Gallatin Steel Co., a steel manufacturer in Gallatin County, Ky., seeks to produce high-quality steel while tending to its social responsibilities. Started in 1995, the firm already has succeeded.
Two years ago, Gallatin earned QS 9000 certification, an international quality standard. Gallatin also experienced zero lost-time accidents during a period of more than two years. The company helps to reduce landfill waste by reprocessing 1 million tons of scrap steel annually. "We're basically a recycler," says Kirk Works, the firm's process manager of information systems. "We're very environmentally friendly."
According to Works, Gallatin streamlines in-house operations as well. The firm eliminates paper-based files for customer relationship management by using J.D. Edwards' OneWorld ERP software. Also, the firm recently partnered with Create!form International, a technology provider based in Waltham, Mass., to minimize its need for forms warehousing.
Works first heard of Create!form at a previous job. After viewing magazine ads about the company and attending a J.D. Edwards user conference, Works decided that Create!form's products would complement Gallatin's existing technologies. He also felt that Create!form would provide excellent customer service--a quality important in any vendor, he says. Other qualities that Works appreciates include company stability, quick responses and affordable prices. "The steel industry is going through some tough times, and it's a very competitive industry, so we have to be price-conscious," he says.
Gallatin started implementing Create!form's products in January 2001. Gallatin saves time and filing space by using the system's electronic faxing capability to send purchase order forms and shipping forms. For example, to send purchase orders, Gallatin simply gives the Create!form system the command to send. The system automatically retrieves pertinent information, splits it according to which vendor or department needs it, and electronically faxes the forms.
Gallatin also uses the system's positive pay functions to prevent check fraud. (Positive pay requires banks to verify the accuracy of checks before cashing them.) In August 2001, Gallatin started a trial period of scanning invoices it receives from vendors. "That's working well," Works says. "However, we still maintain and file the hard copy during the trial period." Gallatin is in the process of transitioning its accounts receivable statements and delinquency notices to the system.
Works says Create!form has saved Gallatin time and money. He especially appreciates that the system allows him to change documents quickly. "We were able to change the address on our forms in just five minutes," he says. "We also added a message on our accounts payable checks in reference to our tax status."
When Gallatin needs hard copies of printed products, it usually produces them in house on laser printers. (Exceptions include a few marketing materials and ad specialties, such as camping chairs, which the firm's HR department purchases.) Gallatin uses a laser label printer in its shipping department and plans to add one in its receiving department as well. The company buys stock copy paper from Office Depot to print and mail invoices. Gallatin also purchases stock check paper from FTInc., a Salt Lake City-based distributorship that partners with Create!form and focuses exclusively on checks and security features. Unlike many manufacturing end users, Gallatin has never used "old-fashioned" multipart forms, Works says.
Works' wish list for the future includes check stock with a wider variety of security features. Also, while Gallatin already provides ways for customers to check the statuses of their orders online, the company is considering online functions for its vendors. "We're pretty high-tech on most of the things that we do," Works says. "We'd like to go paperless."
—Rita Tiefert
Gallatin Steel Co., a steel manufacturer in Gallatin County, Ky., uses the Create!form electronic document management system to automatically sort and electronically fax its purchase orders.
