Executone of Columbus

	"PCS takes care of us."
	Executone Controller John Grimm

"I'd worked with PCS since 1978 at two other jobs before I came here in 1985," says Executone's John Grimm. "It's been a good relationship. In 1985, PCS put in a DEC-based computer system here and we started with some of the basic applications - receivables, payables, payroll, general ledger. Over the years, we added the bid system and some other components. We used that system until 1998 when we had to choose a new system that was Y2K compatible. We installed the new Unix-based system in 1998." That system was installed nearly two years ahead of the Y2K deadline.

Making it work Executone's way

The basic PCS systems do most of the tasks Grimm needs them to do, but some customization was involved. "The most significant customization came in the bid system," he says. "The PCS programmers took the basic bid system and made some enhancements for us. It's tied into our inventory system, so the prices that appear on quotes are based on our costs. There are methods in the masterfile that convert cost with standard mark-up to our sales prices. The best thing about it is that we have to enter the information only once."

In moving to the Unix-based system, Executone also eliminated a problem for the healthcare sales reps. "Until recently, they were doing all of their quoting with Quattro Pro. That means that every time we got a price change, all the sales reps had to update their spreadsheets, and some of the reps might have the same part in several spreadsheets. Now that they're on the system, too, they don't have to keep track of price changes. They can spend more time selling and those of us in accounting and inventory control take care of making sure the prices are right."

	Executone of Columbus is located on the north side of the city.

Tracking equipment at customers' sites

Knowing which equipment is installed at each of customer's site is crucial to Executone's efficiency. When a service call is needed, it's important to send the right technician and the right spares. "We don't track every connector and wall jack," says Grimm. "But when we install a new telephone system, we keep site records for the big items - line cards, telephones, cabinets and such. This kind of information is important when we have to make a service call, so the information is maintained on an ongoing basis. Whenever something is added at the customer's site, the PCS software transfers the new items to the customer's masterfile."

Grimm says that PCS responds to questions and service requests promptly. "PCS takes care of us. The response has always been quick."

	"One nice thing is the speed of the Unix system."

Current information available immediately

"Switching to the Unix system means that we have more accurate information minute-by-minute," Grimm says. He was a bit nervous about the change from the trusted old system with its numerous edit reports and other controls. "After doing things one way for 13 years, it took a little getting used to, but that didn't take long." Grimm says his worries were unfounded "because PCS has programmed the system to make it easy for us to correct mistakes. There are controls and reports, so I'm comfortable with it from an accounting standpoint. And it really is nicer than batch-mode processing."

One nice thing is the speed of the Unix system. With the old DEC system," Grimm says, "we might have to wait a while for a big report. Now, the report is usually printing by the time I walk to the printer."

Hear John Grimm

In his own words, John explains why he feels PCS is the best choice for his business.

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• #1 History: PCS goes back to 1985 with Executone, but John goes back to 1979. (Time: 0:50)
• #2 Customization: Executone needed some specialized programming. (Time: 1:56)
• #3 Accuracy: Executone needs to track lots of customer information. (Time: 1:01)
• #4 Problems: When something goes wrong, PCS acts quickly. (Time: 0:20)
• #5 Learning: The new system was easy to learn. (Time: 1:36)