- Published on
10-year contract with the Defense Intelligence Agency
(Carmel, IN April 18, 2021) Five Indiana-based companies: Leaf Software Solutions (Carmel), The Mako Group (Carmel), Lifeline Data Centers (Indianapolis), infosentience (Bloomington) and 3DGS (Carmel), will perform services on the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Solutions for Information Technology Enterprise III (SITE III) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle. This is a 10-year, $12.6 Billion contract.
The companies are part of a team and will be subcontractors to MetroStar based in Reston, Virginia and currently planning a major expansion, with Midwest headquarters to be based in Indiana. “This huge contract win is a testament to the combined talent that our MetroStar team brings when partnering with the capabilities of these Indiana companies,” explained Ali Reza Manouchehri, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MetroStar. “We look forward to collaborating with more companies in Indiana and throughout the Midwest, and further showcasing the tremendous talent and expertise in the Bloomington and Indianapolis areas.”
“The Department of Defense is looking for teams just like this one; the combination of a large prime like MetroStar working hand-in-hand with small, non-traditional businesses like Leaf Software Solutions, The Mako Group, Lifeline Data Centers, infosentience and 3DGS,” explained Mike Dodd, Advisory Board Chairman of Dioltas, which had an advisory role in building the winning team. “Collaboration and teamwork are the name of the game and MetroStar understands that when we combine forces, anything is possible.”
About Dioltas
Dioltas is a global firm dedicated to providing design, implementation processes of superior technologies and next-generation security solutions to governments, global corporations, and organizations. Dioltas advises public and private clients on all facets of business strategy, planning, development, management, marketing, directorship, and obtaining access to capital markets in exchange for equity stakes in the companies and/or management fees. When a considerable gap in the marketplace is identified, Dioltas will also incubate or invest in a company in order to serve this market, create a unique solution for the identified market gap, and create new demand.
About MetroStar
MetroStar is a leading IT services provider for the public sector. For over two decades, our people have powered innovation through our core capabilities and practice areas. MetroStar’s focus on people and technology supports federal missions, including helping farmers feed America, ensuring humanitarian aid reaches refugees, and transforming how data is disseminated for the nation’s leading data provider. Learn more about opportunities to partner with MetroStar and accelerate your technology mission.
Media contact:
Jeremy Brilliant 317.508.3928
jbrilliant@dioltas.com
Link to PDF
(Carmel, IN April 18, 2021) Five Indiana-based companies: Leaf Software Solutions (Carmel), The Mako Group (Carmel), Lifeline Data Centers (Indianapolis), infosentience (Bloomington) and 3DGS (Carmel), will perform services on the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Solutions for Information Technology Enterprise III (SITE III) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle. This is a 10-year, $12.6 Billion contract.
The companies are part of a team and will be subcontractors to MetroStar based in Reston, Virginia and currently planning a major expansion, with Midwest headquarters to be based in Indiana. “This huge contract win is a testament to the combined talent that our MetroStar team brings when partnering with the capabilities of these Indiana companies,” explained Ali Reza Manouchehri, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MetroStar. “We look forward to collaborating with more companies in Indiana and throughout the Midwest, and further showcasing the tremendous talent and expertise in the Bloomington and Indianapolis areas.”
“The Department of Defense is looking for teams just like this one; the combination of a large prime like MetroStar working hand-in-hand with small, non-traditional businesses like Leaf Software Solutions, The Mako Group, Lifeline Data Centers, infosentience and 3DGS,” explained Mike Dodd, Advisory Board Chairman of Dioltas, which had an advisory role in building the winning team. “Collaboration and teamwork are the name of the game and MetroStar understands that when we combine forces, anything is possible.”
About Dioltas
Dioltas is a global firm dedicated to providing design, implementation processes of superior technologies and next-generation security solutions to governments, global corporations, and organizations. Dioltas advises public and private clients on all facets of business strategy, planning, development, management, marketing, directorship, and obtaining access to capital markets in exchange for equity stakes in the companies and/or management fees. When a considerable gap in the marketplace is identified, Dioltas will also incubate or invest in a company in order to serve this market, create a unique solution for the identified market gap, and create new demand.
About MetroStar
MetroStar is a leading IT services provider for the public sector. For over two decades, our people have powered innovation through our core capabilities and practice areas. MetroStar’s focus on people and technology supports federal missions, including helping farmers feed America, ensuring humanitarian aid reaches refugees, and transforming how data is disseminated for the nation’s leading data provider. Learn more about opportunities to partner with MetroStar and accelerate your technology mission.
Media contact:
Jeremy Brilliant 317.508.3928
jbrilliant@dioltas.com
Link to PDF
- Published on
Find out how Probo Medical successfully navigated through big business changes during fast-paced growth by implementing a Sage Intacct Cloud Accounting solution.
At Probo Medical, moving away from QuickBooks was paramount, since handling a multi-entity structure with multi-currency capabilities, integrating Salesforce, and customizing the accounting functions and reporting features were necessary for the continued success of the business.
The Situation
Brad Westerfield began his new role at Probo Medical during a time of fast-paced growth through acquisition. As Vice President of Finance, his skills and expertise navigating the complexity of merging with acquired businesses was put to the test. A wildcard that certainly put at risk his ability to put his best foot forward was that the company was in the middle of an accounting software transition (not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic had put much in doubt regarding business growth).
