Eastern Warehouse Distributors

About Eastern Warehouse Distributors

Established in 1989, Eastern Warehouse Distributors (also known as AutoParts Warehouse) is a locally owned and operated wholesale automotive parts distributor headquartered in Langhorne, PA. The business takes pride in its selection of new and rebuilt parts and its numerous warehouse locations. More than 450 GPS-dispatched delivery vehicles allow Eastern to provide quick delivery service throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The multiple warehouses in the area are always well stocked with the quality parts customers have come to rely on. Eastern Warehouse Distributors is also an active member of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance

Challenge

In 2011, Eastern Warehouse Distributors wanted to position itself for a period of aggressive business growth. The team realized they needed to update their software infrastructure to prepare for the future. Their previous platform was strong and flexible and had allowed them to succeed in years past. However, it was based on older technology, and they knew that its limitations would become increasingly difficult to manage as they grew. Eastern needed a modern platform that would be flexible enough to grow with the company and integrate well with other solutions.

They evaluated various industry-specific business management solutions, with the primary goal of finding a solution on a modern platform that would be flexible enough to grow with the company and integrate well with other solutions.

Making the change to Klipboard solutions was a good move for us. We have experienced a variety of improvements and efficiencies thanks to the hands-on approach Klipboard takes to its projects.

Jack Mills, VP of IT and Data Strategy, Eastern Warehouse Distributors

Solution

After a thorough investigation, Eastern selected Autopart by Klipboard. Autopart provided the strength and adaptability the business was looking for, as well as ease of use, reliability, and dependability — all built on a modern Microsoft Windows platform backed by Microsoft SQL.

The biggest reason we chose Klipboard was the SQL backend and the flexibility to do what we needed to do — moving to a modern product rather than staying on something outdated. With SQL, we can pull in data from virtually any source.

Unlike systems converted from older technology, Autopart was built from the ground up with current technology, making it more flexible than systems that evolved from "green screen" origins. This architecture has proven critical for Eastern, enabling seamless integration with third-party tools and custom data sources.

The on-premise architecture has also proven valuable for operational reliability:

It runs on a Windows platform, so we're not going through an emulator like a lot of the competition. And because it's on premise rather than browser-based, we don't have connectivity issues. That really matters for store operations. If the internet drops, we can still run internally without missing a beat.

By 2016, Eastern had fully implemented Autopart along with Klipboard's Warehouse Management Software (WMS) and OpenWebs e-commerce integration across 40 Locations with over 200 users. They use Autopart to manage customer inventory, complex pricing models, and automated sales and purchase order processing, and connect to My Place for Parts (MPFP) for B2B e-commerce.

Out of the top automotive business management solutions on the market today, Autopart is simply the best.

Jack Mills

Benefits

Since implementing Autopart, Eastern has seen significant benefits from several new features and capabilities included within Autopart, WMS and Autocat. Using Autopart, Eastern has been able to recognize improved operational efficiency, improved data accessibility and management, increased profitability and enhanced customer service.

The integrated WMS solution provides Eastern with features like receiving, picking, packing, inventory counting, and performance reporting. Using WMS in conjunction with Autopart means that everything in the system is in real-time, with no background processes transmitting data to or from a third-party solution.

Klipboard's WMS is central to how we manage inventory and fulfill orders. Every store runs through full WMS: parts are organized by bin location, so someone can walk through the warehouse, collect multiple orders in a single pass, and break them out at the end

In 2018, Eastern also adopted Autocat, Klipboard's web-driven parts catalog, to improve lookup capabilities and drive more sales.

Autocat gives Eastern direct access to real-time updates from a wide range of industry suppliers, with the ability to filter out part types they don't stock for cleaner displays — while still retaining access to all manufacturers' part numbers for special orders. Suppliers submit data via ACES and PIES specifications, which are verified and standardized before being published to the cloud, where counter staff can access them through Autocat's desktop interface.

From there, users can search by year, make and model, run a VIN lookup, or use predictive text search to find parts quickly by name or category. The Interchange and Buyers Guide, personalized notes, and customizable product categories give staff the tools to source parts across each location.

Autocat takes cataloging to another level, providing updates without monthly maintenance. It offers consistent, up-to-date results to make the sale.

Jack Mills, VP of IT and Data Strategy, Eastern Warehouse Distributors

Additionally, Eastern uses OpenWebs to provide customers with fast, reliable access to inventory availability and pricing. Orders placed via MPFP stream through OpenWebs to Autopart and are ready to pick within seconds. It also supports direct connections from compatible shop management systems, including Klipboard's Autowork One system.

Key benefits Eastern has achieved from Autopart include:

• Warehouse productivity: Full WMS allows 10,000 pick-and-pack lines by 10:30 am every day, with high-priority orders out the door within minutes
• Inventory accuracy: Real-time WMS keeps all locations aligned with no third-party data syncing required
• Cash flow improvement: Till system automation reduced unpaid cash invoices by 70%
• Operational resilience: On-premise architecture keeps stores running even when internet connectivity drops
• System integration: Standard Language Query (SQL) backend enables seamless connections to third-party platforms
• Advanced & Custom reporting: Custom dashboards built using the Phocas integration deliver real-time operational and financial visibility
• Parts catalog performance: Autocat drives more sales opportunities and fewer returns with accurate, consistently up-to-date parts data