VAI, a ERP software provider, announced that Joshen Paper & Packaging, an Ohio-based distributor of packaging and paper supplies, is continuing to enhance operations with VAI’s Suggested Purchasing solution, which helps the company manage overhead and has enabled them to reduce inventory by more than 20%.
Suggested Purchasing empowers just six buyers in the Joshen corporate headquarters to buy for all their locations, which have expanded across 11 states. Part of the VAI S2K suite, which Joshen has relied upon since the 1990s, Suggested Purchasing shows their buyers which sites have an excess of inventory, where inventory is sorely needed, and how they can facilitate the most cost-effective distribution routes. This enhanced visibility has enabled Joshen to reduce the cost of their goods and drastically cut inventory.
“By centralizing our buying to the corporate headquarters, we were able to make fast, accurate purchasing decisions with streamlined communication," said Doug Trisnar, CIO at Joshen Paper & Packaging. “Looking at our balance sheet, the ROI gained by reduced inventory and lowered cost of goods is evident, and it’s helped Joshen maintain two decades of expansion.”
Suggested Purchasing is not the only VAI solution that has helped Joshen scale successfully. In the 1990s, Joshen was a mid-size and rapidly growing supply chain company that needed to replace their outdated legacy systems, which didn’t foster effective collaboration, communication, visibility and process organization. For Joshen, the primary incentive for implementing an ERP solution was to equip its sales force and customers with powerful technology that could streamline their operations. Moreover, the company was also engaging in what would be the first of many major acquisitions, so they required a solution that would help sustain that growth trajectory.
“Once Joshen discovered VAI’s unlimited user license option, which lets customers add as many new users as needed for no additional cost, the decision to select VAI’s S2K suite was straightforward,” said Trisnar. “VAI’s steadfast focus on customer service and their powerful suite of solutions demonstrated to our IT team that they would be the best partner to help us grow.”
“Joshen Paper & Packaging has been a valued partner of VAI’s for more than two decades, and we’re excited to continue helping them service their customers with our ever-evolving suite of business software solutions, such as Suggested Purchasing,” said Claudio Gallina, project manager at VAI. “Their sustained growth over the years is also a testament to the strategic importance of unlimited user licenses – your IT solutions should empower your expansion, not hinder it, so we’re pleased at VAI to provide that option to our customers.”