Moving away from QuickBooks was paramount, since handling a multi-entity structure with multi-currency capabilities, integrating Salesforce, and customizing the accounting functions and reporting features were necessary for the continued success of the business.
There were internal business processes that also had to change to uphold the integrity of the accounting functions. Brad noted, “Since our systems were disconnected, non-accountants were forced to make journal entries in our accounting software. Salesforce is our inventory management, our CRM, and our operations. For those to be disconnected completely from accounting was not ideal for business processes and internal controls.”
With the company in acquisition mode, the ability to reach the goal of building a scalable business was at risk by continuing to use QuickBooks. Deciding upon and integrating a viable, scalable accounting and operations solution was now critical.
The Solution
Brad was not new to making the decision to change an accounting software platform. In fact, at a prior company he led the team that made the move to implement the cloud-based financial accounting solution Sage Intacct. Based on the positive experience, he anticipated this choice would bring similar success to Probo Medical.
In consultation with Leaf, Brad reviewed the business problems Probo Medical was facing, and with confidence presented Sage Intacct as his preferred choice to the leadership team and the private-equity firm that owns Probo Medical. He understood that this choice would not only solve immediate business problems but also handle future needs.
Brad stated, “Ultimately, our business is in a much better position by making the choice to go with Intacct.”
The Results
One example of immediate improvement in business processes Brad specified was the automated creation of a journal entry when a certain set of business rules are followed, ending with a product marked as sold in the operations software, Salesforce.
“We’ve already seen a tremendous reduction in duplicate work which was a big pain point going into this. We now have some really cool automated processes, internal controls, IT controls, everything you can think of that you’d want out of a properly functioning Salesforce to Sage Intacct integration.”
“Our equipment acquisition team in the procurement department has seen the biggest increase in productivity. And every day, our accounting team is seeing more and more benefits.”
“What we now have with Intacct is something that is very scalable. It’s the best middle market multi-entity accounting software out there, not even close. Having this new capability has been awesome. I don’t need to worry about it scaling to our needs, it just works. With any other software, the integration and scalability with Salesforce would have been a major concern.”
“The scalability is the number one feature, and I truly believe it will prevent us from having to hire additional staff. This is real cost savings for us, and impacts return on investment rather quickly. I’ve never seen anything that processes intercompany stuff like Sage Intacct. The dimensions are intuitive, building out reports without a lot of manual labor.”
“The immediate benefit to our CEO and board of directors is that they’ll see not only an income statement for Probo Medical, but they’ll also see a statement for parts, equipment, rental, and everything combined together. Additionally, the overhead cost centers are broken out with dynamic allocation of overhead. This will lead to full on departmental profit and loss statements for our revenue centers. I’m especially excited about this since it’ll provide more visibility into our profitability by business segment.”
Brad noted that, “Leaf has been great to work with, and we’ve been nothing but satisfied in the big strides we’ve taken together. I’m really excited to get the first P&L produced and get other executive team users going so they can see live data and reports. I have been nothing but satisfied with our ability to get through a lot in a short amount of time. We have laid the foundation to support our business growth – now comes the fun part.”
About Probo Medical
Probo Medical is a comprehensive medical device company that provides a wide range of diagnostic ultrasound services with headquarters in Fishers, Indiana. Their mission is to drive down worldwide healthcare expenses by providing low-cost equipment and repair solutions. The people at Probo Medical believe that “costs saved should equal lives saved, which is why we deliver high-quality medical equipment to customers and also donate it to where it is desperately needed in every corner of the world.”
Read the PDF version PROBO Medical case study here.
Ready to find out how Leaf can help you navigate through business change? Please schedule an appointment here. Our consultative approach ensures you’re getting much more than software. We’ll work alongside you as a true business partner.
At Probo Medical, moving away from QuickBooks was paramount, since handling a multi-entity structure with multi-currency capabilities, integrating Salesforce, and customizing the accounting functions and reporting features were necessary for the continued success of the business.
The Situation
Brad Westerfield began his new role at Probo Medical during a time of fast-paced growth through acquisition. As Vice President of Finance, his skills and expertise navigating the complexity of merging with acquired businesses was put to the test. A wildcard that certainly put at risk his ability to put his best foot forward was that the company was in the middle of an accounting software transition (not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic had put much in doubt regarding business growth).
Moving away from QuickBooks was paramount, since handling a multi-entity structure with multi-currency capabilities, integrating Salesforce, and customizing the accounting functions and reporting features were necessary for the continued success of the business.
There were internal business processes that also had to change to uphold the integrity of the accounting functions. Brad noted, “Since our systems were disconnected, non-accountants were forced to make journal entries in our accounting software. Salesforce is our inventory management, our CRM, and our operations. For those to be disconnected completely from accounting was not ideal for business processes and internal controls.”
With the company in acquisition mode, the ability to reach the goal of building a scalable business was at risk by continuing to use QuickBooks. Deciding upon and integrating a viable, scalable accounting and operations solution was now critical.
The Solution
Brad was not new to making the decision to change an accounting software platform. In fact, at a prior company he led the team that made the move to implement the cloud-based financial accounting solution Sage Intacct. Based on the positive experience, he anticipated this choice would bring similar success to Probo Medical.
In consultation with Leaf, Brad reviewed the business problems Probo Medical was facing, and with confidence presented Sage Intacct as his preferred choice to the leadership team and the private-equity firm that owns Probo Medical. He understood that this choice would not only solve immediate business problems but also handle future needs.
Brad stated, “Ultimately, our business is in a much better position by making the choice to go with Intacct.”
