Network Services Company Sees Wholesale Change in Agency Business With SAP

SAP NEWSBYTE - - Network Services Company (Network®) already had its hands full with a $13-billion per year and growing business of food service disposables, industrial packaging materials and janitorial products and services for customers in the healthcare, commercial real estate, industrial, food service and public sectors. But the member-owned organization also had its hands tied by its custom-written legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system processing the complex and high-volume transactions for its 76 distributors across North America.

Established in 1968 and with recent acquisitions bringing in diverse legacy systems, Network needed to consolidate its IT infrastructure in order to automate and simplify third-party transactions between its distribution centers and customers. The organization turned to ERP software from SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), which offers agency business software that meets the unique needs of trading companies, distribution groups and financial agents.

Now running the SAP® ERP application, Network has improved overall efficiency by simplifying order entry, improving order accuracy and speeding up invoice processing, pooled payments and central billing. Member companies can now better serve customers, having gained access to real-time account information and better synchronized data across the company’s distribution network. Network successfully implemented the SAP software in only 13 months and is the first company in North America to implement the agency business functionality.

For more information on how SAP is helping wholesale distribution companies expand sales, improve profitability and stay ahead of the competition, visit the SAP® for Wholesale Distribution solution portfolio and SAP ERP pages or the Industries & Solutions newsroom.