Datix: the leader in enterprise software consulting for over 20 years

With all our offerings as well as our status as an Epicor Gold Partner, we’ve become a leading consulting firm in the U.S.

Busy manufacturers and distributors don’t have time to go to multiple software consulting firms to get all the different platforms and services they need to drive business growth. With Datix, these companies can get the software solutions they need and experts who understand their business in one place. For over 20 years, Datix has been committed to providing all-inclusive software services and solutions from start to finish. Their certified consultants are skilled in offering software for discrete manufacturers and value-added distributors in the midmarket.

Our conversation with CEO Matt Schuval

Datix was founded in 1997. How has it grown since then?

From the beginning, our vision has been to serve as a one-stop shop for manufacturing and distribution software. Since our early years as a modest company with one location in St. Louis, we’ve expanded into several states and served clients large and small around the globe.

Over the years, Datix has also added a large number of software solutions. Last year, we brought Microsoft Azure hosting, Jet Analytics and EverSafe! backup and disaster recovery under our umbrella. With all our offerings as well as our status as an Epicor Gold Partner, we’ve become a leading consulting firm in the U.S.

But as we’ve grown, we’ve never lost sight of what midmarket manufacturers and distributors need to succeed. Everything we do is in service of our clients. Our experts do whatever it takes to transform businesses through software.

What products and services do you offer?

Datix only works with the best vendors. We’re an Epicor Gold Partner, as well as the only consulting firm that is a certified partner of Epicor, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and Salesforce. This makes us leaders in ERP and CRM consulting. These vendors are industry powerhouses that have been proven to deliver manufacturing and distribution improvements. Additionally, we provide Microsoft Azure cloud hosting, BI functionality and comprehensive backup and disaster recovery to ensure our clients are maximizing the value of their solutions.

Unity is the most reliable integration application on the market. It is designed to integrate Epicor with CRM, eCommerce or Marketing Automation systems. Most API integration platforms require coding, mapping and error handling that many businesses just can’t manage. Unity is the only pre-built integration solution that can be rapidly installed and fully managed by our consultants without any coding on the client’s end.

Why was the company established?

St. Louis has long been a bustling hub for manufacturing and distribution, but our city didn’t have local software consulting firms and providers to meet their technology demands. Our mission was to fill this gap, so we brought together some IT experts from different industrial sectors to deliver ERP and CRM solutions that maximized the value of enterprise data. It’s been exciting to see organizations in our own community leverage our solutions and services to transform their operations. As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to provide even more offerings to global locations.

Help us understand today’s market.

The ERP market is continuing its growth trajectory, with North America and the manufacturing industry having the highest adoption rates. One of the most radical shifts in the market is increasing adoption from small to midsize businesses. More ERP vendors are developing solutions geared towards SMBs, leveraging cloud computing to provide greater simplicity and affordability. Additionally, Tier II and Tier III ERP vendors are growing more sophisticated, helping SMBs gain the same level of functionality as Fortune 500 companies. This change in the market empowers smaller companies to compete with enterprises of all sizes.

Where is your organization positioned in the present market?

Datix is primed to continue leading the way in the enterprise software consulting market.

Epicor is a Tier II ERP vendor that continues adding new features and optimizing the user experience. For example, AI and IoT tools in the latest version of Epicor 10 improve accessibility to insights and data analytics. This means that Epicor is meeting the needs of SMBs, providing advanced capabilities in a more flexible and cost-effective platform than Oracle and other Tier I vendors.

Our consultants also have a deep understanding of what SMBs need from an ERP partner. These organizations often lack IT resources and personnel but still require robust features to manage complex processes. We’re able to manage projects, meet budget requirements, train users and provide end-to-end support to give each company valuable solutions.

What are some challenges that your clients face?

A common pain point across manufacturing and distribution verticals is poor visibility. Getting the information needed to complete a sale or process an order often requires shuffling through mounds of paperwork or several Excel spreadsheets. Managing data and processes with disjointed

documents and applications is a recipe for inefficiency and errors. With supply chains growing increasingly complex and customer expectations on the rise, lack of visibility is more detrimental than ever to achieving business growth.

Datix specializes in fully integrated solutions that give clients a complete view of their enterprises. Epicor, for example, includes global management tools which enable administrators to view operations across multiple locations. Jet Analytics integrates seamlessly with Epicor to provide a comprehensive data warehouse and BI solution to serve as a single hub for enterprise insights. Our Unity integration platform enables users to gain all the information they need from one system. We’re increasingly finding ways to improve enterprise visibility to help our clients streamline their operations.

How are you different from your competitors?

The breadth of our knowledge and our dedication to our clients is what sets us apart. Too many consultants rush into a project without getting to the heart of what the client wants out of the software and leave immediately when the system is installed. That’s not how we do things here. We go above and beyond implementations, providing training, upgrades, support, customization and anything else that our clients need to enjoy the full value of their investment.

Who are some of your biggest clients? In which vertical do you see the most traction?

We serve several discrete manufacturing and value-added distribution verticals, including automotive, aerospace and defense, fabricated metals and industrial machinery. One of our biggest clients is YETI Coolers, who came to us to integrate Epicor 10 and Salesforce. Prior to working with us, they experienced a high rate of errors. Unity enabled them to transfer over 10,000 documents a day and gave users real-time information in one system.

Additionally, we’ve worked with Midwest Cooling Towers, which specializes in cooling tower construction, parts, service and repair. They weren’t having luck with other Epicor partners, so

they turned to Datix to customize their Epicor 10 solution. We made improvements to their accounting and operations features. Plus, we developed a solution that enabled them to bundle their shipments and increase inventory visibility. Midwest Cooling Towers kept working with us to upgrade and continue improving their software.

Tell us one of your success stories.

Hayward Tyler is an electric motors and pumps manufacturer that struggled for about two years to integrate their ERP and CRM software. Our certified consultants swooped in to rescue the project, using Unity to integrate Epicor with Salesforce. Unity facilitated two-way data transfers to ensure each employee had access to the right information in the right system, improving visibility and accuracy. We continued providing support and enhancements through our Continuous Improvement Plan, or CIP. Hayward Tyler was thrilled that we saved their investment and helped them quickly get back on track to grow their business.

What are your future plans?

Enterprise technology never stops moving, so neither will we. Datix continues to add more certified professionals, cutting-edge solutions and quality services to help our clients face whatever is next in manufacturing and distribution. This year, we’ll be debuting Unity 2.0, which includes greater error handling capabilities and utilizes RESTful API to provide even smoother Epicor integrations. Our developers will keep optimizing and designing solutions to capitalize on the latest technology and serve clients.

Satisfied customers

 “I’m not exaggerating when I say that Datix saved our Salesforce implementation and integration project. . . . We simply don’t know what we would’ve done without the help of Datix.”

-Larry Jacobs, VP of Sales and Marketing at Hayward Tyler

“As advertised, Datix’s Unity solution successfully integrated our Epicor 10 instance with Magento eCommerce. We couldn’t be happier with the results.”

-Nathan Garden, Assistant General Manager for Versa-Tags, Inc

This year, we’ll be debuting Unity 2.0, which includes greater error handling capabilities and utilizes RESTful API to provide even smoother Epicor integrations.

"From start to finish, the expert consultants at Datix understand your business needs and execute software solutions that work."

Matt Schuval, Chief Executive Officer

As the CEO of Datix, Matt is a thought leader in the ERP community and President of the Epicor Partner Council. He has a strong industry background that has allowed him to transform Datix into one of the top enterprise software consulting firms in the United States.

One-stop shop for ERP, CRM, eCommerce, integration, BI, cloud hosting and disaster recovery solutions.