The Results
One example of immediate improvement in business processes Brad specified was the automated creation of a journal entry when a certain set of business rules are followed, ending with a product marked as sold in the operations software, Salesforce.
“We’ve already seen a tremendous reduction in duplicate work which was a big pain point going into this. We now have some really cool automated processes, internal controls, IT controls, everything you can think of that you’d want out of a properly functioning Salesforce to Sage Intacct integration.”
“Our equipment acquisition team in the procurement department has seen the biggest increase in productivity. And every day, our accounting team is seeing more and more benefits.”
“What we now have with Intacct is something that is very scalable. It’s the best middle market multi-entity accounting software out there, not even close. Having this new capability has been awesome. I don’t need to worry about it scaling to our needs, it just works. With any other software, the integration and scalability with Salesforce would have been a major concern.”
“The scalability is the number one feature, and I truly believe it will prevent us from having to hire additional staff. This is real cost savings for us, and impacts return on investment rather quickly. I’ve never seen anything that processes intercompany stuff like Sage Intacct. The dimensions are intuitive, building out reports without a lot of manual labor.”
“The immediate benefit to our CEO and board of directors is that they’ll see not only an income statement for Probo Medical, but they’ll also see a statement for parts, equipment, rental, and everything combined together. Additionally, the overhead cost centers are broken out with dynamic allocation of overhead. This will lead to full on departmental profit and loss statements for our revenue centers. I’m especially excited about this since it’ll provide more visibility into our profitability by business segment.”
Brad noted that, “Leaf has been great to work with, and we’ve been nothing but satisfied in the big strides we’ve taken together. I’m really excited to get the first P&L produced and get other executive team users going so they can see live data and reports. I have been nothing but satisfied with our ability to get through a lot in a short amount of time. We have laid the foundation to support our business growth – now comes the fun part.”
About Probo Medical
Probo Medical is a comprehensive medical device company that provides a wide range of diagnostic ultrasound services with headquarters in Fishers, Indiana. Their mission is to drive down worldwide healthcare expenses by providing low-cost equipment and repair solutions. The people at Probo Medical believe that “costs saved should equal lives saved, which is why we deliver high-quality medical equipment to customers and also donate it to where it is desperately needed in every corner of the world.”
Read the PDF version PROBO Medical case study here.
Ready to find out how Leaf can help you navigate through business change? Please schedule an appointment here. Our consultative approach ensures you’re getting much more than software. We’ll work alongside you as a true business partner.
- Published on
Hot off the press is the 2021 Nonprofit Technology Trends Report. The report shares the results of over 500 nonprofit finance leaders who participated in the survey. Available in the report are the survey results around the topics of funding and donors; programs and services; communication and constituent engagement; market trends; technology; and accounting and financial management software.
When Sage Intacct published the 2020 Nonprofit Technology providing insights into how nonprofits leverage technology to achieve their mission, it was February. And then . . . we had no idea how our world would be turned upside down just one month later.
Respondents to the 2021 nonprofit technology survey are sharing their insights through a completely different lens. And while the impact of the pandemic is significant, there are some signs that allow for optimism.
The global pandemic and the subsequent health and economic impacts have forced people around the world to alter their day-to-day activities. The nonprofit community faced a dichotomy of grappling with organizational disruptions, while also being looked to for leadership to support and respond to the overwhelming societal challenges.
As nonprofits dealt with market uncertainty, higher demand for services with fewer resources, and the need for innovations to overcome challenges, many turned to technology to address these issues. In an industry where dollars mean the difference between having or not having meals, housing, healthcare, or education, the right technology can help improve efficiency, achieve compliance, save money, and ultimately, deliver greater mission impact.
With that in mind, Sage Intacct once again launched its annual nonprofit technology survey. Over 500 nonprofit finance leaders in the U.S. participated in the research study, providing their perspective on the industry, the challenges they face, and the technology engagement in and out of the context of the pandemic.
If your nonprofit organization is ready for digital transformation, the power and flexibility of the cloud, and the ability to better manage team members working remotely, we can help. Contact us at info@leafsoftwaresolutions.com and we’ll talk at a convenient time for you.
When Sage Intacct published the 2020 Nonprofit Technology providing insights into how nonprofits leverage technology to achieve their mission, it was February. And then . . . we had no idea how our world would be turned upside down just one month later.
Respondents to the 2021 nonprofit technology survey are sharing their insights through a completely different lens. And while the impact of the pandemic is significant, there are some signs that allow for optimism.
The global pandemic and the subsequent health and economic impacts have forced people around the world to alter their day-to-day activities. The nonprofit community faced a dichotomy of grappling with organizational disruptions, while also being looked to for leadership to support and respond to the overwhelming societal challenges.
As nonprofits dealt with market uncertainty, higher demand for services with fewer resources, and the need for innovations to overcome challenges, many turned to technology to address these issues. In an industry where dollars mean the difference between having or not having meals, housing, healthcare, or education, the right technology can help improve efficiency, achieve compliance, save money, and ultimately, deliver greater mission impact.
With that in mind, Sage Intacct once again launched its annual nonprofit technology survey. Over 500 nonprofit finance leaders in the U.S. participated in the research study, providing their perspective on the industry, the challenges they face, and the technology engagement in and out of the context of the pandemic.
If your nonprofit organization is ready for digital transformation, the power and flexibility of the cloud, and the ability to better manage team members working remotely, we can help. Contact us at info@leafsoftwaresolutions.com and we’ll talk at a convenient time for you.
