-based sawmill ECC, the largest exporter of timber from Ireland to the UK, is investing for the future with the lumberTrack stock control and production management system from Progressive Solutions (reports the Timber Trades Journal).

The Irish construction sector has been hit hard by the downturn, but ECC has made the bold move of investing heavily to improve customer service and increase its export capacity. Their new software solution is a powerful allie in the battle for overseas sales.

Managing director PJ Fahy said: “This [new software] will benefit customers in the UK and Ireland.” He added, “Even when times are good in Ireland we keep exporting. It’s very gratifying for us to see the loyalty shown to our company by our UK customers over the past two years – they know that we will consistently be there in the future.”

James Hargreaves investing for the future

bisTrack customer James Hargreaves fights the recession by investing heavily for the upturn… PBM reports in the September 2009 issue.

Inward investment

Bosses at Burnley-based James Hargreaves (Plumbers Merchants) have pumped £3m into six key areas of the business, believing the cash injection will safeguard its long-term future. The changes include a major re-branding initiative which will see the company split into three clearly defined areas — James Hargreaves Bathrooms, James Hargreaves Plumbing, and James Hargreaves Renewables.

A further chunk of the cash has been designated for a new trade counter in South Sheffield, and there are also plans to open a new bathroom showroom and trade counter in Stockton-On-Tees later this year. The company is also investing in a new warehouse and administration facility at its main site in Burnley, and there are plans to install a new state-of-the-art computer and telephone system.

MD Gordon Rothwell said: “With the economy in tatters we have developed a strategy to see us through the worst trading conditions in recent memory. Our competitors are all in a state of meltdown, rushing to decrease stocks, lay off staff and generally reduce costs no matter what, with little thought for the future. We have decided that the best form of defence is attack.

“Due to the financial strength of the business, we are able to re-invest approximately £3m of the retained company profits in six key areas of the business. The next 12 months will, without a doubt, see a short-term deterioration in the profitability however, the investments we are making now will give us a payback over the next 10 to 20 years.”

More about James Hargreaves

James Hargreaves website

Catch up: Arthur Duffy in Liverpool Post feature

“I am accountable here, it’s my baby.”

Alex Turner meets ARTHUR DUFFY, managing director of Runcorn-based Progressive Solutions.

THE move into a new building at The Heath Business Park, in Runcorn, marks the beginning of the next phase for technology firm Progressive Solutions.

The company currently has a turnover of £3.4m and employs 30 people – but plans to treble sales while doubling staff in the next three years…

Full article here at liverpooldailypost.co.uk

What is bisTrack?

bisTrack is a family of business software products that:

• Manages sales
• Controls stock
• Simplifies purchasing
• Gathers intelligence.

bisTrack gives you Windows-based cash and credit sales, stock control, pricing and discount management, for delivered and direct sales from multiple locations. bisTrack is so easy to use, making the transition from another system smooth and immediately productive.

Benefits: Class-leading software with superb usability and seamless integration to other business software (Office applications, accounts, email, etc.). Used by builders merchants, timbers merchants and distributors to manage quotes and pricing structures, bisTrack really becomes a profit management tool.

We’d love to talk to you about what bisTrack can do for you. If you can’t commit to a visit, we’ll demonstrate across the web. See the software without leaving your desk. Why make it hard?

Do you like what you see? Please call 01928 592200.

Read more on the Progressive Solutions website.

bisTrack | delivers efficiency | improves service | grows profits.