North Arnerican Wholesale Lumtrer Association

now easily locate sales history, pricing, programs and other details in real time have provided positive feedback to me about their experiences.

Recognizing the trend that more and more of our customers want to transact with us online. U.S. Lumber is also developing an online e-commerce site. We will be able to Drovide customers with cu\l()mized Drogram pricing and all product documentation in one spot. The new U.S. Lumber catalog will also allow customers to track the truck deliverins their orders untl provide them wirh i real-time ETA.

The willingness of our president, Jeff Mclendon, and leadership team to invest in technology has put U.S. Lumber at the fbrefl'ont of the industry when it comes to innovation. As a company, we are dedicated and focused on using technology to enhance ()ur customcrs experience with us.

Building Products Inc. (BPI), a supplier of building products headquartered in Watertown, S .D., recently implemented the DMSi PartnerView online portal. Through this tool, its customers can find and print invoices, view open orders. get shipping status, enter quotes, and perfbrm other functions at any time of day.

"Now, our customers don't have to get off of the phone with one of thcir customers to place orders," says Cas Rangel. chief information officer for BPI.

Rangel believes thc convenience, time savings and other features of this new tool have resulted in increased customer satisfaction.

Over the past year and a half, BPI has also locused on other technology investments, such as a new phone system and a custom-built CRM system that will integrate with the customer portal and phone system.

Not only do these enhancements position BPI for greater marketing and sales success by centralizing customer data, they also ensure business continuity. which prevents lost salcs and customcr service issues.

"lf something happens that closes one of the branches, I can have those operations up and running the same day at another branch," said Rangel. "And our staff can work remotely if needed."

To Iearn how other peers arc leveraging technology to enhance their sales efforts and drive revenue growth, I encourage you to attend NAWLA's Leadership Summit, March 22-24,2015, at The Westin Kierland in Scottsdale. Az. Thc event brings together mid-level managers and executives and industry-leading companies to discuss top-of-mind business topics and solutions for driving revenue growth and s{reamlining operations. Additional details are available at www.nawla.org.

- Mark Brertnutr is progrant nonager for U.S. Lumber, Atlanta, Ga., und a member o.f North Amerit:ctrt Wholcsale Lu m hc r A.\.\ot i at i l ) il .\' t'( m tn I t n t .t I (, n s cqmnutt?a.

By Carla Waldemar