- Published on
CARMEL, IND. (February 24, 2021) – Leaf Software Solutions was recently named as one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana. This 16th annual program was created by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group.
Leaf Software Solutions has earned Hall of Fame status, as this is the 10th year earning the award. Hall of Fame companies are those that have been named a Best Place to Work in Indiana at least 60% of the time in the program’s history.
This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the participating employers in Indiana with the leading workplace cultures. The list is made up of 125 companies.
“We have many tremendous employers in the state, so it’s great to see more and more companies take part in this effort to evaluate their workplace cultures and gain the recognition they deserve,” says Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. “These companies consistently demonstrate to their employees how much they value their contributions.”
Mike Wilson, Chairman at Leaf Software Solutions stated, “Our team at Leaf is a sophisticated, educated, and fascinating diverse group of individuals. My gratitude not only extends to our staff but also our community of friends, clients, and vendors who all contribute to make Leaf a great asset to Indiana.”
To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:
Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in Indiana. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Indiana, analyzed the data, and determined the final rankings.
The final rankings will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday, May 6, 2021, and then published in the Indiana Chamber’s BizVoice magazine after the event.
For more information on the Best Places to Work in Indiana program, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkIndiana.com.
About Leaf Software Solutions: Leaf Software Solutions has been delivering mission critical business solutions for 34 years. Our consultative approach results in custom-tailored solutions that create value for your business.
Leaf Software Solutions has earned Hall of Fame status, as this is the 10th year earning the award. Hall of Fame companies are those that have been named a Best Place to Work in Indiana at least 60% of the time in the program’s history.
This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the participating employers in Indiana with the leading workplace cultures. The list is made up of 125 companies.
“We have many tremendous employers in the state, so it’s great to see more and more companies take part in this effort to evaluate their workplace cultures and gain the recognition they deserve,” says Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. “These companies consistently demonstrate to their employees how much they value their contributions.”
Mike Wilson, Chairman at Leaf Software Solutions stated, “Our team at Leaf is a sophisticated, educated, and fascinating diverse group of individuals. My gratitude not only extends to our staff but also our community of friends, clients, and vendors who all contribute to make Leaf a great asset to Indiana.”
To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity;
- Be a publicly or privately held business;
- Have a facility in Indiana;
- Have at least 15 employees working in Indiana;
- Be in business a minimum of 1 year.
Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in Indiana. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Indiana, analyzed the data, and determined the final rankings.
The final rankings will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday, May 6, 2021, and then published in the Indiana Chamber’s BizVoice magazine after the event.
For more information on the Best Places to Work in Indiana program, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkIndiana.com.
About Leaf Software Solutions: Leaf Software Solutions has been delivering mission critical business solutions for 34 years. Our consultative approach results in custom-tailored solutions that create value for your business.
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Are your siloed applications prohibiting your business from being more productive? Let us help you discover a consolidation platform you may already be using for simple conferencing and collaboration: Microsoft Teams. We can leverage the tools Microsoft has created to bring together your business applications onto a single platform that saves hours every day.
Combine Your Business Applications Under One Common Platform
We can partner with your organization to surface these types of opportunities to make your business more efficient. We can take disparate systems and bring them together. We’d love the opportunity to start a conversation.
Combine Your Business Applications Under One Common Platform
- Businesses we work with often have multiple business applications they work with to run their day-to-day operations – one may be for sales, one for operations, one for marketing, and one for customer service. End users bounce between these applications throughout the workday.
- When the amount of time savings is added if those activities and applications were brought under a single platform, that could represent significant change for an organization.
- While Teams does not replace those applications, it does represent a consolidation platform. What we’ve seen with our customers is we can leverage the tools Microsoft has created to bring together those business applications onto a single platform.
- Teams becomes the vehicle by which we can surface and ultimately deploy those applications.
- We are seeing organizations that have a large user base in Teams, currently used for chat, collaboration, and video conferencing, seamlessly integrate formerly siloed business applications into Teams. This creates synergy and efficiency that saves hours of time per day. This can have an immense impact on the productivity of the organization.
- View Part 3: Combining Business Applications Under One Platform.
We can partner with your organization to surface these types of opportunities to make your business more efficient. We can take disparate systems and bring them together. We’d love the opportunity to start a conversation.
- Published on
Do you have redundant and inefficient tasks taking place in your organization? Of course, but who wants to admit it? We have discovered additional functionality within MS Teams that goes a long way towards eliminating time wasting activity in your business. Intrigued?
Eliminate Repetitive Tasks with Microsoft Teams
Eliminate Repetitive Tasks with Microsoft Teams
- How can Microsoft Teams be leveraged to eliminate and or replace redundant and inefficient tasks in your organization?
- Let’s say you have a sales team making outgoing phone calls. They only want to make that call when that company is open. Prior to making the phone call, a spreadsheet, post-it note, or colleague had to be involved to help find those business hours. Once armed with that information, the original application is accessed, and the phone call is made. This back and forth between applications takes the user out of context and needlessly eats up a lot of time.
- By leveraging the capabilities of Microsoft Teams, the business hours lookup can be integrated with a chat bot, instantly retrieving information with a simple company inquiry. The chat bot can be programmed to access the data that was once housed separately. The sales agent stays within the same context, saving time, and making more phone calls. Adding these time savings across your organization nets big benefits. This simple example represents one of many use cases we have encountered that result in significant benefits to the organization.
