Customer Story
7 min read
SMC Corporation
Supplier SMC Better Serves Their Customers With SourceDay
Download Case StudyEverything is in one place, visible to me and my customer so there is never a risk for miscommunication or a missed item. I cannot think of a single thing I was doing before that hasn’t been improved with SourceDay.
Kenny Zielinksi, Account Representative at SMC
Automating the Manual and Time-Consuming Process of Supplier Collaboration
As a supplier to many major manufacturers, SMC Corporation of America has hundreds of sales representatives managing thousands of accounts. Managing every order and line item is a manual process that includes countless emails, phone calls and spreadsheets. Kenny Zielinski, an Account Representative at SMC Corporation of America, receives up to eight POs per day from one customer alone, each with multiple line items, precise specifications, varying due dates, and multiple changes.
Zielinski was presented the opportunity to streamline his labor-intensive tasks with a cloud based software solution–not by a vendor salesperson, but by his largest customer account. His customer switched to SourceDay for all of their PO management and asked him to jump on board, making it free to SMC. All Zielinski had to do was agree to forego his manual systems for an automated solution.
I was actually excited to have a better way to manage the account. I had my own way of managing orders and communications but it was very manual. SourceDay consolidates every aspect of account management into a single system that is easy to use with minimal training required. It’s an ideal buyer-supplier collaboration tool.
Efficient Automation Leads to Supply Chain Resiliency
After
- Real-time, single source of data on purchase orders.
- Decrease time spent managing orders by 1 hour per day.
- Minimize risk for manual errors and missed acknowledgements.
- Improved communication and customer relationship building with customers.
BEFORE
- Inefficient manual process for purchase orders.
- Hours spent digging through emails, sticky notes, and searching for information.
- Errors in POs due to miscommunication.
- Slow communication and responsiveness with customer.
Like many suppliers, I have been using four separate systems to keep track of all of the orders, acknowledgments and communications with my customers – spreadsheets, email, phone and texts. While the combination of systems works, I am limited with what I can do to manage open orders and communicate with my customers.
BENEFITS
Organized Communication with Customers Means Fewer Risks
By adopting SourceDay as a supplier, Zielinksi immediately saw the benefit. Unlike other supplier portals or order management technology, SourceDay allowed Zielinski to experience true transparency for the first time.
According to Zielinski, “Everything is in one place, visible to me and my customer so there is never a risk for miscommunication or a missed item.” When asked how is current workday compared to days past, he said, “I cannot think of a single thing I was doing before that hasn’t been improved with SourceDay.”
SOLUTIONS
An Intuitive Solution, Backed by Dedicated Support
Zielinski learned the SourceDay system in only one hour. “I was impressed with how simple it was to use,” he says. “Having everything in one spot where it can be read whenever, as well as having the entire history documented makes it a breeze to track orders and every customer interaction.”
After adopting SourceDay, Zielinski’s entire workday changed. “The first thing I do every morning is check order updates and in the past, this cross-checking process was tedious but necessary. With a single click, SourceDay helps me keep track of which orders are open and which need to be closed.”
RESULTS
Time Saved, Customer Trust Earned
Since adopting SourceDay, Zielinski estimates he saves at least one hour per day using SourceDay compared to the manual process of the past. This allows him more time to focus on customer relationship building.
SMC has dramatically improved its collaboration and communication with its customer, established a real-time, single source for all PO-related data, and minimized its risk for manual errors and missed acknowledgments.
Who We Are
SourceDay
SourceDay is a supply chain performance software that bridges the gap between the ERP and the supplier network, making it easy to manage changes throughout the direct spend lifecycle.
SMC Corporation
SMC is a global leader in pneumatic technology, providing the industry with technology and products to support automation. For more than 50 years, SMC has been a recognized brand through sales, technical, supply and after-sale services in world markets.