I was an avid user of AdvancePro software for over 6 years before becoming directly involved in the company.
AdvancePro became a critical technology for us in the 3PL (logistics) business, which I had founded. We started using AdvancePro because it was important for us to find a cost-effective solution that would help us manage the inventory we were administering on behalf of our customers, and to provide our clients with real-time information about their inventory.
Our goal was to find a system that would reduce redundant activities by providing a single point-of-entry portal solution, where each stakeholder would have an opportunity to call up a relevant record and add the information that they owned. This system needed to integrate seamlessly with other business process technologies that we were using, such as QuickBooks and web services.
We were delighted to find all of these criteria and more in AdvancePro. And for a small company like ours that was on a vertical growth path, we needed a solution that would fit our budget. We engaged in intensive due diligence-after all, we were essentially betting on the future success of our company! AdvancePro seemed to be the best answer for us.
After using AdvancePro to run my business for a number of years, I came to appreciate that it’s functionality and affordability really set it apart from any other solution on the market. Then the idea came to me “If you think this is such great software see if you can buy it and run it the way I would like to – from a customers perspective” – and that is precisely what I did! In September of 2011 I started investigating the possibility, and realized that this would be a hugely positive move for all AdvancePro loyal fans, and pleasantly, we found out there were many. There was a real community of people who loved what the software was capable of, and who loved to share their input. My mind was made up, and, when the opportunity presented itself, I became the CEO.
I had three key priorities that I needed to achieve:
1) Customer Service. I am a customer service fanatic, always have been. I needed to build customer confidence and create Raving Fans. To achieve this, I immediately instituted customer and technical support at varying levels. My strictest mandate was that we committed to respond to customers within 2 hours, even if it meant getting on that phone myself. I was determined to achieve this. Of course, no software company can solve every issue in two hours, but at least our users would know that they are being responded to by a real person, that their issue was important to us, and that we would do our best resolve the issues as quickly as we could.
2) Creating and launching a new version to the software. Here I was, the CEO of a large 3PL company in Canada, and I had the opportunity to create the capabilities I needed to support my own business processes! Our new version was all about a technology that was developed to “work for You” and not the other way around. “I personally find it very frustrating when technology companies expect me to change my ingrained business process. What I love about AdvancePro is that it is based on practical and real business processes that have been around since the beginning of commerce. Yet is adapted to the real, modern world through a very intuitive and user-friendly front-end dashboard command centre.” With the release of V9.16, we introduced over 200 updates, new features and fixes. In this business, a very impressive feat!
3) Sustainability. We went from a company that was only as good as its last sale to a company that is sustainable for the long run. We needed to change the business model, and to make sure that customers saw us as partners in the success of their business. AdvancePro is a critical business technology, and it is in the best interest of your company and ours that we are able to support our users, and continue to develop exciting new products and versions in order to meet the growing and changing needs of your company and the business environment.
To achieve this, we created ACCP. The AdvancePro Customer Care Program is all about excellence in customer service. We have hired and trained more support personnel, more programmers, and project management professionals to ensure that we are able to meet your needs into the future. The ACCP program provides you with unlimited support, and includes all updates, new releases, and fixes – obviously, an excellent investment for you and your company!
I am very privileged and honored to work with and get to know our customers. I am so grateful to be here and have the opportunity to better and build AdvancePro every day. I want to invite you to get to know us. Stay tuned to our weekly webinars, and learn about the abundant ways AdvancePro can help make your business become even more successful. Tell us your challenges and allow us the opportunity to provide you with a plan for a solution. Remember, we come from exactly where you are sitting, we understand your needs in their entirety, and we have made AdvancePro inventory management technology into a viable investment choice for your business, turning your administrators into revenue generators! I will give you my personal guarantee that AdvancePro will bring more than 10 times its value to your company, please call me on this and ask me how I can do that.
It is my greatest pleasure to serve you and be a part of your future.
Yours truly,
Israel Ellis, CEO