- Microsoft has invested heavily in extending and building out a platform that can now be customized in ways that required custom programming in the past. If you’re intrigued by how Teams can further be expanded and deployed within your organization to surface business critical actions, let’s start a conversation.
- View Part 2: Eliminating Repetitive Tasks.
- Published on
We wanted to share an opportunity we discovered hiding in plain sight that may help improve your business, like it has for some of our customers.
In conjunction with the popularity of Microsoft Teams (the chat, document collaboration, and online meeting software platform), Microsoft has opened up the ability to develop and deploy additional functionality using that platform to consolidate your common, more time-consuming business software activity. Your staff can be much more effective by remaining in one platform, instead of jumping from one program to another.
What is Microsoft Teams?
In conjunction with the popularity of Microsoft Teams (the chat, document collaboration, and online meeting software platform), Microsoft has opened up the ability to develop and deploy additional functionality using that platform to consolidate your common, more time-consuming business software activity. Your staff can be much more effective by remaining in one platform, instead of jumping from one program to another.
What is Microsoft Teams?
- At its core, Teams is a chat, online meeting, and document collaboration platform.
- Beyond that, Teams represents a unique opportunity for you and your organization to bring together disparate and siloed applications on to a single platform.
- Microsoft realizes the opportunity this represents and continue to invest heavily in building out the capabilities and feature sets within Teams.
- We’ve seen our clients take advantage of this capability to improve business processes by establishing a common platform for chat and collaboration.
- Teams can be transformational, taking mundane and repetitive tasks and standardize on one platform to drive efficiency within the organization.
- There are many uses cases that Teams represents to combine or even replace business applications with an organization.
- Leaf has helped companies use Teams as a platform to extend, scale, and grow the impact Teams has on the organization. There is potential to strategically leverage MS Teams to impact far reaching areas of your business.
- View Part 1: Extend, Scale, and Grow the Impact of MS Teams.
- Published on
The Situation
Joe DeMarco has an excellent handle on the information technology capabilities at LINC Systems where he serves as VP of business development and communication. “We know what we want, just not how to execute the technical part of the project . . . and since we’ve acquired four companies in the past year or so, the need to integrate this additional data into our technology platform has outpaced our ability to keep up. As we build our company into a platform for acquisition and growth, speed and good communication is of utmost importance as we incorporate systems under one umbrella.”
“We are big Microsoft 365 users, and we inquired with several companies to help us get this data into Dynamics 365 CRM. We understand the importance of having visibility across our business, as well as making good decisions from the analysis of this information. Since we knew our own capabilities would not get us to where we needed to be, it was paramount we find a fast and reliable vendor we could trust.”
To ensure he was getting exactly what he wanted, Joe took the time to build out a full strategic plan, listing all executables to present to vendors to help them scope the project. After screening several vendors pushing their solution to LINC Systems as the “complete answer”, Joe did not come away with a feeling of trust. “I felt they were overselling their capabilities – I needed a trusted and reliable advisor to come alongside and work with me and understand my needs.”
“At this point I was overwhelmed. I did not want to deal with an unproven company that didn’t seem capable of accomplishing what I needed, and in the end producing an incomplete project while wasting a lot of time and a lot of money.”
Joe DeMarco has an excellent handle on the information technology capabilities at LINC Systems where he serves as VP of business development and communication. “We know what we want, just not how to execute the technical part of the project . . . and since we’ve acquired four companies in the past year or so, the need to integrate this additional data into our technology platform has outpaced our ability to keep up. As we build our company into a platform for acquisition and growth, speed and good communication is of utmost importance as we incorporate systems under one umbrella.”
“We are big Microsoft 365 users, and we inquired with several companies to help us get this data into Dynamics 365 CRM. We understand the importance of having visibility across our business, as well as making good decisions from the analysis of this information. Since we knew our own capabilities would not get us to where we needed to be, it was paramount we find a fast and reliable vendor we could trust.”
To ensure he was getting exactly what he wanted, Joe took the time to build out a full strategic plan, listing all executables to present to vendors to help them scope the project. After screening several vendors pushing their solution to LINC Systems as the “complete answer”, Joe did not come away with a feeling of trust. “I felt they were overselling their capabilities – I needed a trusted and reliable advisor to come alongside and work with me and understand my needs.”
“At this point I was overwhelmed. I did not want to deal with an unproven company that didn’t seem capable of accomplishing what I needed, and in the end producing an incomplete project while wasting a lot of time and a lot of money.”
The Solution
“We actually made a decision to hire a company to execute on our Dynamics 365 program when a fellow employee came forward. He mentioned he had partnered with Leaf on a project when he was working at another company. Out of respect for him, and honestly, to validate our choice we brought Leaf in to discuss our needs. We were so impressed with the process Leaf used to get to know us and to truly understand what we were looking for in an advisory fashion, we opted out of our first choice. Luckily we hadn’t signed anything yet!”
The experienced team at Leaf applied their strategic approach, taking the necessary time to understand how the business operates and what outcomes are desired to determine the best course of action. Earning trust and collaborating towards agreed upon outcomes sets the roadmap towards complete buy-in from the entire organization.
“As we continued through the process with Leaf, they looked at our needs from a holistic standpoint, assessed them from a business perspective, and consulted with us to help us execute these big changes successfully.”
The methodology Leaf uses throughout the course of a project engages the client and significantly increases end user adoption of the final product.
