The same can be said for software systems. If they’re written in old code, they can’t easily evolve with the times.

"It would be like building a house on an old foundation," says Dean Cooper, vice president of sales and marketing at Enmark Systems Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich. "As you build this new house, you add weight in areas that normally aren’t supposed to bear the weight, and the house starts to crumble after a few years."

This does not apply to Eniteo, a software program developed by Enmark. The system was written from the ground floor using Microsoft’s .Net framework, which is an industry standard.

  Cooper says Eniteo’s ease of use contributes to the growth and productivity of metal service centers that incorporate it.

"We ensured a strong base for this product, and as we built on it, it has become stronger," he says.

All for one and one for all
John Bilek, president of Enmark, says the company has enjoyed 25-plus years of success creating software geared specifically toward metal service centers.

"Eniteo is totally different from anything in the past," he says. "Development is a team-based approach. There’s the networking portion, there’s the design portion and the customer needs portion. There’s a lot going on with the development of code unlike ever before."

In addition to Enmark’s subscription-based, advanced Windows software, Eniteo’s hosted solution can be accessed from any secured Internet connection in the world. This eliminates the need for network hardware.

Enmark’s technical development teams are continuously enhancing Eniteo for the way the metals industry does business. These additions and technological advances are applied and updated on a regular release schedule at no additional cost.

Getting down to business
Eniteo encompasses the entire environment of a metals service center, including the accounting department and back-office operations, according to Bilek.

  Additionally, Eniteo helps streamline document management. This, in turn, helps facilitate a paperless environment.

"If you did a study on service centers, you’d find the easiest place to cut costs right now is on stamps and forms," says Bilek. "Sending 1,000 invoices a month--each with a 44-cent stamp--on top of envelopes and staff salary all adds up. With this powerful software system, invoices and material test reports are sent directly to the customers at a click of a button."

  Forward thinking
Whenever Enmark releases a new feature for Eniteo, the entire community that uses the software receives it. One of the most recent examples uses bar code-scanning technology, which Bilek says will increase efficiency of shipping.

"Our customers with bar code-scanning have a Wi-Fi network on the shop floor, with all workers carrying scanners," he says. "When assembling a load, they simply scan the items ready to ship, which automatically creates a shipper. By using Eniteo scanning technology, the load is queued for the truck, and material is identified to be invoiced."

  As Enmark’s development department strengthens Eniteo with new features, customers see increased efficiency, which is the reason for Enmark’s growth, according to Cooper.

  "The success of the software comes from adding features over time and updating every user," he says. Enmark offers additional support for its customers who are striving to integrate 21st-century technology into their service center. Enmark staff includes Microsoft-certified engineers and a complete software development and support team.

"Eniteo is a product that can grow your business dramatically," says Bilek. "Its Windows-based simplicity moves our customers to that next level of productivity." MM