Logan Consulting Implements Microsoft Dynamics GP for Chicago-Based Food and Beverage Distributor

The Client

Our client is located in Chicago IL, is a pioneer in the South American Beef Trade, they have been the most influential company in developing and sustaining business between the two hemispheres. This distributor trades a wide variety of Food Products in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. In 2001, our client was acquired by two highly experienced partners. Both individuals have over 30 years of Food Industry related experience.

The Opportunity

Our client was operating under an unsupported legacy financial system that could not provide the operational management and financial analysis needed to run their company as efficiently as desired. The legacy software combined with MS Excel spreadsheets and other Microsoft tools barely allowed them to run the company. Therefore, this distributor sought after a system that would allow them to integrate their financial and operational processes.

Like many other food distribution companies, our client needed to buy and sell their product in various units of measure and required advanced catchweight functionality. Our client employs inside sales personnel in addition to outside food brokers, which created a need for a more robust commission application to serve all the possible standard and negotiated commission structures.

The Solution

Microsoft Dynamics GP was selected for the project based upon its distribution, financial, and reporting capabilities. In order to meet their catchweight requirement, Logan Consulting implemented Catchweight by Trinity. Due to our client’s detailed commission structure, Commission Plan by EthoTech was selected. Lastly, this client needed the ability to track inventory currently traveling/docked on the water. A non-evasive, upgradeable solution was developed to create a new “Traffic” application to store and track necessary shipping information.

The Results

  • Logan Consulting helped this distributor successfully go live with Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • Our client is able to properly and efficiently pay advanced commissions to inside sales personnel and outside food brokers.
  • Our client is able to gather and analyze data using the drilldown capabilities provided by Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains).
  • Increased supply chain awareness.
  • Fast Lot / Product traceability on and off the water.
  • Improved profitability by reducing freight, tariff and carrying costs.