Industrial Container and Supply Co. Deploys VAI’s Cloud-Based S2K Enterprise to Streamline Purchasing and Warehouse Operations

Ronkonkoma, N.Y. – September 3, 2020 - VAI, a leading ERP software developer, and Industrial Container and Supply Co., Utah’s leading distributor of containers, jars, drums and more, are working together to provide Industrial Container with streamlined sales and distribution processes. The company is using VAI’s cloud-based S2K Warehouse Management Software (WMS) and S2K Supply and Demand Planning applications within the S2K ERP software suite to enhance visibility into the supply chain, make smarter purchasing decisions, and maintain inventory control across its warehouse.

Serving the food, nutritional supplement, personal care, dairy, mining, construction, and chemical industries for over 50 years, Industrial Container specializes in plastic, glass, and steel containers in a variety of sizes and shapes. The company carries over 3,500 separate items that are distributed to a customer base that extends throughout the entire United States and Canada.

To meet the needs of a growing client base and increasing customer order demand, Industrial Container requires a fully integrated, cloud-based ERP solution that leverages Supply and Demand Planning and WMS tools to capture accurate insights of its inventory and predictive purchasing needs, while also allowing for full visibility into its warehouse operation. The company uses VAI S2K Supply and Demand Planning, which consists of forecasting to predict long-range trends, as well as seasonality for each item, and purchasing to evaluate all demand and supply requirements to create time-phased replenishment plans for each product at its location.

The cloud-based warehouse and financial management applications enable Industrial Container to effectively manage the supply chain. With VAI S2K Warehouse Management, the company can accurately predict sales, evaluate purchasing, and reduce inventory. Having the ability to monitor warehouse activities and inventory in real-time, enables Industrial Container to more accurately measure the efficiency of warehouse product movement and employees. Additionally, they can now quickly find products and eliminate locating and tracking issues.

Standing as a VAI S2K on-premise customer since 2012, Industrial Container moved to VAI Cloud in November 2018, which enhanced the company’s disaster recovery plan and gives them high availability through VAI Cloud’s geographic dispersity and redundancy. Since moving onto VAI’s cloud-based ERP solution, the company has maximized uptime, reduced costs, and is able to access data from anywhere in the world.

“VAI has provided excellent customer service from the start, with a dedicated success team that is experienced in the ins and outs of our unique workflows,” said Julie Dixon, IT/Accounting at Industrial Container and Supply Co. “The VAI Cloud has also been rock solid. Even after a recent 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck our facility and severely disrupted communications, we were able to access VAI Cloud within three hours. Without VAI Cloud, it would have been days before we would have been able to get back to work. VAI Cloud was the best decision we made in ensuring mission critical situations are in place.”

Despite the ongoing pandemic and recent earthquake, Industrial Container has seen a dramatic increase in sales. Servicing large manufacturers to small business owners as well as walk-in customers, the company’s volume has doubled, and S2K has been consistent with this increase. Doubling their data entry, Industrial Container can process orders very quickly using the VAI S2K Order Processing and Warehouse Management applications. Knowing what they have in stock, and precisely where it is, enables a streamlined process that is very efficient in pulling and fulfilling orders.

“The Inventory reporting capabilities and workflow alerts give our purchasing department real-time information to order items that are in high demand,” continued Julie Dixon. “The sales reporting and inquiries have allowed us to efficiently analyze our sales margins to stay competitive in the industry.”

“Accurate insight into inventory levels and reporting is critical for supply chain operations, which is more easily achievable to do so efficiently with a fully integrated, cloud-based ERP solution,” said Pete Zimmerman, North American Software Sales Manager at VAI. “VAI Cloud S2K Enterprise allows Industrial Container to remain competitive with the biggest players in the container and supply distribution market by providing a holistic view of the warehouse, from identifying purchasing trends to streamlining distribution.”

The company has plans to soon implement VAI’s S2K Mobile Warehouse Management and Order Processing applications to enhance current warehouse processes and make it easier for customers to place orders.

To learn more about VAI’s solutions, visit https://www.vai.net/solutions/s2k-enterprise.

About Industrial Container and Supply Co.

Industrial Container and Supply Company, Utah’s leading distributor of containers, jars, drums and more, with customers across the United States and Canada. The company specializes in plastic, glass and steel containers in a variety of sizes and shapes, everything an industry will need to keep items collected, organized, stored, packaged and consumer-ready. Mix in the numerous pumps, lids, decorating and other accessories, and Industrial Container and Supply Co. offers comprehensive solutions for any packaging need. For more information, visit https://www.industrialcontainer.com/.

 About VAI

VAI is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its flexible solutions and ability to automate critical business functions for the distribution, manufacturing, retail, and service sectors. VAI's software solutions are backed by a wealth of experience and a reputation for excellence that countless companies rely on. With specific ERP solutions for Hard Goods, Food, and Pharmaceutical companies, VAI has helped some of the most recognized companies address key industry requirements and deliver bottom-line results. VAI continues to innovate with new solutions that leverage analytics, business intelligence, mobility, and cloud technology to help customers make more informed business decisions and empower their mobile workforce. VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY, with additional locations across the United States. For more information, visit www.vai.net, follow @VAISoftware on Twitter, VAI software on Instagram, and “like us” on facebook.com/VAISoftware.

About VAI Cloud LLC

VAI Cloud, LLC is the leading provider for cloud deployment of VAI’s S2K Software Suite. VAI Cloud enables businesses to have a disaster recovery plan and high availability in place without all of the complexities and expense. VAI Cloud infrastructure spans multiple data centers with full synchronization between redundant systems. Customers in VAI Cloud can add additional resources and updates are done without the need for downtime. VAI Cloud is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY. For more information, visit www.vaicloud.net.