Action Equipment & Scaffold, Inc.

Action Equipment & Scaffolding is a family-owned business that has served the Phoenix area for more than 45 years. After years of renting scaffolding, they recently began to manufacture their own construction scaffolding.

“The system kicks out exactly what they want and everyone’s eyes light up. From a managerial standpoint, it is exactly what we need.”

This company has long known the value of computerized record keeping. Over 20 years ago, they began using an Olivetti system and more recently tried a popular retail accounting software package, but soon outgrew its capabilities.

Coming from a Flimsy Software Framework

Owner Howard Schapira began to search for an accounting package that would suit the unique needs of the scaffold rental industry. Howard’s search led him to purchase software from a start-up company with a reputation for understanding the rental industry.

According to Schapira, working with this small company’s customized software package was a disappointing and expensive experience. “It lasted about 17 days,” explains Schapira. “Before we realized it, the program was completely destroying our inventory numbers. So we pulled the plug and started another careful search.” “Once burned, twice cautious” was the theme behind Howard’s next search for the right accounting software solution.

ARM Provides a Solid Platform for Success

Schapira received a mailing about the Automated Rental Management (ARM) software from BCS ProSoft, and he called for more information. “I found out that BCS ProSoft had sold ARM to two other companies owned by friends of mine,” Schapira states, “so I got on a plane and flew to Chicago for a full day of watching one of my friends utilize ARM.”

Action Equipment & Scaffolding had specific needs in mind when they looked at the software. “I wanted to create the orders at the counter and let them follow through all the way to the end. I also wanted to perform sales order, order entry, returns and transfers—basically the whole operation— through the system,” says Schapira.

Schapira liked what he saw when he watched ARM in operation at his friend’s company. From there, he wanted to find out as much as possible about the product and its available support. “Having a dealer right here in Phoenix is a plus,” he says. “If my people have to spend their time solving problems with the software, the costs in loss of time alone can absolutely kill you. In addition, a big selling point is that the underlying accounting package is Sage 100 (formerly MAS 90) ERP, [which is] very popular and   widely used.”

As the number one mid-range accounting software, the award-winning core accounting capabilities of Sage 100 software set the standard for flexibility and ease of use. When Schapira selected the powerful software integrated with ARM’s full-featured rental management and accounting system, the result was a complete solution for his rental business.

Is Action Equipment & Scaffolding satisfied with the support for ARM? “The few problems we encountered were quickly rectified. BCS ProSoft has the ability to offer fixes that are downloadable from the Web. This feature allowed my team to quickly load the necessary information onto our server with minimal loss of time, and we were all taken care of. The people at BCS ProSoft were actually listening to our problems and reacting with solutions,” reasons Schapira.

What was the overall experience with ARM? “We can run inquiries, reports, and perform analysis work. My managers sometimes make requests like, ‘We would like to compile the information necessary to show the results of this activity,’ and I say, ‘Well, here’s how it’s done.’ The system kicks out exactly what they want and everyone’s eyes light up. From a managerial standpoint, it is exactly what we need,” continues Schapira. “That’s what is great about this solution— ARM and Sage 100 provide this very discerning, ‘twice cautious’ businessman with the perfect solution.”