Business Supplies, Tech, Interiors, & Print Group Enhances Customer Experience with EvolutionX & Punchout

A Journey of Growth

ACS Group (then ACS Business Supplies) started its online journey with a solution provided by a wholesaler. While it served its purpose, Operations Director Simon Walsh noticed that it wasn't capturing their customers' attention.

Simon was introduced to ES Tech Group's EvolutionX B2B eCommerce solution and was convinced almost immediately. 

Within a year or two our online presence had grown dramatically. We've surpassed £10 million with online business per year at the moment."

As ACS Group continued to grow, they began winning bids from huge accounts that required a way to purchase ACS Group products via their own eProcurement system.

At that point we were introduced to Jeremy Friedman and his team at Greenwing...it was much quicker, much more efficient [than our last punchout solution] and ever since then, we've been really happy with the output...for us it's kind of a marriage made in heaven - having the ES Tech solution but with a punchout solution integrated quite seamlessly into it as well."

A Punchout Provider That Lives and Breathes It

ES Tech Premier Partner Greenwing Technology has been helping B2B organizations develop punchout catalogs for over 15 years. With ACS Group's account contracts requiring implementation deadlines to be met, Simon and his team needed a true punchout partner...and that's what they got.

For me it's a case of any punchout provider that we use, they also have to kind of live and breathe it with us. Speaking to Jeremy for the first time, obviously, I could tell that there was a real energy about what he did but also what the business did."

ACS Group provided the first account to Greenwing for review. Simon was used to playing the middle man between other punchout implementation teams and the customer. Unfortunately, that method of project management caused important tasks to be lost in translation. But not with Greenwing.

Jeremy took hold of it and said 'Look, you give me the customer's details, I'll connect with them.' So now we can kind of leave it alone and know that it's in good hands and I think that's crucial for us. They'll literally take on that project and see it through to the end."

In addition to Greenwing handling the customer communication, the implementations have also been done with efficiency, meeting go-live deadlines and creating happy customers.

The Benefits of Punchout

Offering punchout to customers has many benefits. One major selling point for ACS Group is that their customers don't have to double enter an order into their own internal ERP system. Punchout helps avoid a redundant solution that customers don't want.

What punchout benefits and offers is the ability to connect to our catalog within their ERP system. And it means that the basket that they build can be brought back into their system and purchased through that."

Punchout also allows for products to be authorized and invoices to show inside of a customer's internal system. Those benefits are what Simon considers most important. 

It's totally about efficiencies and the experience for all the users within that system to be able to use it with ease."

Ease. Every customer's dream, especially larger companies that want to purchase through their own eProcurement systems. ACS Group implementing punchout is just another strategy they can employ to delight their customers.

We usually have a review at the start of each contract to see how things have gone. We've had no complaints but we've actually had a lot of positives about how easy the integration has been, how quick and efficient that it is as well. That's really put us on a good stead."

Because working with Greenwing has been so reliable, ACS Group now leverages punchout when making a contract bid. It's become one of their strengths. Simon and his team know that they can deliver with the help of Jeremy and his team.

I get people coming down to me from our contracts team and saying 'Simon, I've been asked if we can do this...' I've almost got a default response: 'Tell them yeah, that's fine. We'll find a solution for that.' So it offers us that peace of mind and makes us look more professional as a result."

A True Partnership

Simon admits that he's not one to pull punches - if there were any issues, he'd let the team know about it. But it's been smooth sailing for ACS Group.

I have such a good relationship with ES Tech and the relationship with Greenwing is growing day in and day on as well."

When it was time for Simon to turn over some eCommerce responsibilities to ACS Group's digital manager, the transition was made easier with the help of ES Tech and Greenwing. 

It was really important for me that ES Tech and Greenwing worked with her to make sure she had no knowledge gaps. She's found it really, really easy to work with the guys. They're working really hard with her to make sure she's in a spot where she's confident and comfortable as well."

To Simon, the relationship with ES Tech and Greenwing feels less like a business transaction and more like a partnership. He admits that the team has even stepped in to advise ACS Group on potential changes, giving an honest opinion that Simon appreciates.

It's very much like a big family sort of partnership. We're not seen as just another number on their list of customers. Each customer is given that special treatment."

So would Simon recommend ES Tech and Greenwing to other businesses?

I have on a number of occassions given a lot of testimonials out to customers. I've had prospective people speaking to me saying 'What do you think? I know you guys use ES Tech, how has it worked for you?' I've always given the good word. There's really nothing I can say against it. It just works for us and that's exactly what we need as a business."