THE ISABELLA COMPANY

The Isabella Company, Inc. operates as the sole importer and distribution agent for several fine European clothing manufacturers. The company sells its garments to leading department stores and specialty shops throughout North America. Recently, it opened several retail boutiques within upper-end department stores. While the company has enjoyed long-term success, the small margins and competitive nature of the garment industry drive The Isabella Company to be both lean and efficient. To help it survive in a tight marketplace, The Isabella Company relies on the Sage Accpac ERP system and support from ADSS Global. 

HEMMED IN BY TECHNOLOGY 

For years, The Isabella Company ran its accounting on an older DOS-based system. The inventory, order entry, and purchasing functions were performed outside of the software, using spreadsheets and manual processes. Staff produced orders and invoices by hand since the software did not support the color/size matrix that is required in the garment industry. In addition, accounting for currency exchanges and fluctuations between the Canadian dollar, U.S. dollar, and the Euro  also were handled outside of the software. As a result, Howard Aubrey, The Isabella Company’s president, and his staff spent long hours balancing the books at month end. “We had to rely on our accountants to pull it all together,” Aubrey recalls. “It was a wasteful, inefficient system.” 

FINDING THE PERFECT FIT 

As the company planned to open its retail boutiques, its need for a robust, integrated accounting, operations, and point-of-sale solution came to the forefront. Aubrey had not been satisfied with the support that the company received from its previous business partner, so he placed a call to Sage and received referrals to several Sage Accpac ERP Authorized Partners. 

“I met with several consultants, but was immediately struck by the knowledge and sincerity of the team at ADSS Global,” he says. “They were a large enough organization to have resources at their disposal, yet still small enough to give us the personalized attention we value.” The Isabella Company hired ADSS Global to update its accounting solution and to add multi-currency, inventory, order entry, purchasing, and point-of-sale capabilities. “The new system was live in a little over a month,” Aubrey says. “ADSS Global made it happen.” 

↳ CHALLENGE 

With transactions in 3 currencies, The Isabella Company needed multi-currency accounting system. It also required support for the garment industry’s color/size matrix and point-of-sale capabilities. 

↳ SOLUTION 

ADSS Global implemented the Sage Accpac ERP accounting and distribution suites, plus third-party solutions to support The Isabella Company’s industry requirements. 

↳ RESULTS 

Integrated point-of-sale system delivers real-time data to the accounting software. Better sales data leads to smarter purchasing decisions. Invoicing time reduced, improving cash flow. Multi-currency support is provided. 

TAILORING THE SOLUTION 

ADSS Global introduced The Isabella Company to an add-on solution for Sage Accpac ERP that supports the color/size matrix commonly used in the apparel industry. The grid-style data entry available in sales order entry and purchase order entry makes it simple and intuitive for staff to record the various article colors and sizes requested. The solution also supports full inventory queries, sales and purchase history, and valuation by color and size, ensuring accurate inventory management from receipt through final sale. 

ADSS Global also recommended the Orion Point of Sale (POS) System. It integrates tightly with Sage Accpac ERP, and is a fast, full-featured, and easy to use point-of-sale system. Transactions from the POS system post directly into the Sage Accpac ERP Order Entry module, ensuring inventory is accurately updated as a result of each sale. 

“ADSS Global is truly a global company and was there as each store went live. They even arranged for French-speaking trainers in our Montreal store,” Aubrey notes. “It was reassuring to know that they were on site during that critical time period.” 

A SOLUTION THAT WON’T GO OUT OF STYLE 

Now the company has access to detailed sales information that allows it to accurately make the right buying decisions. Reports and inquiries give buyers the information they need to minimize overstock situations while ensuring adequate stock is available for shipping. Thanks to the multi-currency support that flows throughout the system, reporting, invoicing, and reconciliation tasks are greatly simplified. The Isabella Company’s invoicing cycle has been dramatically shortened, increasing cash flow and accuracy. “This efficient invoicing process provides us with better insight and control over our collections cycle,” adds Aubrey. Even in the midst of a recession that continues to hit the garment industry hard, it proved a good time to invest in the company’s infrastructure. Aubrey says, “We’re operating leaner and more efficiently now, and we have the technology in place to ramp up our operations to take advantage of the recovery.” Aubrey credits ADSS Global for engineering a successful long-term solution for the company, “The deep accounting knowledge and expertise of ADSS Global combined with the efficiencies of Sage Accpac ERP helped to make this project a success.”