VernDale Products

VernDale Products Case Study by TGI’s Enterprise 21 ERP Software
The Company: About VernDale Products
For the last fifty years, VernDale Products has been a successful, family-owned and operated business. Originally founded in 1958 by LaVerne and Marlene Johnson, the multigenerational team at VernDale manufactures roller processed whole milk powder and, as such, provides a key ingredient used by chocolate manufacturers across the United States.
The Situation: Organizational Transformation
Challenges
- Required the automation of existing manual processes
- Required a more structured approach to processing transactions
- Required more accurate reporting and increased visibility to information
- Required a system capable of operating with little or no internal IT staff
- Required an easy-to-use, intuitive manufacturing software package
The Solution: Enterprise 21 ERP
For Fred Kreger, VernDale’s General Manager, the decision to select Enterprise 21 ERP software from TGI was simple and went well beyond that of mere product functionality criteria. Kreger explained their decision by stating, “All of the vendors we looked at seemed like they could fill our relatively simple needs. The people at TGI, their professionalism, and the quick responses we received from any question we had driven our decision.”After over two years of working with the software, the VernDale team remains happy with the selection of Enterprise 21. Kreger continues to give accolades to Enterprise 21 by stating, “Our expectations are being met more so as we get further away from implementation. Like a good book or movie, the more time you spend with the software, the deeper it gets. We are changing some of our ‘traditional’ ways of doing things in favor of easier and speedier processes. I now look forward to future ‘discoveries’ of Enterprise 21’s economies. Enterprise 21 has completely changed our way of doing business.”
The Results: Enterprise 21 ERP Implementation Benefits
- Automated manual business processes with a fully-integrated software package
- Reduced the man-hours associated with routine office tasks
- Professionalized interaction with clients and vendors
- Improved accuracy of accounting transactions and financial statements
- Accurate business and transaction information readily available in real-time
While the company now manages its operations in a state-of-the-art ERP software application, the family-focused culture that is the heart and soul of VernDale remains strong. As in many family-owned and operated businesses, the VernDale management team solicits the assistance of the younger VernDale generations, even if those family members work outside the walls of VernDale Products. Kreger credits this to Enterprise 21’s ease of use by stating, “The organization of the software on-screen is logical. A few of us have adult children who are employed elsewhere. On two different occasions, these young adults were able to help ‘Grandma’ or one of their parents through a transaction, even though they had never before seen Enterprise 21. Their intuition and Enterprise 21’s logical structure turned the vacation visit into a short tutorial, a testimony to the software’s ease of implementation.”