“Leaf put into place CRM tools that ties our ‘marketing machine strategy’ together – and now we’re well on our way to transforming our sales operation.”
“We actually made a decision to hire a company to execute on our Dynamics 365 program when a fellow employee came forward. He mentioned he had partnered with Leaf on a project when he was working at another company. Out of respect for him, and honestly, to validate our choice we brought Leaf in to discuss our needs. We were so impressed with the process Leaf used to get to know us and to truly understand what we were looking for in an advisory fashion, we opted out of our first choice. Luckily we hadn’t signed anything yet!”
The experienced team at Leaf applied their strategic approach, taking the necessary time to understand how the business operates and what outcomes are desired to determine the best course of action. Earning trust and collaborating towards agreed upon outcomes sets the roadmap towards complete buy-in from the entire organization.
“As we continued through the process with Leaf, they looked at our needs from a holistic standpoint, assessed them from a business perspective, and consulted with us to help us execute these big changes successfully.”
The methodology Leaf uses throughout the course of a project engages the client and significantly increases end user adoption of the final product.
“Leaf put into place CRM tools that ties our ‘marketing machine strategy’ together – and now we’re well on our way to transforming our sales operation.”
Results
Joe is now able to see sales and marketing processes completely transformed with the ability to track ROI. He considers this project a work in progress and desires the CRM to be the “ERP for the front end.” The timing of deploying this cloud-based solution was ideal since many employees are working from home due to COVID-19. Communication to the national customer base remains top notch.
As a result of this successful project, Joe and his group are now seen as leaders by company ownership and have surpassed the technology capabilities of their near industry peers. “We are now seen as leading edge in the industry, and I have done numerous interviews with industry publications on our complete sales and marketing process transformation. Leaf played a big role in this project’s success, and I look forward to continuing to work with Leaf.”
Joe is now able to see sales and marketing processes completely transformed with the ability to track ROI. He considers this project a work in progress and desires the CRM to be the “ERP for the front end.” The timing of deploying this cloud-based solution was ideal since many employees are working from home due to COVID-19. Communication to the national customer base remains top notch.
As a result of this successful project, Joe and his group are now seen as leaders by company ownership and have surpassed the technology capabilities of their near industry peers. “We are now seen as leading edge in the industry, and I have done numerous interviews with industry publications on our complete sales and marketing process transformation. Leaf played a big role in this project’s success, and I look forward to continuing to work with Leaf.”
About LINC Systems
LINC Systems, based in Westfield, Indiana nationally distributes fastening and packaging solutions in addition to industrial supplies to a broad range of end markets including pallet, furniture, housing, construction, and general industrial. The LINC Systems Mission Statement is, ‘To Dream Big and Deliver Beyond Our Customers’ Expectations!’
LINC Systems, based in Westfield, Indiana nationally distributes fastening and packaging solutions in addition to industrial supplies to a broad range of end markets including pallet, furniture, housing, construction, and general industrial. The LINC Systems Mission Statement is, ‘To Dream Big and Deliver Beyond Our Customers’ Expectations!’
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The Situation
Red Gold, a tomato processing company based in Indiana, not only produces its own branded products, but also works with companies to create private label tomato products sold under many other brand names.
In the past several years, the Red Gold’s cross functional team responsible for new label/item creations has been observing problems that increasingly led to delays, frustration, errors, and confusion with no clear path towards the cause. The legacy paper and spreadsheet heavy sales-to-operations handoff process to create and change items for brand and private label products was designed by employees that had long ago left the company, leaving a gaping hole when questions came up. Admittedly, the team knew this process was not scalable to meet the higher volume goals of the business, and they had no hard data to pinpoint where breakdowns were occurring.
This led to management and the team participants in the process feeling frustrated since it was not clear whether the data being used was accurate. Processes were rushed to meet deadlines, leading to extra work on the production floor.
Fingers were pointed with not only no hard data to support the reasons for the delays, but also no path to accountability to correct the errors. Clearly, the team was feeling the pain and decided help was needed to solve these problems.
Red Gold, a tomato processing company based in Indiana, not only produces its own branded products, but also works with companies to create private label tomato products sold under many other brand names.
In the past several years, the Red Gold’s cross functional team responsible for new label/item creations has been observing problems that increasingly led to delays, frustration, errors, and confusion with no clear path towards the cause. The legacy paper and spreadsheet heavy sales-to-operations handoff process to create and change items for brand and private label products was designed by employees that had long ago left the company, leaving a gaping hole when questions came up. Admittedly, the team knew this process was not scalable to meet the higher volume goals of the business, and they had no hard data to pinpoint where breakdowns were occurring.
This led to management and the team participants in the process feeling frustrated since it was not clear whether the data being used was accurate. Processes were rushed to meet deadlines, leading to extra work on the production floor.
Fingers were pointed with not only no hard data to support the reasons for the delays, but also no path to accountability to correct the errors. Clearly, the team was feeling the pain and decided help was needed to solve these problems.
The Solution
Since Red Gold had already developed a trusted relationship with Leaf on a prior project, Red Gold contacted Leaf and described the situation. To overcome the frustrations, Red Gold felt that they must move away from the manual paper and spreadsheet-based process towards a more modern solution to be used as the single source of truth. The solution would serve as the basis for continuous improvement for both people and process with standardized data entry, process flow, tracking, reporting, and accountability. With improved communication based on greater visibility among a wider audience, relevant parties would be informed, eliminating guesswork.
