Like many growing companies, PML Sound was working hard to meet customer needs with the tools it had. Over time, however, their legacy processes couldn’t keep pace with their expanding order volume and the increasingly high standards of their retail customers.
This perspective, shared by PML Sound’s Director of Information Systems, captured the driving force behind their decision to pursue change. order volume and the increasingly high standards of their retail customers.
Manual processes, while reliable for a smaller workload, began to create extra steps, leading to slower fulfillment, occasional order inaccuracies, and the occasional chargeback. For a mid-sized manufacturer in the audio industry, where accuracy and timeliness are essential, it became clear that a modern EDI solution could open the door to new efficiencies.
"We knew there was room for improvement. Partnering with big box stores and manually entering orders and verifying shipments, then manually reporting back what could be fulfilled, was incredibly time-consuming. The order process each day took about 5 hours. Verifying shipments manually took time away from other important work." This perspective, shared by PML Sound’s Director of Information Systems, captured the driving force behind their decision to pursue change.
The Challenge
Before working with SPS and Encompass Solutions, PML Sound was doing what many companies in their position do: making the best of a system that was originally chosen for ERP compatibility, but wasn’t designed for the level of automation and integration they now needed.
Their challenges included:
- Significant time spent on manual data entry, three to five hours a day for a single employee.
- Inaccuracies in ASNs that, while not constant, did sometimes lead to chargebacks.
- Complex EDI 940/945 processing that could cause inventory discrepancies and customer impact.
To their credit, PML Sound had already taken steps toward improvement before switching to EnTrust EDI. This allowed both teams to understand the company’s exact requirements better and to identify the kind of custom enhancements that would truly make a difference.
The Customization
PML Sound needed a solution tailored to their high transaction volume and specific workflows. A key part of their success came from collaboration between their own talented staff and the Entrust development team, who were willing to learn their operations inside and out and use that knowledge to optimize the Entrust product for PML.
Together, we:
- Upgraded older software to Entrust, which optimized processing code, cutting file times from five to seven minutes to under one minute
- Streamlined integrations for smoother data flow across systems
- Implemented automated notifications to make order desk tasks simpler and reduce the need for technical support
These enhancements meant fewer delays, faster problem resolution (often before a customer even noticed), and a system that could finally keep up with the company’s pace.
Operational Benefits
The results were significant:
- Order accuracy improved to over 98% by reducing manual data entry and human error.
- Chargebacks decreased, improving customer relationships and profitability.
- Inventory visibility increased, reducing out-of-stocks and speeding order fulfillment.
- Employee satisfaction rose as staff could focus on higher-value tasks rather than repetitive data entry.
- Scalability increased, allowing the onboarding of new business entities without overwhelming the team.
- Ability to adapt to vendor requirements quickly, specifically adding in the SSCC and the 855 documents.
As one PML Sound leader put it:
"Transactions now flow quickly, and EDI has saved hours per week for our organization."
A True Partnership
What made this transformation work was collaboration. PML Sound brought deep operational knowledge and a commitment to improving its processes. Encompass Solutions provided the customization, technical expertise, and industry-specific insight needed to make the most of EDI.
Along the way, both sides learned. We improved our own processes for communication and customer support, while PML Sound gained a clearer vision of how automation could enhance their business.
Lessons Learned
For other companies considering a similar change, PML Sound’s journey offers valuable takeaways:
- Audit your current processes to understand where the bottlenecks are.
- Be clear about your must-haves before choosing a vendor.
- Look for industry-specific experience in your EDI partner.
- View EDI as part of a bigger efficiency strategy, not just a tool.
If your systems are starting to hold you back, even if they’ve served you well for years, the right EDI solution can help you move from keeping up to staying ahead.
