James Hardie Enhances Sales Order Processing with Esker DeliveryWare

MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Esker, the leader in document process automation solutions, today announced that James Hardie Building Products, world leader in fiber cement siding and backerboard, has chosen Esker DeliveryWare for automated processing of incoming sales orders. James Hardie is implementing Esker DeliveryWare in a phased approach to integrate with the company’s SAP solution for increased speed and accuracy in order fulfillment.

“Based on the success of our proof of concept, we expect to achieve 90-plus percent automated order entry with Esker DeliveryWare,” said Shelley Wolfe, Director of Business Systems at James Hardie. “We’re projecting increases in accuracy and on-time shipments as well as reduction of mis-shipments and time to respond to customer inquiries. These outcomes will allow us to service increasing volume and increasingly complex orders without additional headcount in Customer Service, which is particularly beneficial with our ColorPlus products because those orders typically are at least 10 lines each.”

After its experience using an Esker solution to automate fax delivery, James Hardie selected Esker DeliveryWare to automate the capture, processing and indexing of thousands of orders per month received by fax and email. Esker DeliveryWare complements the company’s SAP solution by integrating document automation without disrupting the company’s existing business processes or requiring application-level programming. Images of the original order documents are automatically attached to the SAP transaction, making information readily available for reference.

“For a company like James Hardie that ships large orders of material by the truckload, it can be incredibly expensive if an order is returned for any reason,” said Steve Smith, VP of Sales and Marketing at Esker. “Along with taking keystrokes and manual filing out of the process, Esker DeliveryWare provides multiple-pass order validation capabilities that help to virtually eliminate errors that might cause returns. And when a customer has questions about an order, reps have the answers at their fingertips.”

About James Hardie

James Hardie Building Products Inc. is committed to helping builders by providing innovative solutions that can increase the value of a home. As the world's leading manufacturer of fiber cement building materials, James Hardie has been manufacturing cement-based building products for more than 100 years. It introduced fiber cement products to the U.S. in the early 90s as a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood and vinyl. Due to their resistance to wind, fire, impact and flood, James Hardie^® products have been specified for homes in hurricane- and wildfire-prone areas throughout the U.S. Currently installed on over four million homes, James Hardie is the leading brand of siding in the U.S. and continues to be ranked as the number one return-on-investment remodeling project, ahead of kitchen and bath remodels.

About Esker

Esker is a recognized leader in helping organizations eliminate manual processes, gain process visibility and control, and reduce the use of paper by automating the flow of documents into, within and out of the organization. With patented document delivery automation software and hosted document delivery services, Esker offers a total solution to automate every phase and every type of business information exchange. Customers achieve significant and immediate operational efficiencies, cost savings and measurable ROI in as little as three to six months. Founded in 1985, Esker operates globally with more than 80,000 customers and millions of licensed users worldwide. Esker has global headquarters in Lyon, France and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.esker.com.

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