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Client Stories
Midwest Livestock Systems, Inc.
Midwest Livestock Systems, Inc. has been a leading livestock equipment dealer and construction contractor since 1971. The company sits in the heart of the national swine, poultry, and dairy industries with offices in Beatrice, Nebraska; Pine Island, Minnesota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Menomonie, Wisconsin; and Owen, Wisconsin.
To address the accompanying need for accounting and payroll software, MLS has relied upon Business Computer Consultants and OSAS software from Open Systems. MLS relies upon OSAS to provide a stable accounting platform that can synchronize well with their other software. With long-time technology partner Jerry Clinch of Business Computer Consultants, Inc., MLS has stuck with OSAS and reaped the benefits of a stable, familiar, and adaptable software solution.
MLS is an organization built on serving the diverse needs of pork, poultry, and dairy producers. Over the years, we have developed a reputation as the knowledgeable partner who delivers on quality every time. From someone in need of a single small part to a producer looking for a multimillion-dollar turn-key installation, Midwest Livestock Systems has the resources and personnel to take care of every customer.
Client Stories
H & H Distributing
H&H Distributing: Brewing a long-term success story with OSAS and BCCI
On August 1, 1974, Harry Hoch, Sr. purchased the rights from an Anheuser-Busch distributor in Grand Island, Nebraska, and H&H Distributing was born. The company has gone from selling a few hundred thousand cases of beer in the early ‘70s to selling over 2½ million cases a year today. Aiming to exceed customer expectations with every transaction, H&H is a regional powerhouse with one of the best-organized brewing companies in the world behind it.
H&H Distributing manages a refrigerated warehouse and inventory control to ensure the freshness of their products. H&H uses a route accounting system certified by Anheuser-Busch for their sales and inventory needs.
To address the accompanying need for accounting and payroll software, H&H has relied upon OSAS software from Open Systems for 30 years. H&H relies upon OSAS to provide a stable accounting platform that can synchronize well with their other software. With long-time technology partner Jerry Clinch of Business Computer Consultants, Inc., H&H has stuck with OSAS and reaped the benefits of a stable, familiar, and adaptable software solution.
Adaptability helps with changes from the home office
Being a best-selling distributor for Anheuser-Busch, H&H uses the brewing company’s software to stay in compliance. “Anheuser-Busch has a lot of programs of their own that they require us to interface with,” says Diane Carroll, Controller for H&H Distributing. “They are constantly looking at our data.”
OSAS software includes flexible import and export capabilities, allowing custom mapping to adapt to different kinds of databases. H&H takes advantage of this functionality to streamline the accounts payable entry system by copying invoices right from the Anheuser-Busch database, as well as importing General Ledger information.
Relying on the stability of Open Systems
Plenty of competitors have come along in the last 30 years, attempting to sell H&H on other accounting packages that link to the Anheuser-Busch systems. “Our owners are so thankful that we have never attempted that!” says Carroll. “Most of the competitors don’t understand payroll and general ledger, nor do they have the support to stay current with ever-changing tax tables and IRS regulations. That’s why I’m sold on and 100% confident in OSAS.”
With full support and tax updates, OSAS is kept current and up-to-date to help companies stay compliant. “I honestly do not have problems with Open Systems software,” says Carroll. From the era of green-bar printed reports to modern Excel exports, H&H Distributing has stayed with OSAS as times have changed.
“H&H Distributing have always been ready for the installation of new version of OSAS,” says Jerry Clinch. This commitment has allowed H&H Distributing to take advantage of new functionality that comes with updated releases. “When OSAS added the ability to email payroll vouchers, H&H Distributing were my first client to go with it,” says Clinch. “Diane said that it saved her many hours a month in processing her payroll. They are very cooperative and a pleasure to work with.”
Taking advantage of additional training and support
In addition to receiving training and guidance from Jerry Clinch, H&H Distributing also takes advantage of the Open Systems Customer Conferences. Carroll will be attending the conference in 2014, and has attended conferences in the past. With a software suite as fully featured as OSAS, there is always something new to learn.
