Oak Creek Plumbing Installs Jonas Software in Order to Gain a Strong Technology Foundation to Support Future Growth
Executive Summary
A growing plumbing, remodeling and service contractor needed to replace its Legacy accounting software with an industry-specific solution that would streamline reporting and provide better insight around its service operations. Jonas Software provided the perfect platform to meet the company’s immediate needs – and the additional functionality to support future growth.
Company Profile
Founded in 1972 by Ron Callies, Oak Creek Plumbing is a second generation family owned plumbing contractor located in Southeastern Wisconsin. In 1985, Ron's son Dan Callies joined the company, working his way up the ranks from first year plumbing apprentice to Journeyman Plumber and eventually to Master Plumber.
Ron and Dan took the business in a new direction when they came across an innovative way of remodeling bathrooms that used acrylic tubs and walls designed to fit over existing structures. This cost effective and time efficient method of updating an existing bathroom further secured Oak Creek’s position within the plumbing service and remodeling community.
In 1999, Dan purchased the business from his father, and today, Oak Creek is a multi-million dollar corporation that focuses on kitchen and bathroom remodeling, along with service and repair. The firm is also known for its “green” plumbing practices, such as offering water-saving toilets, showerheads and faucets, and recycling discarded materials.
Business Challenge
Several years after assuming ownership of Oak Creek, Dan became frustrated with the company’s Legacy accounting software. The system limited his flexibility to create and view reports or generate relevant data for different divisions. Dan couldn’t easily get the financial information he needed to make informed business decisions. In addition, the system’s ability to track materials and equipment was also inadequate. This presented significant challenges for the company, which handles over 300 service calls and 30 remodel jobs each month.
In light of these limitations, Dan and his team began searching for a new, fully-integrated, industry specific software package with easy-to-use reporting capabilities. Along with robust reporting, the plumbing contractor needed a solution with service scheduling and dispatching.
Jonas Solution
In 2007, after several months spent evaluating different options, Dan selected Jonas Software, an established program that offered over 40 different industry applications, including accounting and service management. Perhaps most importantly, Jonas delivered the user-friendly reporting tools that Oak Creek desperately needed.
“Jonas solved our reporting issues,” Dan states when asked why he chose the solution. But the program’s strong service functionality was another factor in his decision. “I like the fact that Jonas is a fully integrated system. On the service side, it handles everything from scheduling calls and invoicing for completed work to viewing history details.”
Although implementing a new software system can be a challenge, the Jonas training and support teams did their best to ease Oak Creek’s conversion to the program. “We were a little worried about installing a new program at first because the transition can be painful. But the Jonas trainer did a fine job,” Dan recalls.
Although the Oak Creek staff quickly got up-to-speed on the company’s new Jonas system, Dan is admittedly still learning about the program’s immense capabilities. “I don’t use computers that often, but I have found Jonas to be very easy to learn and use. There’s so much to the system, but I’m slowly learning.”
Benefits for Oak Creek Plumbing
When Dan and his team selected Jonas, they were confident that a system of this magnitude would be a powerful tool over the long haul. “We needed to invest for future growth and were confident that Jonas would have a positive effect on our bottom line,” Dan states. “This is a well thought out program that will assist us in running the business and managing materials. I’m glad Jonas is a reliable source because time really is money.”
The earliest benefit realized by Oak Creek was resolution of the company’s reporting problems. “One of the greatest benefits that Jonas provides over our old system is increased flexibility and easier reporting for top level management,” Dan explains.
This one benefit has continued to play a key role in Oak Creek’s success with Jonas, whether they are accessing financial data or service-related metrics. “With our old system, it took so much time and energy to create the reports we wanted because we had to export data to Excel before organizing it in meaningful ways,” Dan says. “Jonas streamlines the way we access data. We can quickly generate a single service report, for example, that lets us drill down to see the profitability of each technician.”
Dan also points out that his relationship with the Jonas staff is also a significant benefit. “I still communicate with my sales representative from time to time,” he says, “and our trainer did an excellent job. The support desk is very helpful, too. I continue to stay in touch by attending Jonas webinars, which keep me updated and teach me more about the system.”
Looking Forward
With core Jonas functionality rolled out at Oak Creek, Dan plans to expand his company’s use of the program by adding applications like Jonas Mobile for his 10 plumbers in the field, along with Document Management. “The efficiencies gained by using mobile service devices should give us an edge over our competitors because we’ll be able to complete more service calls each day,” he says. Adding Document Management will allow the firm to electronically archive and instantly retrieve reports and other critical information.
Overall, Oak Creek couldn’t be happier with its Jonas solution and Dan anticipates the software playing a key role in company growth over time. “Software is an investment. If you don’t have the right software for your business, you waste valuable time in unnecessary ways,” he states. “We knew that by investing in software today, we would also be investing in the future of our company. We expect Jonas to become the backbone of our organization.”