VAI S2K Enterprise Review

Product:
Vendor:
Founded:
Headquarters:

S2K Enterprise
VAI
1978
Ronkonkoma, NY

Ownership:
Customers:
Deployment Model:
Free Trial:

Private
1,500+
Cloud, On-Premise
No

Product Overview

VAI provides three ERP solutions: S2K Enterprise OnCloud, S2K Food OnCloud and S2K Pharma OnCloud. This review will focus on S2K Enterprise OnCloud.

S2K Enterprise OnCloud is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that helps midsize distributors, manufacturers, specialty retailers, service & repair, and equipment rental businesses automate their key processes. From one powerful solution, businesses can optimize efficiency and enhance performance across their entire organization. S2K Enterprise OnCloud can also be customized to fit a company’s unique requirements.

VAI’s benefits include:

• Direct support from the author of the software
• Unmatched cloud performance and security
• Integrated advanced applications and open APIs
• Single database design to reduce complexity

S2K Enterprise OnCloud is composed of several different applications (modules). We’ll briefly discuss each module in our Features section below.

Features

Here are some key features of each S2K Enterprise OnCloud module:

Smart Center – With S2K Smart Center users can configure their homepage with a wide variety of application specific KPIs that best suit the user’s role. By having immediate access to important information without ever having to leave their homepage, users can be more productive and react to business issues faster.

Finance – S2K Financial Management suite allows businesses to manage its income, expenses, and assets with the objectives of maximizing profits and managing cash flow. It includes the processing and recording of all the financial transactions from the other S2K ERP applications, bank reconciliation, and comprehensive financial reporting. S2K Financial Management suite gives organizational leaders a transparent view of all financial undertakings within their organization for efficient planning and utilization of available resources. There’s also a Rebates / Promotions / Billbacks application that helps companies track vendor and customer programs.

Distribution – From procurement optimization to customer service to warehouse management automation, VAI’s S2K applications for wholesale distributors will help improve customer service and boost productivity. Comprehensive item inquiries provide a complete stock status of every item with drill down to transaction details, which can help organizations improve their customer service. Import tracking options allow users to view the status of inbound container shipments, and calculate the true cost of inventory based on an unlimited number of landed cost factors.

Warehouse – VAI S2K Mobile Warehouse allows users to monitor warehouse activities in real time, minimizing entry errors, and helps them measure the efficiency of their warehouse employees. This powerful warehouse management system provides both paper-based and radio frequency processing for inventory receiving, movement and replenishments, product put-aways, warehouse fulfillments, warehouse scheduling, warehouse control systems, order picking, shipment verification, cycle counting, and much more.

Manufacturing – S2K Manufacturing Suite provides all the tools to effectively manage the cost of production, from BOM Management, to Material Requirements Planning, to Capacity Requirements Planning, to Shop Floor Control, and Product Quality. Whether the business is discrete or process, make to stock or make to order, or both, the S2K Manufacturing Suite helps companies improve efficiency, visibility, and quality across their entire operation.

Marketing – S2K Marketing OnCloud provides several features to help marketers create and manage their email marketing campaigns. Those features include automated workflows that target prospects in each stage of the sales funnel, email templates, lead scoring, campaign performance analytics and integration with the S2K Sales Force CRM software.

Analytics – The S2K Analytics OnCloud module allows users to get a high overview of their data and then drill down to the smallest detail. They can track data on various metrics, such as Customer Fill Rates, Forecasted Demand vs. Actual and Picking and Shipping performance. The software comes with self-service functionality where any user can connect to any data source and create a dashboard or report that updates data in real time.

Mobile – The S2K Mobile Suite provides applications for Mobile Order Processing, Route Sales, Proof of Delivery, and Field Service. These applications turn ordinary smartphones into powerful business tools that helps companies improve efficiency, enhance customer service, and increase sales.

Integration with third-party applications – S2K Enterprise OnCloud integrates with different third-party software solutions, such as document management, voice picking, shipping, sales tax, forms and labels design, and electronic data interchange (EDI).

Other products – VAI’s unique suite of specialized products include integrated solution for Retail Point of Sale (POS), Rental Management, eCommerce and Customer Portals, and Service & Repair.

Target Market

VAI’s software solutions target any wholesale distributor or manufacturer, and some of the industries it specializes in are Food, Pharmaceuticals Distribution, Janitorial and Office Supply, Medical Device, HVAC and Automotive. It’s geared toward the “mid-market” company usually between $25 million and $1 billion, but it does have customers outside of either end of that spectrum.

We’ve listed 10 of VAI’s clients below.

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Implementation/Integration

Prior to signing on with VAI, the vendor sends its project team (project director, developers etc.) out to the prospect, to see their operations live. The team then comes up with a comprehensive implementation plan, with estimated timeline and cost.

This project team stays with the prospect throughout implementation, hosting weekly progress meetings with the prospect to ensure the project stays on time and in budget. Usually, the first and most important step is migration of data, and creating any modifications to the software if necessary. From there, VAI will set up the infrastructure (whether on-cloud or on-prem) and install the software. Then they’ll will begin inputting the data and set up as they begin to train their client’s users for go-live.

VAI has a data migration tool to help convert data from the client’s old system. It also has a team of trainers available to ensure the client’s team is fully able to use S2K. Included in the software as well is VAI University where users can watch videos and take tests on the various functions within S2K.

The project team will be on-site for go live, to ensure the users are able to use the software, and that the system is running as the company has intended.

Implementations typically take between six to 12 months.

Note: Implementation is done by all VAI employees as the vendor doesn’t outsource any support or implementation to third parties.

Customer Service & Support

Customers always have access to their project team and director via email and phone as this team knows the customer’s operations. HelpDesk support is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday via email or phone for general troubleshooting and support.

Should the need arise, higher level executives from VAI (i.e., its VP of Operations) can be involved in any support needed for the customer.

Pricing

Pricing is dependent on total number of concurrent users (how many sessions at once the company needs, not named users) and the modules that the customer require. VAI offers an Unlimited User License for companies with over 100 concurrent users. Note that there’s a minimum of 20 concurrent users required to use the software.

Prospects are encouraged to contact VAI for a personalized price quote.

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Shortcomings

VAI constantly listens to feedback from customers and develops its solution to make it more competitive in the marketplace. Some of the feedback it received from customers include limited multilanguage support and no support for metals processors. In addition, S2K Enterprise OnCloud doesn’t have a Human Capital Management module nor does it offer recurring billing functionality. Finally, the software is not intended for pharmaceutical manufacturers (only pharmaceutical distributors), and there isn’t a solution for Department of Defense (DoD) suppliers.

Screenshots

About

Founded in 1978 by current CEO Bob Vormittag, Vormittag Associates, Inc. (“VAI”) has been a leading provider of ERP software to the wholesale distribution industry in North America.

Built on the IBM platform, System 2000, or S2K, began development in the 1990’s and has since grown into the robust single database ERP solution that VAI offers today. S2K comes in three packages: S2K Enterprise Hard Goods, S2K for Food and S2K for Pharmaceutical Distribution. Each package includes industry specific functionality. The available modules, all written and developed by VAI, across the three packages are: manufacturing, distribution/inventory control, warehouse management, CRM, e-commerce, retail point of sale, marketing, service and repair management, rental management, business intelligence and analytics and a suite of mobile apps.

Some of the accolades that VAI received are the IBM Beacon Award Winner for Outstanding Solutions for Midsize Businesses, the Business Intelligence Group’s 2022 Stratus Award for Cloud Computing and the OnePlanet® Awards Silver winner in the Cloud Computing/SaaS/Internet category.

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