“I know there are a lot of functions that I’m not using that I should be, and using them would probably make my job a lot easier,” says Carroll. With breakout classes, visiting exhibitors, and plenty of chances to network, the Open Systems Customer Conference is a useful tool for users to get the most out of their OSAS systems.
Though the reliability of their system means they don’t need many service calls, Carroll appreciates the support and expertise of her technology partner, Jerry Clinch. “He understands accounting,” says Carroll. “He understands where we started from.”
Flexibility + adaptability = long-term success
As H&H Distributing continues to serve their customers, they are taking advantage of OSAS’s flexibility to adapt to new systems while enjoying the ongoing stability it has offered for over 30 years.
Client Stories
Wilson Case
Wilson Case keeps on shipping with OSAS and Process Shipper
Wilson Case is responsible for protecting the world’s most sensitive, expensive, and mission-critical equipment. Whether it is heading to the office space or to outer space, to medical operating theaters or to the theaters of war, Wilson Case’s specialized shipping cases keep the contents safe and sound. Their website says “We can design custom shipping cases to protect anything during transit,” and it’s no empty boast. Wilson Case recently helped to ship $30 million mirror segments for the James Webb Space Telescope, which is heading for orbit in 2018.
“The lens was shipped in two cases,” recalls Jeff Lavene, Production Manager at Wilson Case. “We had 15 inches of foam in one case, and 15 inches in the other, to make sure it travelled safely between Colorado and Arizona.” When other shipping companies back away, Wilson Case steps in and gets the job done.
Wilson Case: A history of successful journeys
Started in 1976, Wilson Case holds a reputation as the go-to manufacturer of reusable shipping cases for items that are expensive, difficult to ship, or require fast deployment. This expertise has won them business from operations as diverse as the U.S. military and medical device manufacturers. “When you have an $800,000 heart/lung transplant machine that needs transport,” says Lavene, “a cardboard box just does not do the job.” Wilson Case also supplies emergency agencies such as FEMA. “They have to ship compressors, portable showers... you name it,” says Lavene. “It needs to be packed up, ready to go within 24 hours, and functional when it gets there.”
Wilson Case manufactures all of their cases on-site with a staff of 26 at their headquarters in Hastings, Nebraska, and keeps a stock of inventory on hand to respond to customer needs quickly. In 1994, to help with their inventory and accounting needs, Wilson Case turned to Jerry Clinch, president of Business Computer Consultants, Inc. in Lincoln Nebraska. The solution they installed was OPEN SYSTEMS Accounting Software (OSAS) from Open Systems, Inc.
OSAS helps keep the books and the warehouse in order
In his 24-year history with Wilson Case, Lavene has come to depend upon OSAS to automate countless transactions between vendors, their inventory, and the general ledger. “We’ve got our inventory all set up with vendor part numbers,” says Lavene of the setup. “It’s really seamless. You make your order in Purchase Order, email it to your vendor right out of OSAS, and when the order comes in you receive it. It’s automatically in inventory.” Wilson Case’s OSAS implementation also has a big fan in someone that Lavene wants to keep happy: their CPA. “The OSAS General Ledger, according to our CPA, is second to none,” says Lavene. “It has been a wonderful tool for us.”
Process Shipper ties into OSAS to save even more time
Wilson Case recently implemented Process Shipper by SmartLinc, a web-based, scalable shipping solution add-on to OSAS that automates many functions for businesses who depend upon enhanced shipping capabilities. “When we enter an order, Process Shipper automatically calculates all the freight to the penny, and pushes all of that information back into OSAS,” says Lavene. “The system produces the bill of lading, the packing slips, and international documents if needed, for ground or air. It’s directly tied to UPS and FedEx, and we can configure LTL shippers as well.”
