Bunning Transfer Company Part 2 - Rock Springs, Wyoming

Andy, is your company using any of Axon’s EDI, Fuel Downloads, or Web Access tools?
“We do the fuel downloads from both Comdata and EFS, and that has been working exceptionally well. Previously we struggled to keep up on our IFTA reporting because often we had jobs that would last five, six, seven months, and sometimes the paperwork coming in from the field wasn’t on time. So we were doing a lot of amended returns and that kind of thing.

“Now, being able to get the fuel information and apply it to a job that is open and in the system has been just a phenomenal experience.

“We are also using Web Access, and our customers love that. As a matter of fact, we’ve had a couple of customers comment that they thought we were the best for the job before, but now with the Web Access — the ability to see not only loads that are in transit but also look at invoices and place orders — moved us to Best in Class in their eyes.

“They are actually seeing some savings as well, which of course in this current economy is extremely valuable to them, and it allows us to proactively go out and either give customers a lower rate or help justify the rate that we do have in their eyes.

“They’re seeing it as a benefit to them, so that’s just another thing that Axon has done to help us.

“Another major benefit for us is Axon’s warehousing application. We have two pipe yards that handle hundreds of thousands of pieces of casing and tubing in a month. The ability to track that, in a way that gives some transparency so our customers can see what we’re doing, has been great too.”

Has the Axon system helped your employee morale?
“Yes, it really has. Two years ago our system was largely pen and paper, and we would have to get through one process before we could go to another. We had an awful lot of times when an employee was waiting on another employee to get their job done.

“We’re a family-owned business, and we are a pretty tight-knit group here. When you want to go to lunch or you have to pick your kid up from school and you’re waiting on another employee to get their paperwork done, that can breed a little bit of animosity.

“Now they can work on stuff together, and it really has enhanced that teamwork approach.

“I’ve also found that people are more willing to learn other jobs as well, where before they had just enough time to get their own job done. They never wanted to take the risk of learning something else for fear that maybe they’d actually have to stay to do that other job.

“Now they’re getting their jobs done, and they’re looking at the opportunity to learn a new job so that they can keep busy, so they can continue to work. They’re excited about learning new things in the system and doing other things within the company as well.”

Do you use Axon’s document imaging?
“We do, and it’s a huge time saver for us. In the past, we would take a paper invoice, make four photocopies of the bills of lading and the other supporting documentation. That would go to billing, to payroll, to accounts receivable, and to our licensing and logistics department.

“Those documents would get filed, and then, if anybody ever had any questions about them, they would need to go through that paperwork. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of pieces of paper.

“Now we’re able to take one piece of paper and put all of the supporting documents with it, scan it into one central location, and flag that document so that whoever needs access to it can get access to it but still maintain the security where people can’t edit it or delete it.

“It’s safe. It’s secure. It’s cost and time saving. It’s another reason why I decided on Axon, and it’s been fantastic.

“We’re able to email that documentation or, even better, give customers access to it through the web access portal. That allows our customers to pay quickly. They have the supporting documents, and they’re able to do their jobs better because we’re able to do our job better.

“Before we started with Axon, the time between when the job was completed and when we actually got paid for it was over 60 days on average. Now, our Receivables are collected in less than 12 days on average.

“It’s amazing. It’s an 80% reduction in turn-around time and, as anybody who runs a business knows, having that cash flow is vital to a business.”

Andy, you’ve been involved in a number of software implementations in the past. How would you compare Axon’s support to what you’ve encountered in other situations?
“A lot of times when you’re dealing with a software company, they have people that understand the software, and that’s all that they understand. If you start asking them how business practices or procedures apply, they start scratching their heads and say, ‘Well, I’m not an accountant,’ or ‘I’m not a tax guy,’ or ‘I’m not a whatever.’

“Axon’s staff has been unique in their understanding of business practices and procedures, their ability to understand accounting, their ability to understand what we need to file as far as our taxes and our IFTA and all of those kinds of things. They have a lot of experience and they have a lot of expertise in those areas; and they know how that applies from our business to your software.

“It’s been great to work with them because almost before I get a question out of my mouth, they already know the answer and, if that’s not the case, I know that I will get an answer within 24 hours.”

What would you say to someone else in your industry who is hesitating to invest in Axon?
“I would say to that person that if you are looking at pricing, if you buy a piece of software that is less expensive than Axon – I looked at dozens of them – you’re going to run into problems because it won’t do everything you want it to do, and then you’re going to have to buy and integrate other software to try to bring it up to Axon’s all-inclusive level.

“I would also say that, from our experience, if you truly look at the places where you save time and money and are able to go and do other things like collect on bad debt, you will see a return on investment in six months or less. I would say ‘Do it!’ because you’ll save money, and then after that, you’re going to make money with this software program.

“I think if you take an honest look at it, you’ll find that what Axon offers is head and shoulders above everything else on the market. The ease of use, the way that it was designed with the end user in mind, I think has been phenomenal, and I would highly recommend the software to anyone that’s looking at it.”

“It Was a No-Brainer for Us to Go with Axon” Part 2