RTI Hotel Supply, Inc.

Sage 300 ERP Delivers the Right Amenities to RTI Hotel Supply

For 20 years, RTI Hotel Supply, Inc. has been providing specialized procurement services to the hospitality industry. Focusing primarily on the Caribbean and Latin American marketplace, the company has built a solid reputation as a single-source provider of high-quality products. A second division builds customized hotel furnishings including vanities, casework, and seating.

Through its professional and experienced staff, RTI Hotel Supply delivers personalized service that keeps its customers returning time and time again. Since its inception, RTI Hotel Supply has relied on Sage 300 ERP* as its accounting and distribution software, recently adding Sage CRM to give the company a 360-degree view of its customers and its operations.

No Reservations
Sage 300 ERP has proven to be a stable and reliable solution for RTI Hotel Supply. So reliable, in fact, that the company had neglected to update the software for several years. Rapid growth, including the opening of several international offices, ultimately prompted the company to invest in its technology infrastructure and to update its system to the most current level.

“We wanted to take advantage of the expanded features and functionality of the latest version of Sage 300 ERP,” recalls Robert Perlman, president and owner of RTI Hotel Supply. “We also wanted to add the CRM component to help us build stronger relationships with our customers and vendors.”

The company never considered switching from Sage 300 ERP to another software package. “It has always worked well for us—why would we switch?” says Perlman.

Warehouse Checks Out
At the 18,000 square-foot Miami warehouse, customer orders are picked and packed for shipping. Sage 300 ERP delivers the information warehouse personnel need to consolidate orders to minimize freight charges. “We ship in containers or use freight forwarders,” explains Perlman. “In both cases, item weight and the total order weight is key. We keep that information in the system so that it is readily available during the shipping process.”

Staff makes extensive use of the note functionality throughout the software to record order or customer-specific requirements or preferences. “The notes follow an order so they are always accessible,” Perlman adds.

Challenge
The company, a long-time user of Sage 300 ERP, decided to upgrade to the current version to take advantage of advanced functionality and add Sage CRM to improve customer and vendor relationships.

Solution
The dynamic combination of Sage 300 ERP and Sage CRM deliver end-to-end functionality to RTI Hotel Supply.

Results
Easily accessible sales history data helps the company hone its purchasing decisions. Comprehensive order details help minimize freight costs. Integrated CRM functionality provides a comprehensive view of customers and vendors, helping to build stronger relationships.

RTI Hotel Supply performs monthly cycle counts and a full physical count of the warehouse annually. “I appreciate how easy it is to pick a particular brand or item category and review just those items,” Perlman says. “When counts are easy to do, they get done more consistently and that increases our overall accuracy.” The company plans to implement bar-code technology and the Sage 300 ERP Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) in the coming year to further streamline and automate its warehouse operations.

Refine Purchasing Decisions
RTI Hotel Supply keeps thousands of items on hand to ensure its customers receive prompt shipments, but as a successful distributor, the company must make careful buying and stocking decisions to avoid wasteful overstocking. “If we don’t have it available, our customers are likely to look somewhere else. Sage 300 ERP has the tools to help maintain the perfect balance,” explains Perlman.

Sales statistics, including sales by period and gross margin by item, give the company the information it needs to refine and perfect its product mix. “Sage 300 ERP shows us which items are moving and which are not,” Perlman explains. “We can compare current sales with historical sales and make seasonal adjustments to help ensure that we have the right mix on hand.”

Grow Without Adding Staff
The overall efficiencies Sage 300 ERP brings to RTI Hotel Supply’s operations have allowed the company to grow without adding staff. “I see significant improvement in efficiency,” says Perlman. “The dynamic flow of information—from purchasing to inventory to accounts payable—is very efficient and has allowed us to hold our staff level steady even during a period of significant growth.”

Build Strong Relationships
RTI Hotel Supply recently added customer relationship management (CRM) functionality courtesy of Sage CRM. Perlman and his staff now rely on the software as the definitive source of customer and vendor information. “We can quickly find customers or vendors based on any attribute, keep detailed notes about our conversations, and access orders and invoices in Sage 300 ERP,” Perlman explains. “Sage CRM synchronizes with Microsoft ® Outlook®, so all of our calendar appointments and emails are up to date in both places. It is a sophisticated product that helps us better organize our operations.”

Here to Stay
Perlman believes that Sage 300 ERP has worked so well for so long for RTI Hotel Supply because of its broad-based functionality, ease of use, and stability.

“We can add components as our business grows and changes and still have the same bulletproof accounting program we have always had,” he concludes. “Sage 300 ERP easily can accommodate a company five times our size; that gives me confidence that we will continue to use it for years to come.”