Jonas Software Delivers Unparalleled Service to Stacey Electric with 24-Hour Customer Care and Quick Custom Programming
Executive Summary
For more than 100 years, Stacey Electric Company Limited has been providing electrical contracting services throughout Ontario, Canada. Since the 1950’s, Stacey Electric has focused on a very specific niche: traffic control systems installation and maintenance. One reason for the company’s longevity is its outstanding customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In 2001, when Stacey Electric set out to implement new construction accounting software, management was determined to find a vendor that provided a similar service commitment. What the company found was Jonas Software.
Customer Profile
Headquartered in Ontario, with branch operations in Toronto, York Region, Mississauga and London, Stacey Electric is a well-established contractor that specializes in transportation and roadway-related electrical installations and maintenance. Because it serves a limited market, including members of the Ontario Road Builders Association, municipalities and government agencies, new customers are rare. But the company’s existing clients are extremely happy with the service they receive.
Established in 1907 by Harry C. Stacey, the company has grown to become the number one traffic signal service contractor in Ontario, with annual revenues of over $35 million and more than 170 employees in the field. In 1997, Stacey Electric became the first service contractor to provide 24-hour maintenance to Toronto Transportation’s traffic signals, and currently maintains over 1900 signalized intersections for the agency. The company is also under contract with organizations like the City of Toronto and the City of London.
Business Challenges
Stacey Electric first implemented Jonas Software in June 2001 and currently utilizes many applications, including Accounting, Payroll, Purchase Order, Service Billing, Equipment Management and the Executive Dashboard. But when new controller Lia Lomtadze-Dedina was hired a few years after the company purchased the software, the Jonas support teams were put to the service test.
Although Lomtadze-Dedina’s position required extensive use of the Jonas program on a daily basis, her knowledge of the software was very limited. “I didn’t know how to use the software,” she recalls, “so I had to rely on Jonas’ training and support teams to quickly get me up-to-speed.”
The Jonas Solution
Several years have passed since Lomtadze-Dedina first sought help from Jonas. She is now Stacey Electric’s heaviest user of the software’s many capabilities – and the most frequent user of Jonas support. “The support team is very efficient and my issues are always resolved quickly,” she states, “but the service I get goes beyond these necessary basics. Jonas is continually updating the software and is always open to my ‘wish list’ items. I truly feel like they listen to my needs and respond accordingly.”
Like Stacey Electric, Jonas has built a strong foundation around customer service and is the only construction accounting software vendor to offer 24-hour client care, seven days a week. Its Client F.I.R.S.T. initiative, which stands for Fast Informative Responsive Support Teams, focuses on the timely resolution of issues, continued product enhancement and a willingness to help. “I don’t know many companies that provide the kind of 24/7 support that Jonas does,” says Lomtadze-Dedina
Recently, Lomtadze-Dedina put Jonas to the test once again. “Early in 2007, I needed help from Jonas to develop custom union reporting, a customization process that would normally take about three months to complete,” she says. “The VP of Development understood our urgency around this issue and completed the programming within 30 days.”
Benefits for Stacey Electric
Although getting the support and training to improve her Jonas knowledge has been a big benefit to Lomtadze-Dedina, the software has delivered many benefits to Stacey Electric on a companywide level.
Jonas’ flexibility has made it a useful tool for a variety of users and each department has been able to customize the software for its specific needs. The payroll and human resources department, for example, found innovative ways to use the Canadian Payroll module. It uses the system to record and track employee details and runs reports based on specific criteria.
“All work orders are now processed through Service Billing,” explains Lomtadze-Dedina, “and the Purchasing department’s workflow processes have been enriched by the Procurement System.” The report generator allows custom reports to be created for upper management, with fields added or removed as needed. “Jonas gives management all the information they need.”
The ability within Jonas to set up personal preferences has helped speed adoption of the software. “You can easily customize things like font colors and sizes, favorites and notes,” says Lomtadze-Dedina, “which makes the system very user-friendly.”
Perhaps most importantly, integration between the various modules keeps the entire team on the same page. “Jonas’ flexibility and integration is the best I’ve seen,” states Lomtadze-Dedina. “The single data entry saves us so much time and eliminates the risk of human error.”
Looking Forward
The next step for Stacey Electric is to set up online reporting for their customers using the Jonas e-Service Portal. The company currently has all the tools in place to pursue this add-on functionality. And, while clients have been very pleased with the automated invoicing procedures that Jonas has brought to the table, Stacey Electric is also looking to set up direct deposit capability to simplify their payment process.
As for Lomtadze-Dedina, she will continue to improve her knowledge of Jonas by attending various training sessions – and continuing to lean on support. “Every time I contact support, I learn more about how much potential the system really has,” she concludes. “Jonas is such a great system; I rate it as the best among all comparable solutions.”