As the consultants from Leaf listened and understood the issues, they offered direction on how similar problems were solved with work done for other clients. They participated in collaborative discussion about user adoption, quick ramp-up time, sensitivity to introducing a whole new set of technology, and the true business value of increasing scalability without increasing headcount. Since data needs have increased for both internal and external stakeholders, it became paramount that the quality of the data about Red Gold products become as important as the quality of the product itself.
With extensive experience with the Microsoft Power Platform, Leaf explained how this offering would meet the needs while avoiding the much higher costs encountered when compared to the other solutions being considered by Red Gold. Developing within the Power Platform would also allow Leaf to quickly implement the solution inside a technology the user base was already familiar with (Microsoft), leading to increased adoption.
Leaf developed a Digital Process Automation tool to replace the paper and spreadsheet model. Sales and Operations now work within a built-in set of business rules, which results in increased visibility and accountability, putting an end to the prior frustration and potential for delays. Accuracy is greatly improved due to the built-in real time validation. Reports are generated with Power BI and distributed to appropriate parties to inform decision making.
Since Red Gold had already developed a trusted relationship with Leaf on a prior project, Red Gold contacted Leaf and described the situation. To overcome the frustrations, Red Gold felt that they must move away from the manual paper and spreadsheet-based process towards a more modern solution to be used as the single source of truth. The solution would serve as the basis for continuous improvement for both people and process with standardized data entry, process flow, tracking, reporting, and accountability. With improved communication based on greater visibility among a wider audience, relevant parties would be informed, eliminating guesswork.
As the consultants from Leaf listened and understood the issues, they offered direction on how similar problems were solved with work done for other clients. They participated in collaborative discussion about user adoption, quick ramp-up time, sensitivity to introducing a whole new set of technology, and the true business value of increasing scalability without increasing headcount. Since data needs have increased for both internal and external stakeholders, it became paramount that the quality of the data about Red Gold products become as important as the quality of the product itself.
With extensive experience with the Microsoft Power Platform, Leaf explained how this offering would meet the needs while avoiding the much higher costs encountered when compared to the other solutions being considered by Red Gold. Developing within the Power Platform would also allow Leaf to quickly implement the solution inside a technology the user base was already familiar with (Microsoft), leading to increased adoption.
Leaf developed a Digital Process Automation tool to replace the paper and spreadsheet model. Sales and Operations now work within a built-in set of business rules, which results in increased visibility and accountability, putting an end to the prior frustration and potential for delays. Accuracy is greatly improved due to the built-in real time validation. Reports are generated with Power BI and distributed to appropriate parties to inform decision making.
The Results
User comments have been positive:
Red Gold reports:
The project has been transformational for Red Gold, as modernization has been adopted, and a template for future process improvement projects has been identified. Based on this success, Red Gold now sees additional processes at Red Gold that would be greatly improved with the same type of automation. Developing on the Power Platform allows for expandability and flexibility without huge expense.
Brian White, Associate Director of IT, stated, “This is a great example of how implementing new technology with a high level of end user involvement leads to improved ownership. Leaf contributed their knowledge and expertise to highlight an area where IT was able to show their value by introducing a tool to solve a real business problem.”
User comments have been positive:
- “Change forms make it through the routing process much more quickly, and multiple people can complete their sections simultaneously. Forms are more clearly organized and don’t look so overwhelming, which avoids confusion.”
- “The new system has been working very well – data entry is easier, the information is more complete, and the built-in error checking prevents me from making mistakes.”
- “I have a greater sense of understanding where we are in the process since we now get an automated email every morning showing project status.”
- “I have nothing to say but good things about this system which will allow our sales assistants to not only operate much more efficiently and timely, but it significantly decreases the amount of errors that the plant finds.”
- “Having an electronic trail with a single location to go to has increased efficiency.”
Red Gold reports:
- Over 75% of the order entry or change request forms that used to take from two weeks to many months are now completed within one day, with almost all forms completed within five days.
- High user acceptance rate, with much less frustration and rush. They like the new process.
- Process improvement data along with reporting brings new levels of accountability to the process.
- Bottlenecks are reduced or eliminated with new visibility if process gets stuck somewhere.
The project has been transformational for Red Gold, as modernization has been adopted, and a template for future process improvement projects has been identified. Based on this success, Red Gold now sees additional processes at Red Gold that would be greatly improved with the same type of automation. Developing on the Power Platform allows for expandability and flexibility without huge expense.
Brian White, Associate Director of IT, stated, “This is a great example of how implementing new technology with a high level of end user involvement leads to improved ownership. Leaf contributed their knowledge and expertise to highlight an area where IT was able to show their value by introducing a tool to solve a real business problem.”
Red Gold Core Values
How the Improved Process Impacts and Adheres to Red Gold Core Values
Interested in more? Please contact us at info@leafsoftwaresolutions.com.
How the Improved Process Impacts and Adheres to Red Gold Core Values
- Superior Quality: Data quality as important as product quality.
- Outstanding Service: The improved data accuracy and quality benefits our external customers as well as internal customers and members of the value stream. In addition, timeliness is a key measure of customer service.
- Operational Excellence: Improved timeliness and accuracy creates revenue opportunities and decreases costs via lower administrative costs and lower manufacturing costs related to rework and rushing.
Interested in more? Please contact us at info@leafsoftwaresolutions.com.
