Four Days on an Alternative POS System Spurs Return to Epicor Decor Fusion
Sometimes a technology do-over is in order because, let’s face it, you don’t always realize the value of trusted technology until it’s gone. That was the hard lesson learned by Empire Paint & Supply when they temporarily switched their point of sale (POS) system from Epicor Decor Fusion to another provider.
Initially wooed by the solution’s promised reporting updates, the company switched. What was supposed to be an upgrade, quickly turned into a setback. And we mean soon. After just four days on the system, Pam Moore, Owner of Empire Paint & Supply, made an urgent call to Epicor to reverse course and return to Epicor Decor Fusion. She knew they needed to course-correct and fast.
Here’s why the locally owned business decided to leave the previous provider and return to Epicor Decor Fusion Cloud to better support contractor and retail customers and lay a reliable foundation for future growth.
Looking to enhance their reporting capabilities, Empire Paint & Supply started to explore alternative retail paint and decorating point of sale solutions on the market to specifically evaluate innovative reporting functionality. During conversations with the previous provider, they were initially drawn to their promises of advanced reporting functionality and modern feature update rollouts, encouraging Empire Paint & Supply to make the switch. However, after system implementation, the excitement didn’t last, and the honeymoon phase was short lived.
Moore admits that what looked like sophisticated innovation at the first glance, ended up being mostly surface level tweaks to existing functionality. As she dug into the capabilities, she realized these were minor improvements to existing functionality. Looking back, one of the red flags came immediately when the store ran into issues on the very first day!
“Out of the gate we realized the previous provider couldn’t handle some of the basic types of sales transactions that we rely on—our first red flag,” she explains. “We had to add manual steps, entering credit card sales as check transactions, which introduced errors in our deposit records. This created not only more wasted time processing transactions but also added more time to correct the deposit records.” To avoid errors, the team was burdened by tedious manual workaround to remedy the issue as soon as possible.
Recognizing the potential business impact of staying with an inadequate system, Moore acted quickly. She cut ties with the previous provider and helped re-launch Epicor Decor Fusion Cloud immediately. “We knew the longer we stayed on that solution, the harder it would be to make the move,” Moore says.
Moore reached out to her Epicor sales rep to update him on the situation. Despite being away for the December holiday, the Epicor team moved fast, helping Empire Paint & Supply go live just before the start of the new year. The willingness of the Epicor team to jump in with technical support and guidance was a huge value add for the company.
The Epicor team showed us how to go offline and enter sales from the four days with the previous system. Now when you review our sales history, it doesn’t look like we missed a day with Epicor. And that’s how we like it!
Empire Paint & Supply was up and running quickly with Epicor Decor Fusion Cloud, gaining real-time access to the system from anywhere, and across its two store locations. With Epicor Decor Fusion deep integration with Benjamin Moore and PPG paint products, the company can now seamlessly track and manage inventory, automating manual processes from cycle counts to re-orders.
“We used to do one annual inventory count and I still have heart palpitations thinking about it,” Moore details. “Now we do cycle counts throughout the year, using handheld scanners and running reports in Decor Fusion to make quick necessary adjustments and keep the shelves stocked with what our customers need.”
When new items are received, packing lists automatically update the company’s inventory amounts in the system. From there, managers can initiate product transfers between the two stores as needed— a benefit that will become even more valuable as more storefronts are opened. Plus, behind the scenes the solution updates the company’s minimum and maximum levels to determine order amounts for the coming week so we always have products our customers want in stock.
Both retail customers and contractors shop at Empire Paint & Supply because of the exceptional customer service they receive. With Decor Fusion, the company can fully lean into this differentiator and recognize valued customers with tiered pricing by volume and incentives to keep them coming back.
For example, for Contractor Appreciation Month, the company can simply enter promotional pricing in Decor Fusion for set dates and the right pricing automatically displays in the point of sale. Then, at the end of the month, the pricing expires, with no need to manually adjust the price. The company also uses tiered pricing based on purchase volumes, with specific pricing popping up during the checkout process.
We can create exclusive contractor pricing based on how much business they do with our store. The pricing flexibility within Epicor Decor Fusion is phenomenal, allowing us to help deliver a highly personalized buying experience for which we’re known.
Empire Paint & Supply credits Decor Fusion with driving repeat business for both retail customers and contractors. Epicor Decor Fusion helps to enable retailers to automatically capture and quickly reference sales records as needed. Whether it’s retrieving the exact paint color for a homeowner who needs to touch up a painted room or tracking coupon redemption for sample purchases, Decor Fusion makes customer service personalized and relevant. The store can quickly provide coupons for future paint purchases while Epicor Decor Fusion tracks all activity in the system. This helps to enable store operators to run a sample sales report, proactively reaching out to customers and connecting them to color consultants for follow-up.
For contractor companies (who typically have between one and six employees), Empire Paint & Supply creates an account in Decor Fusion to support a smooth purchasing experience. Clerks can instantly see who is authorized to charge items, have visibility to contractor credit spending limits and payment status, enabling them to effectively manage the sales process.
“Without a doubt, Epicor Decor Fusion helps us drive smooth transactions and repeat business,” Moore shares. “Regardless of who is at the register, we always have the most up-to-date information on the customer. And with visibility into buying cycles for contractors, we can reach out if purchases have tapered off to ask how we can be of help.”
Empire Paint & Supply is not just recovering from a wrong turn; they are now building momentum and focusing on growth. They plan on opening two more stores within the next few years. Thanks to Epicor Decor Fusion’s scalable infrastructure, they can scale with confidence.
While some paint stores in the area still use handwritten receipts, Empire Paint & Supply plans to use the retail management system that attracts the next generation of new hires who expect easy-to-learn and use technology from modern employers. Decor Fusion is excited to partner with Empire Paint & Supply to create a retail experience that’s modern and easy to adopt.
“When I think back, we really didn’t take full advantage of Epicor Decor Fusion, and we are really at the tip of the iceberg in terms of what it can do for our stores. Now we’re fully invested in Decor Fusion. It helps us improve how we manage inventory, plan budgets, uncover sales opportunities, and service customers, all for the better of our business.”