Wilson Case graphic
The automation provided by Process Shipper and OSAS pays big dividends for Wilson Case in time savings and customer confidence. “It’s a better presentation for our customer, and the 2-3 hours a day time savings for us is phenomenal,” says Lavene.
Long-time service provider Jerry Clinch was on hand to make sure the process went smoothly, and spoke highly of Wilson Case’s flexibility. “Don, Jeff, and Customer Service Manager Sheila Horton have been great to work with over the many years that they have been a client,” says Clinch. “During the implementation and integrations of SmartLinc’s Process Shipper, they helped work through some changes and modifications that helped their particular situation.”
Wilson Case grows on
The last few years, though tough on many businesses, have been good for Wilson Case. “We’ve had phenomenal growth in the last four years,” says Lavene. “Our industry has changed; shipping used to be accomplished with a simple two-inch foam lined box. The equipment that companies want to ship is so much more complex, and the design changes with it.”
Fortunately Open Systems has stayed around as long as Wilson Case has, providing timely updates to help the case manufacturer keep pace with their industry. Jerry Clinch and Business Consulter Consultants stand ready to further assist Wilson Case as they continue to grow. SmartLinc’s Process Shipper integration has also helped Wilson Case improve their processes and keep their customers satisfied. “We’re completely pleased with OSAS, and the integration with Process Shipper has been a wonderful add-on that complements OSAS,” says Lavene.
Client Stories
Amigos
The first Amigos opened on June 17, 1980 in Lincoln, Nebraska at 5500 O Street. "Amigos" was trademarked and chosen as the name of this new concept to convey the idea that this was a place for "friends". From day one, the goal has been to serve fresh, quality food in a friendly way, just as you would to good friends.
Roger and Janice Moore developed the Amigos concept and are the majority stockholders of Growth Management Corporation which operates Amigos restaurants. Roger had formerly worked for Selection Research Institute (now Gallup) consulting with restaurant companies in the selection of managers. Janice was an English teacher. Both had a strong desire to own and operate their own business and liked the idea of developing a niche in the Mexican food business.
Many value-added ideas have been implemented by Amigos such as: fast-food ordering with food being delivered to the table, salsa bars where customers can spice their food as they wish, free refill machines, and bonus items on Combo Meals. Amigos was one of the first companies to offer tuition reimbursement bonuses to their employees who agree to work during the busiest shifts.
As the Amigos restaurant chain grew, so did the marketing efforts. Radio ads have been utilized since 1981. In October of 1983, the first 4-color flier was designed and distributed. By 1987, the company was ready for television ads and produced the first four spots using a new slogan and jingle, "The Best is Under Our Hat."
Amigos has won many awards in its history. In 1989, Amigos (with 20 units) was named one of the top growth chains in the country by Restaurants Institutions Magazine. Roger Moore was named 'Restaurateur of the Year' in 1992 by the Nebraska Restaurant Association. Then in 1993, Roger was awarded the "Entrepreneur of the Year' award from the University of Nebraska College of Business Administration, the school from which he graduated.
In 2003, the decision was made to co-brand Amigos restaurants with their own American food concept called "Kings Classic." The concept of two brands in one location had been done in other regions of the country, but was fairly new to the Midwest. The advantage of co-branding is that the varied menu can meet the tastes of everyone in the family or group at one location. Kings Classic brings to the menu Fast 'n Frosty drinks like shakes and smoothies, as well as burgers, french fries, and cheese frenchees. The newest venture has been into the breakfast day part and over half of the chain currently offers breakfast burritos and other menu items for early-morning customers.
The Amigos/Kings Classic chain now includes over 25 restaurants, all in the state of Nebraska. These locations include a variety of formats: drive-thru-only locations and restaurants with both dining room and drive-thru service. The first franchise of Amigos/Kings Classic was granted in June of 2006. Kevin Kershner, who has been with the company for 20 years, became the first franchisee, assuming ownership of six of the Amigos/Kings Classic locations.