Since its inception in 1979, the Swift Industrial Supply Co has been intimately involved with South Africa's economic growth through the supply of product to the gold mines and heavy industry in and around the Johannesburg area.
Fondly known as 'Swifts', this one-stop industrial supplier manufactures and imports specialised products for mining and industry, as well as cutting tools and lubricants for the retail market.
Swifts' success has been achieved through a focus on service, price and product excellence, but a good accounting system - which grew into a good ERP system - has certainly helped keep the company at the top of its game.
“We first started using Accpac in 1985. It was, of course, DOS-based back then. We installed the Cashbook programme first and then the General Ledger in the following year. Both programs had an immediate impact on our accounting, streamlining our processes, improving our efficiency and making our reporting more professional,” explains Swift Industrial Supply Co owner Anne Gillespie. “We've grown considerably over the years, but our accounting needs haven't changed, and Accpac has simply scaled up with us.”
The company is still using Accpac's Cash Book and General Ledger 25 years later. This has not only helped Swifts keep track of its numbers, but has facilitated improved manufacturing and distribution processes. “Obviously, Accpac's accurate reporting facilities are a fundamental benefit, but we also really value the security built into the system,” Gillespie says. “It enforces journal entries, won't allow users to go back into previous months to adjust the figures and has an excellent backup feature.”
While the ever-changing pace of technology remains daunting to many businesses, Swifts has effectively been able to leverage its benefits through its long association with Softline Accpac. For 25 years, Accpac has been the reliable foundation on which Swifts has improved and grown its business, providing a flexibility and versatility that will continue to provide success - for Swifts, and for Softline Accpac.
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