Executive Summary:
Amechi Fence Taps Miles Technologies to Overhaul Job Management Application – Sees 20% Hike in Revenues.

The Challenge:
Mark Amechi had a problem.

The owner of Amechi Fence, one of New Jersey's fastest growing small businesses, hit a bit of a rough patch recently when its computer vendor was unable to tie together Amechi's two stores so both were working off of the same computer database. "We were frustrated because one hand basically didn't know what the other hand was doing," he says. "Estimates, Job Orders, sales records – none of it was coordinated."

Even worse, the vendor's computer infrastructure was so archaic and one-dimensional, Amechi felt as if it was holding his company back. "The vendor had an old Access-based system that they had made for my company and it had really become a dinosaur. It was the primary reason we couldn't get the networking problem straightened out and the software wasn't scalable, so we couldn't ramp up from a systems point of view when we needed to. The old vendor just couldn't grow with my company." he says.

The Solution:
Determined to find a solution so his company could shift into higher gear, Amechi picked up a fax one day from a computer vendor, Miles Technologies, promising to solve some of the very same network and scalability headaches that Amechi Fence was facing. "It was ironic," says Amechi. "Here I was dealing with this networking issue and all of a sudden there's this fax sitting there offering a solution."

Miles Technologies has built a reputation helping businesses like Amechi Fence overcome tough network computing obstacles. The company, a Marlton, New Jersey-based provider of highly customized integration, networking and Internet services for a wide range of businesses throughout the Delaware Valley and New York Metropolitan area, was founded in 1997 by current president Chris Miles, a 32 years old entrepreneur. The firm prides itself on being a complete solutions provider that provides its clients with a single, tightly integrated system developed by the same team of skilled engineers from end-to-end. This "single source" approach saves Miles Technologies' clients, like Amechi Fence, time and money they would otherwise spend searching for multiple vendors to provide individual services.

"I called Chris Miles and asked him if he could really straighten out my networking problems," Amechi says. "I told him that I was going to stick with my old vendor for a few months, but that I was willing to hear him out to see what solutions Miles Technologies could provide. Chris and his people seemed to have all the right answers. The next thing I knew, I had hired him."

Hitting the ground running, Miles Technologies, spearheaded by Project Manager John Bialous, quickly got to work. "We came in and wrote custom software for Amechi Fence that enabled us to build a computing platform that could grow and accommodate Amechi Fence's changing needs from year to year," says Bialous. "They did not have that option before."

"We also addressed Amechi Fence's networking problem right away. The custom web-based software application we had developed combined with DSL internet connections at both office locations allowed the two stores – in two different towns -- to begin interacting with one another off of the same database simultaneously. Now Amechi fence had capabilities they had never known before, like working up job orders instantaneously or giving customers estimates on the spot. Plus, both locations could get instant information on things like sales reports and inventory that was up to date. Amechi Fence could enter a job in Hainesport and the warehouse in Turnersville could immediately view the job details."

Amechi noticed the improvement right away. "Things looked better from the start," he says. "Chris and his team did everything they said they were going to. Now I have the ability to view sales reports on a daily basis that are up to date and accurate for both locations. I am able to make better decisions and be more proactive in managing the business. Finally, the two hands are working as one."

He also was pleasantly surprised at the level of customer service Amechi Fence was getting from Miles Technologies. "Miles was great about solving problems - -they were very accessible and very prompt. It's like a personal thing with Chris Miles. If there's a problem he wants it solved."

Suddenly, the future looks much brighter for a company that was on the fast track – and needed a boost. "We got it from Miles, no question about it," says Amechi. "Revenues had been growing by 10% annually. Now we're at 20%. The sky is the limit."