Testimonial: Golden Link

Golden Link, a commodity exporter, located in Washingtonville, NY is the critical link between US manufacturers and many international theaters. Golden Link provides manufacturers of concessionary supplies with an additional distribution channel to Europe and Asia. When Golden Link takes an order from a theater, the required products often come from a large number of manufacturers. The purchased products are transported to their consolidation facility, and then combined and shipped to the ultimate destination.

Jeff Waaland founded Golden Link in 1997. He started up without a computer system to support order processing. As his business grew, order processing became a significant problem. Jeff determined he needed a productivity boost that only a computer system could give him. He started looking for an application. “I made the same mistake many small business owners make. First, I bought a large accounting system that was supposed to be able to support all my business needs,” Jeff said. “When we were partially implemented, it became clear that the accounting system was very good at counting money, but not very effective at supporting the operational side of the business.”

Jeff scuttled this initial implementation and started searching for a system that would support his business. As Jeff said, “I needed a system that would allow me to quickly take orders, eliminate a lot of the clerical effort to accurately price and source, and in the end, help me make money not just count it.” Jeff was also looking for a system that could grow with his business and allow him to implement the functions he thought were important, as his business grew.

Jeff finally selected a manufacturing resource planning system, Resource Planner, by ADAKsystems. Jeff realized that his business required much of the same planning and coordinating efficiencies that manufacturers needed. Furthermore, he was impressed with the flexibility of the system and the ability to make local modifications to support some of his unique requirements. Golden Link started implementing Resource Planner in late December 2001. By January 2002 they were providing quotes, taking orders, sourcing goods, tracking the status of their orders, and upon shipment sending out invoices. Jeff commented, “Resource Planner took us out of the dark ages and into the current century in just a couple of months.”
Julieta Salas, Golden Link’s customer service manager, commented, “We have improved our customer service by being able to quickly accept orders, send back acknowledgements, and clarify any misunderstandings. This is very important when working with customers in different countries, in different time-zones, and speaking different languages.”

Rob Rubin, Golden Link’s logistics manager, commented, “The new system enables us to prepare our export documentation both accurately and efficiently, which is key to ensure our customers can clear their cargo quickly upon arrival at the overseas port.”

Jeff plans to continue implementing new functions in Resource Planner as his business evolves and grows. Jeff stated, “We will be able to double our sales volume without additional staff.” Now that his operations are under control, Jeff is looking to expand his marketing and sales efforts and take more US goods to his international customers.

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