About the company
Falcon Technologies, Inc. (FTI) is the Midwest's leading distributor of data and telecommunications products. Located in St. Louis and Laddonia, Missouri, FTI began by providing custom cable assemblies for the industrial, commercial, and data communications markets. The company expanded its offerings to include a full line of computer network infrastructure products ranging from cables and connectors to racks, cabinets, test equipment, tooling, and power protection devices. The company’s mission is to focus on total customer satisfaction: not only meeting customer needs, but offering convenience, a wide selection of products, accuracy and speed in processing orders, and expert support before and after the sale. To learn more about FTI, visit www.falcontech.com

Setting the strategy
After several years in the business, FTI's management team recognized that its legacy accounting system was no longer adequate for managing its rapidly growing business. Lacking distribution-critical functionality such as usage histories, suggested purchase orders, and turnover reports, FTI understood the benefits of implementing an industry-specific solution. Its objectives were to help the company significantly raise productivity levels and lower costs.

Steve Frayn, controller at FTI, surveyed the company’s department managers to identify their requirements and match them with software solutions. After evaluating their responses, Frayn winnowed the solution supplier list because many could not meet FTI’s exacting requirements. The few remaining competitors provided product demonstrations and discussed how their solutions could benefit FTI.