We hope that the stories below help you understand how technology can
be used to improve your business and how Lore can help you reach your goals. If you're
thinking of computerizing your business or moving your business onto the Internet, please
give us a call (207-439-1059) or fill out this form for a
free consultation and estimate.
Fernald Lumber, Inc. - Lore helped this family-run lumber mill
make the move from a paper based inventory and sales operation to a fully integrated
computerized system.
FERNALD
LUMBER, INC.
For nearly two decades, Fernald Lumber did everything by the book,
literally. Their entire inventory, which consists of over 1000 different types of lumber
and 2 million board feet, was in what they called, "The Computer." The Computer
was a large, blue, three ring binder with endless pages of columns and numbers. They
understood what was in it, even though no one else could. Still they'll tell you, "it
worked."
In 1997 they purchased and installed a UNIX based computer system. However, soon after
it's installation and their training, they were disappointed with the results and reverted
back to the blue binder system.
In the fall of 1998, at the recommendation of their cost accountant, they called us.
They were hesitant to call a custom software developer because they thought it would be
too expensive, and, after their last experience, they weren't crazy about the idea of
installing another computer system. However, they realized that if it was done right, it
would save them a lot of time and money.
To do it right, before starting any development, and even before writing a proposal, we
spent a large number of hours learning about their business and operations. This is the
most critical step in successfully developing an application. Without a comprehensive
knowledge of the business practices of a company, an adequate solution can not be
developed.
After understanding all of the in's and out's of Fernald's operations, we set out to
find how their process could be automated with the computer. We spent three months
developing a Visual FoxPro based application that completely computerized their inventory
management and point of sales functions. We were careful not to redesign how they worked,
but rather, we used the computer as a tool to eliminate the need for paper based
recording.
The system has been in place since January, and the company is already starting to
realize time savings and a reduction of errors. In fact, they are so pleased with their
new system that we have started discussing other areas of the business that can be
computerized.
If you're looking for the best lumber in the Seacoast, NH area, take a visit to Fernald
Lumber in Nottingham, NH.
Look for case studies about job management at a PR agency and the computerization of an
insurance auditor that allowed for revenues to quadruple without any increase in staff
requirements.
