General Office

But, I Had It A Minute Ago

"We were so short-sighted to file by clients' names," says Amy Beckham, Contract Administrator for ADP Parts Services. "It was fine when we had 300 files, but when we got up to 3,000 we really had a problem. We're in the auto parts industry, so many of our customers have names like A-1 Auto Parts. There are lots of duplicates."

Beckham's company is growing fast. ADP provides inventory systems and automotive parts locating services to automotive recyclers nationwide. Say, if you have an '84 Chevy Blazer and need a bumper for it, ADP clients can locate one for you, or recommend an appropriate interchanging part (for example, the bumper from a '93 Olds Bravada will fit). ADP also sells computer hardware in conjunction with their inventory systems. It's vital that they be able to pull up a contract in order to confirm warranty information on hardware. With so many duplicate client names, this was a nightmare before they found Smead.

How did Smead help?

"We knew what the end result needed to be, but we had no idea how to get there," says Beckham. "We were clueless." But the Smead Sales Representative helped Amy design a system that would work for ADP. "We didn't even know what supplies we needed, so we printed out a list of our account names and the Smead Representative estimated for us; he just ballparked it, but he was right on the money. He came in three times just to consult with us about what we needed, doing a files analysis and suggesting how we should set things up. Essentially, he designed the system for us."

Do you really need color-coding?

The Smead Representative helped ADP set up a system that files by account number . The computer generates the number, which can be anywhere from two to nine digits. All the ones are one color, so everything from 1 to 199 starts off with the same color label. The 200s are a different color. The second digit of the the account number is another color, so if a file was labelled 190, the one would be, say, red, and the nine would be blue. "I know it sounds complicated," says Beckham, "but that's why Smead's help was so invaluable. The Sales Rep did all the legwork, figuring out how this would work. He also made sure we knew how to contact the office products dealer directly when we need to order additional supplies."

How long does it take to install the system?

All of ADP's existing files had to be sorted and labelled according to the list of accounts Beckham printed off her computer. She hired a temporary worker who spent hours at it, and by the end of that day, ADP had the beginnings of a filing system that worked. It took a few weeks to complete the project, Beckham says, but eight months later, it still works.

How do you enter a new file?

When Beckham needs to create a new file, she adds that company name to her list of accounts, and the computer generates a number. "It's really simple," she says. "Staff members who need to find a file just look the number up on the system. And the Smead system makes refiling existing files that much faster and easier, also."

So would you go back to the old way?

Beckham laughs at the thought. "It's so nice to be on the phone talking to a customer, and to be able to find that customer's file without scrambling. It really cuts down on the hassle factor."

What's next?

"Once our growth levels out, we'll be able to take a look at shelving needs ," says Beckham. "Smead has some really great, space-saving shelves that we'd love to have."