ECi RockSolid:

Software Built by Hardware Dealers for Hardware Dealers

Scott Stanford, President, ECi LBM and Hardlines

“RockSolid has a mission to bring 21st century technology to independent hardware dealers in order to enable them to affordably compete with the big boxes,” says President of ECi LBM and Hardlines, Scott Stanford. He goes on to say that, when he speaks to hardware store owners, there are two things that keep them up at night: how to offer personalized service in innovative ways and controlling expenses while driving efficiencies.

Like everything else, the hardware business is changing. But one thing that has not changed for the independent stores is personalized service. “We want to help our dealers build on that customer service experience by providing technology that promotes a positive customer shopping experience. Our RockSolid POS solution focuses on providing a fast check-out procedure that involves wireless bar code scanning, signature capture and quick invoice printing. A customer can literally be in and out in minutes. They can even pay on their account right at POS.” In addition, during checkout, the RockSolid POS system will display items that complement those purchased. The clerk then suggests those items to the customer. “This is a nice little sales tool that can help pad an order,” comments Stanford.

In this economy, everyone is trying to do more with less…RockSolid lets you do that by simplifying the ordering process, inventory and invoicing. It all ties in together. All that information is in one place…

Hardware dealers know that personalized service and the shopping experience are vitally important to maintaining a customer base. But the back office operation is equally important not only to keep a business running smoothly but also to adapt to a changing market. Again, the right technology is the key.

“In this economy,” says Stanford, “everyone is trying to do more with less yet still run their business efficiently. The back office technology of RockSolid lets you do that by simplifying the ordering process, inventory and invoicing. It all ties in together. All that information is in one place, right where you need it, so you can access it easily for reports, closing out a month, things like that.”

How does having all transactions in one place—including purchase orders, sales and knowing the amount of inventory on hand—help a hardware dealer? It saves time and thousands of dollars in labor costs.

“To be efficient, you have to be computerized, especially to communicate with vendors. Vendors are investing in technology because they understand the value in utilizing technology to drive efficiency. Many vendors now require that you electronically communicate in order to receive valuable discounts.” Through RockSolid, a dealer can communicate electronically with a vendor for purchasing, receiving, account maintenance and pricing updates. This also speeds up the purchasing process.

The great thing about RockSolid is it’s a very easy-to-use and affordable system, especially suited to hardware retailers. It was even developed by a hardware dealer.

“When we’re determining the direction of our software,” Stanford says, “one of the things we keep in mind is making information accessible for the dealer. Information is what tells a dealer the true state of their business.” Now everything from inventory value to product ability can be known with just the click of a button. A customer can be informed of their account balance immediately, no call back needed. And daily, monthly and yearly sales comparisons can be had at a moment’s notice—vital for planning and budgeting.

Reporting is a requirement for planning and budgeting as well. RockSolid comes with some standard reports, but you can also have them customized to your needs. “We have one dealer,” relates Stanford, “who used a software package other than RockSolid for 10 years. When he switched to our software, he ran a report and found obsolete inventory that had been on his books the entire time. He was finally able to delete all of that from his system.”

Inventory is, of course, a big part of retail. Proper management of inventory can increase profits. Automating inventory helps reduce count errors as well as incorrect and out-of-date pricing. “The same dealer that found the obsolete inventory also runs a report where he sorts by out-of-stock items. On screen, he can see how much of an item he’s sold over a period of time and then knows what items need to be purchased in larger amounts. He limits stock outages that way.”

“RockSolid will automatically alert you when inventory falls below the reorder point, “explains Stanford. “And it will also alert you to SKUs already on order. After you receive your order, it will update the inventory file.

Stanford continues, “One of the coolest features is Wireless PDA support. You can literally walk your store and make price adjustments, order products or take inventory, right there on the spot. This is a fabulous tool for managing your stock. It sure beats using inventory sheets and a clipboard.”

“The great thing about RockSolid is it’s a very easy-to-use and affordable system, especially suited to hardware retailers,” concludes Stanford. “It was even developed by a hardware dealer. Whether you are a manual dealer needing a software solution or a computerized dealer needing an affordable solution, RockSolid will work for you.”