Sterling Boiler & Mechanical

Clearing the way for growth

Background

Sterling Boiler & Mechanical, Inc. is one of the top specialty contractors in the United States. They provide a full range of services for construction and maintenance projects in the industrial and power generation sectors. Their service area is focused on the tri-state area of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky but has steadily grown to include the Eastern half of the United States.

• headquartered in Evansville, IN
• in business for 30 years

Challenge

Sterling Boiler sought a vendor to help make their Accounts Payable process more manageable. As the company grew they were becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of paper they were generating, filing and storing. It was also becoming very difficult to track accounting issues through the paper-based files. They knew digital imaging services existed and were hoping to find a company that could handle their issues and continue automating processes to handle more growth. They found Imaging Office Systems and felt their strong customer references and depth of experience would best serve their needs.

• Concerned about storage requirements for accounting records
• Needed a partner who could handle the unique aspects of their industry
• Looking to automate a paper-based process and implement more controls over the entire system

Solution

Imaging Office Systems didn’t start with special technology; they started the project the way they always do – by really getting to know the business process inside and out. This knowledge allowed the IOS team to write custom integration programs and workflows that made a positive impact on the way Sterling Boiler does business. 

The Enterprise Content Management solution did everything Sterling Boiler was searching for and more. Now as soon as invoices are received they are scanned into the system. The Document Imaging Solution holds a copy and integrates it with the accounting system so that as soon as a person creates an invoice record, the scanned image is attached to that record for easy tracking. Upon payment, the check and original purchase order are also digitally captured and attached to the invoice record. 

• Reliable, tested system that is flexible enough to be customized when needed
• Purchased primarily for storage capabilities but the tracking and retrieval options have proven to be a huge asset – particularly across job sites and departments

The Bottom Line

• When originally implemented Sterling Boiler was almost out of storage space. Since implementation the company has grown fivefold yet now has excess storage.
• 30 people use it regularly and the system continues to expand – nearly 80% of business records now go through the IOS process at some point.
• Exceptional response time when issues arise.
• Proactive on maintenance and upgrade schedules.
• IOS can handle growth and company evolution.