Susquehanna-Pfaltzgraff
Partnership in Action

by
Marketing Communications Staff
ACUMEN Corporation

 

While SPC is a highly diverse organization, shoppers in the United States and Canada will no doubt immediately recognize the Pfaltzgraff name from the displays of their first class products in malls and specialty stores.   Pfaltzgraff is not only the oldest part of Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff, it is the oldest pottery manufacturing company in the U.S..   With a strong emphasis on design, quality and customer service, Pfaltzgraff is a leading American manufacturer of ceramic dinnerware and related tabletop products.

In addition to the Pfaltzgraff manufacturing operation, Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff Co. includes Susquehanna Radio Corp., one of the ten largest radio broadcasting companies in the United States, Susquehanna Communications, which owns and operates cable television systems in five states; and BlazeNet, a York-based Internet Service Provider.   A highly diverse environment to be sure... but one that is managed with a commitment to stockholder value, employee development and community involvement.

ACUMEN Corporation's management and consulting team got to know many of professionals at Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff over the course of several months as they completed the process of selecting new corporate accounting software.   Ultimately OpenAccounts was selected and recently went live on time and on budget.   During our frequent meetings and discussions, it became very clear that the folks at Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff were the type of people with whom we enjoy doing business.   We found them fair, honest, committed and willing to make each meeting or phone call a win-win situation.

One of the key decision makers at SPC is Mr. Eric Linde, Vice President and Corporate Controller.   What follows is an interview with Mr. Linde held at is offices at the SPC headquarters in York.

ACUMEN: Ultimately, from a product standpoint, what turned the tide and caused you to select OpenAccounts? Mr. Linde: It was clear to us that OpenAccounts was designed for the needs of mid-sized to large enterprises.   Certainly it offers the robust functionality and scalability needed in companies like ours, but we were also taken by a user interface that I would call "elegantly simple".   In other words, OpenAccounts obviously put a great deal of thought into design and navigation from a users perspective... the screens are not overly busy, the processes are logically grouped and clear. We were also drawn to the architecture chosen for the product.   Progress is a robust and low maintenance relational database.   One of our criteria for selection was that we could avoid hiring a database administrator.   Progress gave us that freedom.   We also think that the way OpenAccounts uses the Progress environment adds to its long-term viability as an application.   In other words, they reach down into the Progress tool set and use it to its fullest extent. ACUMEN: Anything else? Mr. Linde: When we began looking for a solution we wanted to be certain that the developer we selected had a strategy to utilize the web.   It became clear to us the OpenAccounts had thought that through, they had a Web strategy and target release dates.   That was another indication that we could rely on the application for a five to seven year timeframe. ACUMEN: What one thing would you point to as a differentiator in the OpenAccounts product? Mr. Linde: One of the items most appealing to us is the flexibility that they have built into the product with the cost and expense code structures.   Susquehanna is about to implement a "reporting" company that will gather all of the general ledger accounts from all of its corporate entities into one corporate tax and accounting datamart. One of the greatest challenges behind corporate accounting at Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff is to integrate financial information received from a number of different accounting systems that are used by their different corporate entities.   These entities are diverse since Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff's subsidiaries operate numerous radio stations, manufactures earthen dinnerware and operates a direct marketing business.   The flexibility of the OpenAccounts cost and expense code structure will allow SPC to import all of the accounts from each division. By utilizing the cost and expense code structure, SPC can import all of the general ledger account balances from each SPC division using that division's chart of accounts.   Then, the accounting and tax staff can use the drill-down features in OpenAccounts to analyze each division's financial activity without having to migrate to that entity's accounting system. In other words, the coding structure offered by OpenAccounts easily accommodates our diversity and reporting needs. ACUMEN: Would you recommend OpenAccounts to other companies? Mr. Linde: Of course, particularly multi-faceted and diverse companies like ours.   I would also recommend OpenAccounts if your enterprise system is relatively inflexible in the financial reporting area.   The OpenLink toolkit (that allows for seamless integration to legacy systems) sets OpenAccounts apart as a viable best of breed solution, regardless of your industry.   I would also have to say that, if you're using Microsoft Office tools, you'll absolutely love Executive Desktop Reporting (EDR).   EDR's use of Excel is unique and very practical. ACUMEN: Would you say that ACUMEN Corporation lived up to your expectations? Mr. Linde: No doubt about it.   We select a new system based 50% on product and 50% on a company's ability to properly implement the product.   During the selection process we felt the people from ACUMEN really worked hard to understand our needs and recommend certain courses of action.   We were impressed enough to actually engage them to help us work through some of our process issues even before we finally agreed to purchase OpenAccounts. ACUMEN: Would you recommend that pre-sale engagement to others? Mr. Linde: We were committed to making a good decision, and a pre-sale engagement allowed us to better evaluate the product in our circumstances and also evaluate the people who would help us install the product.   That few days of working together solidified our feeling that ACUMEN could really make a difference for SPC during and after the implementation.   By the time we began conference room pilots, the ACUMEN team already knew a great deal about the nuances of our business.   So if you want the comfort of a working relationship even before you commit to the overall project, a pre-sale engagement is a cost effective way to get started. ACUMEN: Were you happy with your project team? Mr. Linde: Absolutely.  They're all top professionals with certifications to prove it.   Even now when we call ACUMEN to ask a question, it's as if the consultants are an extension of our team.   They give us an answer in SPC terms.   And trust me, they know OpenAccounts inside and out. By the way, I've implemented several systems during my career.   My experience tells me that many professional services firms are either great software implementers or great project managers.   ACUMEN has the whole package. ACUMEN: What one thing differentiates ACUMEN Corporation from other consultants and software implementers? Mr. Linde: If I were restricted to one thing I would say they are a champion for the process.   In other words, ACUMEN is extremely committed to project success (more than even some users) and they are willing to push the client when necessary to help insure success.   It might sound cliché, but they take ownership.   I remember ACUMEN CEO Phil Perkins telling me before the project to be prepared for his team to state their opinion and take corrective action if the project were in jeopardy.   I would go a bit further and say that the project team at ACUMEN is willing to challenge and be challenged, but that makes for a rewarding and successful implementation and partnership.