GenServe’s New Information Systems Boost Productivity
Bay Shore, New York, USA (March. 29, 2010)
It’s difficult to chart a course if you don’t know exactly where you are. That’s the simple answer to why Bob Fortunato, GenServe’s new chairman, was eager to get new information systems installed and operational as soon as humanly possible. GenServe, a leading provider of generator sales and service in the Metro New York area, has been a successful business since 1990. And while profit and growth are exactly what company owners want to see, they can, according to Mr. Fortunato, also be a little blinding. “In this economy, a lot of companies wouldn’t invest in a major operations overhaul unless there is a decline in market share and revenue,” Mr. Fortunato says. ‘But by then, the slip could be irrevocable.”
Mr. Fortunato, who is also co-founder of Anvil Capital, LLC, a private equity firm that invests in mid-sized companies with impressive track records and growth potential, chose Ascent Business Systems software for service dispatch and tracking and MAS200 from Sage Software, Inc., for accounting software. “The benefit of these two systems is that they are seamless,” he said. “They speak to each other.”
With the dispatching system, GenServe can respond even faster to service calls. They can also document in detail everything the technician does on the call. This specificity allows management to track productivity and efficiency. The interface with the accounting system monetizes every action. “We can look at each service, where we need improvement, where we need to invest resources and where we’re seeing our highest profit margins,” Mr. Fortunato said.
The systems’ ROI is already obvious in terms of the value of the information GenServe now has for management and strategic planning, according to Mr. Fortunato. “Training has been intensive and demanding,” he said. “Change is never easy.” He added that the key to adapting to that change is to keep your expectations reasonable. “We know it’s something we are going to learn and master over time,” he said. “Now that everyone can see clearly where the company is, they are very excited about where we’re headed.”
