BT Partners and SYSPRO Power Operations for Waldmann Lighting USA

“We run our whole business with SYSPRO,” says Jan Schaefer, Vice President of Finance for Waldmann USA. “We met BT Partners 23 years ago. They helped us migrate to SYSPRO and we’ve never looked back. SYSPRO does everything we need, and BT Partners is an ideal long-term partner.”

Waldmann USA prides itself on providing excellent customer service and appreciates that SYSPRO delivers features and functionality that support this initiative. “We have a single system of record in SYSPRO,” Schaefer says. “That gives us an integrated picture and allows us to provide better customer service. We can quickly quote delivery times, check customer-specific pricing, and research technical data on our products, all from within SYSPRO.”

The majority of Waldmann USA’s products are manufactured by its German parent, and it can take several weeks for production and an additional several weeks for shipping by air or sea. Additionally, Waldmann USA orders parts and accessories from local suppliers. “SYSPRO’s MRP functionality helps us plan and manage our ordering process so we can ensure we have the stock we need to satisfy our customers’ requirements,” notes James Aurand, Materials Manager for Waldmann USA. “Our inventory accuracy is 97% or higher. We know we can rely on our numbers and make promises we can keep.”

The company performs light assembly and configuration on the products arriving from Germany, and the bill of materials functionality within SYSPRO streamlines this process. “There isn’t a way to do this successfully without an ERP application like SYSPRO,” says Aurand. “We handle hundreds of sales orders & purchase orders and must accurately track inventory coming in by sea and by air — and ensure it gets assembled and into our customers’ hands accurately & on time. SYSPRO provides the tools that allow us to do that.”

Over the years, Waldmann USA has grown and modernized, adapting its workflows to keep pace. BT Partners has remained agile throughout the evolution, helping the company optimize operations and respond to changing markets. “BT Partners helped us create customized reports to uncover details and insights that help us run the business better,” Schaefer says. “As we’ve looked to expand into new markets, they’ve helped us get decision-making data from SYSPRO that allows us to make strategic — and successful — changes.”

The coronavirus pandemic created new evidence of how effectively SYSPRO meets Waldmann USA’s needs. “Our entire team was able to work remotely, accessing SYSPRO over our VPN,” explains Schaefer. “It was a big adjustment for us since we’re used to working side-by-side. But because all of our operational data resides in SYSPRO, we were able to carry on without interruption.”

Waldmann USA’s staff enjoy their interactions with BT Partners. “Their support staff is so good – every person we’ve worked with has been exceptional,” Schaefer says. “Plus, their staff brings a wide range of talent and experience. One consultant was a CPA, so their insight and advice is very beneficial. Others bring truly creative thinking to the table — they are ready to tackle any problem.”

Schaefer also appreciates BT Partners’ commitment to the product. “They are progressive thinkers,” she says. “They host SYSPRO user conferences where we connect with other users and the pros at BT Partners. Even though we’ve used the software for decades, we always learn something new at these conferences.”

Schaefer concluder, “Our relationship with BT Partners works so well because they have evolved as we evolve. Neither of us is content with the status quo. We’re both continually working together to make business better.”