In March, Border Merchants invited customers from around the UK to CounterAct User Meetings. These seminars, which, as well as offering an excellent networking opportunity, also enabled attendees to see the latest innovative developments from Border’s CounterAct Software.
Live demonstrations included the latest ‘Dashboard’ technology, which gives instant and tailored Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and information in the form of graphs, figures and charts.
Visitors were shown the considerable benefits of using CounterAct Software Solutions aimed specifically at timber, roofing, plumbing, ironmongers and builders’ merchants throughout the UK, regardless of their size.
Developments on display included the first preview of the new CounterAct Mobile App. This first release will allow users to generate supplier purchase orders whilst in the showroom or out in the yard. Options for mobile stock checking, stock picking and sales order processing will follow in later releases. The use of this new mobile app will give CounterAct users more flexibility in their business processes, as well as the freedom to use their own choice of hardware.
The event also served as an opportunity for leading ‘automatic reconciliation’ experts Adra Match to demonstrate how easy it is to match, integrate and reconcile transactional information supplied from CounterAct Software. This includes 3rd party information such as bank accounts, payroll and supplier statements.
Other new developments using Magento Web-based platforms, mean Border can provide merchants with a tailor-made trading website fully integrated with CounterAct. The websites use standard platforms for product details, searches and shopping baskets with integrated ‘pay’ options and automated confirmation of orders. By utilising an industry platform like Magento, users will not be tied into Border should further on-going development be required.
The latest Purchase Invoice Archiving & Processing is an archiving system for users to scan and store images of purchase invoices and credit notes in CounterAct.
Phil Davies, Commercial Manager at Border, went on to review a number of enhancements that have been added in the last 12 months, as well as some that are shortly to be released. These included:
- Delivery Scheduling enhancements
- New CRM Management Report
- New Central Buying facilities
- Returns to Suppliers — options to set default reasons
- Extra Large screen size option for Graphical CounterAct
- Improvements to emailing
- New option to send out PDFs with emailing invoices, statements & credit notes
- Discussion on the new VAT rules and the changes made to CounterAct to accommodate them
Phil commented “CounterAct puts information at the heart of the business, aiding everyday admin and critical decision making processes. It ensures merchants have the sales, supplier and customer information they require to improve, grow and make sound business, sales and marketing decisions”.
Fred Brooks, Managing Director of Pieces for Places, attended the event and stated, “I have been using the system for many years but it is always great to take the opportunity to review new developments and remind us of the system’s full capabilities. The meeting also serves as a great opportunity to network with other users and exchange thoughts and bounce ideas off each other.”
Further seminars will be held later on this year — for more information visit www.bordermerchantsystems.co.uk.
