Atlantic Software Alliance Reduces the Amount of Manpower Required to Manufacture Some of the World’s Most Popular Athletic Apparel

Shane Cooper knitted socks as a child alongside his father, but never considered they’d become his life’s work. An avid bicyclist since his early twenties, Shane constantly searched for quality athletic socks. In 1992, continuing to come up empty-handed and barefooted, he took his early knowledge of socks, cycling and a merchandise niche and formed his own company, DeFeet.

The innovative DeFeet answer to athletic apparel, the marriage of durability and playful themes, exploded and the young company experienced nearly 100% growth in it’s first few years. Years three to five saw a 70-80% growth, and a product line expansion to include gloves, bib shorts, jerseys and other athletic attire. Today, the highly acclaimed DeFeet apparel can be spotted at the Tour de France, the US Open, the Chicago Marathon and the Super Bowl.

In January of 2000, it became obvious that in order to fill the shoes these now famous socks required, DeFeet needed new accounting software. “Until that point, we were using Quick Books. It was a good solution when all we needed was basic accounting to keep track of a relatively small number of clients,” Mike Pritchard, Production Manager and Application Specialist for DeFeet said. “Our company’s meteoric debut necessitated we consider software tailored to manufacturing, something to allow us to track product from knitting to the shelf.”

Unsure of where to begin, Mike researched a customer recommendation to check out Sage Software. A visit to the website led him to Atlantic Software Alliance, a top reseller in the region. “After an initial phone consultation, we understood just how quickly DeFeet needed to make a change,” David Brannan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Atlantic Software Alliance stated. “Mike contacted us in January, made a purchase in April and was fully operational on all modules by November.” A significant accomplishment considering the role both companies played in the transition.

David and Ron Bozuhoski, an Atlantic Software Alliance technician, drove to the DeFeet factory where they spent a solid day learning company procedure, accounting needs and staff concerns. Per a DeFeet request, David and Ron gave a demonstration of Sage BusinessWorks, but after some serious discussion decided it lacked the inventory tracking DeFeet required and agreed Sage MAS 200 might be the better solution. “David and Ron impressed us so much during the initial visit, we didn’t even bother to follow up with any other software companies,” Mike said. “Immediately we understood Atlantic Software Alliance was committed to making sure we invested in software that met our specific needs and approached the relationship as a partnership.”

A second visit to DeFeet soon followed. Atlantic Software Alliance demonstrated MAS 200, using actual product to illustrate software benefits. They produced an order ticket and followed it through all steps of the manufacturing process: knitting, seaming, boarding, pairing and packing. “Once again, Atlantic Software Alliance went the extra mile by proving what Sage MAS 200 could do for DeFeet, not Bob’s Hardware,” Mike said. “We had tangible proof that yes, this was the right product for our business. We never experienced any doubt at all.”

Putting fears to rest and alleviating buyer’s remorse are Atlantic Software Alliance calling cards. Intense research and evaluation precede any recommendation. Clients answer a laundry list of detailed questions designed to allow Atlantic Software Alliance to analyze and suggest the appropriate software and module(s). This research, combined with the personalized demonstration, convinced DeFeet to purchase Sage MAS 200.

The software selected, Atlantic Software Alliance seamlessly transferred all data from QuickBooks to Sage MAS 200. Mike spent the following two weeks entering all 500 items and their individual tracking schedules. Upon completion, Ron continued to return on a number of occasions to train staff, making sure they were maximizing the software benefits. In addition to Ron’s on-site presence, DeFeet utilized the Atlantic Software Alliance Help Desk, a feature they still use today.

“It’s amazing how better prepared we are to meet the needs of our clients. Before using Sage MAS 200, if a client called about the status of an order, we had to physically walk out onto the floor to find out where their job was in the production line. Now that information is a keystroke away and any number of people can access the information,” said Mike.

Sage MAS 200 also enables DeFeet to turn orders around in three days instead of ten, making it possible for two people to handle all sales, invoicing and customer service. It tells them when and what to reorder, ensuring shelves remain stocked, and can customize and print numerous reports. Past due account reports allow the accounting staff to respond in a timely manner, improving company cash flow. Product reports actually showed that in order to meet demand, DeFeet needed to invest in more equipment, a step they took immediately.

“At the start of this venture, we were cautious about cost, even though we realized we would need to spend a good bit of money in order to meet the growing needs and demands of our clients. We knew up front we were in this for the long haul and Atlantic Software Alliance made it easy for us to make an educated decision and move on it, “ commented Mike. “Excluding equipment, this software is the largest investment our company has ever made. That being said, it’s almost paid for itself in one year’s time. We’re counting on Atlantic Software Alliance to customize an e-commerce solution for us in the near future.”
 

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