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Some History
As Leaf redefined its own space in the market, rebranding to Leaf Software Solutions in 2003, we were determined to reestablish the company as a local resource. We knew part of our core philosophy was to establish trust before offering solutions as we targeted customers in the Central Indiana area. As it turns out, the profile of our target customer happened to closely match the characteristics of those that were already listening to and consuming public media.
As our chairman Mike Wilson states, “The opportunity to take advantage of this match between WFYI listeners and our target customer was percolating right under our noses. It was simply up to us to make the investment in a public resource we believed in. In early 2006 we started underwriting WFYI and have been pleased to be a part of their mission.”
Underwriting vs Advertising
The revenue model public radio depends upon is based on underwriters, not traditional advertisers. The messaging within this model allows us to affirm our support for public media rather than simply pitch our product information. This style of communication resonates with listeners and creates a halo effect as we reiterate and confirm the values of public media to their loyal listeners. The Leaf brand message is showcased in an uncluttered environment, not in a block of ads where listeners may tune out. Just as Leaf establishes trust in our collaborative engagements with customers, WFYI establishes trust in its listeners by providing high quality educational and informative programming.
Our Target Customer Aligns with WFYI’s Radio Audience
When you look at the WFYI radio coverage map with its focus on Central Indiana, you see alignment with the Leaf target geography. Our desire is to be known locally, establishing business relationships and providing solutions here in Central Indiana. By underwriting local programming, Leaf is reaching those business leaders that are not only engaged in the community, but also are decision makers.
Loyal Audience, Loyal Customers
A public radio audience values the difference between advertisements and sponsorships. When listening to commercial radio with its up to 26 minutes of non-programming time per hour, you’re more likely to change the station. With public radio listeners, over 56 minutes of programming occupies every hour, decreasing the clutter and resulting in a loyal audience keeping the dial set where it is. Clearly, this gives sponsors like Leaf a better chance to reach our audience. Listeners come to appreciate this schedule, and associate our brand with the high value, low interruption type of programming.
Linking Our Brand with WFYI
One thinks carefully before choosing an advertising or underwriting partner. Do you and your brand want to be linked to the values and character of that partner? Associating our brand alongside a partner providing engaging and thought-provoking content positions Leaf favorably. Leaf lives by its core principles of Fairness, Kindness, Effectiveness, and Significance. We see those principles reflected in the way WFYI delivers trusted and valued content to Central Indiana, which confirms our commitment as an underwriter.
Are you interesting in learning more about WFYI Public Media? With your support, you’re contributing to the WFYI Mission to empower, educate, entertain and connect the community through impactful journalism, inspiring stories and lifelong learning.
Donate to WFYI Public Media
Interested in supporting WFYI? Visit the donate page here.
Corporate Support of Public Media
Is your business interested in underwriting public media? See this page.
As Leaf redefined its own space in the market, rebranding to Leaf Software Solutions in 2003, we were determined to reestablish the company as a local resource. We knew part of our core philosophy was to establish trust before offering solutions as we targeted customers in the Central Indiana area. As it turns out, the profile of our target customer happened to closely match the characteristics of those that were already listening to and consuming public media.
As our chairman Mike Wilson states, “The opportunity to take advantage of this match between WFYI listeners and our target customer was percolating right under our noses. It was simply up to us to make the investment in a public resource we believed in. In early 2006 we started underwriting WFYI and have been pleased to be a part of their mission.”
Underwriting vs Advertising
The revenue model public radio depends upon is based on underwriters, not traditional advertisers. The messaging within this model allows us to affirm our support for public media rather than simply pitch our product information. This style of communication resonates with listeners and creates a halo effect as we reiterate and confirm the values of public media to their loyal listeners. The Leaf brand message is showcased in an uncluttered environment, not in a block of ads where listeners may tune out. Just as Leaf establishes trust in our collaborative engagements with customers, WFYI establishes trust in its listeners by providing high quality educational and informative programming.
Our Target Customer Aligns with WFYI’s Radio Audience
When you look at the WFYI radio coverage map with its focus on Central Indiana, you see alignment with the Leaf target geography. Our desire is to be known locally, establishing business relationships and providing solutions here in Central Indiana. By underwriting local programming, Leaf is reaching those business leaders that are not only engaged in the community, but also are decision makers.
Loyal Audience, Loyal Customers
A public radio audience values the difference between advertisements and sponsorships. When listening to commercial radio with its up to 26 minutes of non-programming time per hour, you’re more likely to change the station. With public radio listeners, over 56 minutes of programming occupies every hour, decreasing the clutter and resulting in a loyal audience keeping the dial set where it is. Clearly, this gives sponsors like Leaf a better chance to reach our audience. Listeners come to appreciate this schedule, and associate our brand with the high value, low interruption type of programming.
Linking Our Brand with WFYI
One thinks carefully before choosing an advertising or underwriting partner. Do you and your brand want to be linked to the values and character of that partner? Associating our brand alongside a partner providing engaging and thought-provoking content positions Leaf favorably. Leaf lives by its core principles of Fairness, Kindness, Effectiveness, and Significance. We see those principles reflected in the way WFYI delivers trusted and valued content to Central Indiana, which confirms our commitment as an underwriter.
Are you interesting in learning more about WFYI Public Media? With your support, you’re contributing to the WFYI Mission to empower, educate, entertain and connect the community through impactful journalism, inspiring stories and lifelong learning.
Donate to WFYI Public Media
Interested in supporting WFYI? Visit the donate page here.
Corporate Support of Public Media
Is your business interested in underwriting public media? See this page.