T.L. Ashford & Associates626 Buttermilk PikeCrescent Springs, KY 41017

www.tlashford.com800-541-4893

Case

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dyCheck Please: Robbins Flooring Optimizes Barcode400 for Check PrintingRobbins Inc. is the premier supplier of high performance sports �oors for the NBA, WNBA, NCAA, large arenas, �tness facilities and more. Robbins is located in Cincinnati with manufac-turing facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. And while providing basketball courts for 21 of the last 25 NBA Champions sounds glamorous, Robbins has to pay its bills just like everyone else.

Robbins was using legacy check printing software that was integrated into their ERP LX (formerly BPCS) application system. When the team at Robbins decided it was time to upgrade their IBM i OS level to V6r1, there was no upgrade available for the checking printing software. So they had to go shopping.

The requirements for the replacement software were that it utilize data from their existing �les, integrate into the ERP LX system, preferably print to their existing HP printer using a MICR toner cartridge, and they wanted the application to remain on the IBM i. Chuck Fieger, the project manager for implementing the new check software said, “We de�nitely wanted to stay on the System i (IBM i). We could have uploaded and downloaded �les, but that wouldn’t have been as e�cient.”

Robbins started exploring their options. They considered several check printing solutions. The cost for acquiring these solutions was going to exceed $5000 for the software alone, and implementation and integration would drive the cost up even more.

While visiting the IBM COMMON User Conference, the team from Robbins stopped to visit the TL Ashford exhibit. TL Ashford is the supplier of Barcode400 Labeling Software for the IBM i. The labeling software generates bar coded labels directly from the IBM i and prints those labels to a multitude of supported printers connected to the IBM i. While most bar code labels are generated to thermal transfer printers, Barcode400 now supports HP and compati-ble laser printer models.

Robbins is a long time customer of TL Ashford. In fact, Robbins currently applies bar code labels generated from the Barcode400 software to every item in their inventory, from raw to �nished wood and every piece of material necessary to build an NBA-caliber basketball court. The bar code labeling software is integrated with their ERP LX system so that the bar code label printing is completely automated.

The conversation went directly to printing checks on Robbins’ existing HP printers. TL Ashford assured Robbins that the Barcode400 software was capable of printing the checks to the HP printers, and better yet, the technology was already part of the Barcode400 applica-tion that Robbins uses. There would be no software costs involved, only time to integrate into the ERP LX system. And since Robbins had already integrated Barcode400 into their invento-ry control process, and were familiar with the process, integrating Barcode400 would be a snap.

Within a week, Robbins had designed a check format within the Barcode400 application and integrated the printing of the checks into the ERP LX software. The format utilizes �elds from an IBM i �le, such as Vendor name and number, payment date, invoice numbers to be paid, transit numbers, account numbers, check amounts and so on. A program reads the check �le and generates a check for each record that requires payment. In some cases, several invoices are paid with a single check, and the invoice information is listed on the “stub” portion of the check to make easy reading for the vendor. Mr. Fieger said, “We could have paid thousands for a new product. Instead, we implemented a perfect solution at no cost but our time.”

Realizing that their existing Barcode400 software supports printing to HP and compatible printers, and the promise it holds, Mr. Fieger said, “I don’t see any reason we won’t start to convert our PO’s and invoices over to the Barcode400 software.” In an ironic twist, the software maintenance for the Barcode400 software was due soon after the imple-mentation. Mr. Fieger said, “We paid our maintenance with a check generated from the TL Ashford software, and it’s worth every penny!”

2013