Goldstar Trade Frames in Aldridge has become one of the first fabricators to switch to Mila’s new on-line ordering service and is already reporting significant efficiency savings.

The trade fabricator, which produces high quality frames for customers across the Midlands, orders all of its window and door hardware from Mila and says that by switching to on-line ordering it has saved time and improved its internal efficiencies.

Mark Simms, the Managing Director of the company which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, says that when Goldstar was approached by Mila to trial the system at the start of 2011 there was simply no reason not to agree. 

He says:  “Goldstar has a policy of continual improvement and we could see that a switch to faster, more efficient online ordering could be an important part of that.  We can now place orders at any time of the day or night at a time convenient to us, we can keep a running order open all day and add additional items as required and we can see instantly all orders pending and deliveries due.”

An important aspect for Goldstar is that, despite switching to ordering online, they have not lost contact with their internal sales manager at Mila who still routinely calls Mark once an order has been placed to confirm that all the details are correct.

Mark says:  “This has been a valuable part of the transition and has meant we have still benefited from Mila’s expertise and experience and advice on new products and service initiatives.”

Customers who want to order online from Mila can contact their sales manager to set up an online account and to receive a demonstration. 

Once their account is activated, they simply log in to the ordering portal via the Mila website at www.mila.co.uk and all of the products they regularly order are clearly displayed along with the relevant product codes.

Mark Simms adds:  “The process is very simple – there is essentially a ‘favourites’ menu where we can see all of the items which Goldstar normally orders and if we want to add new items, we can search either by product name or code.   The system and interface is very user friendly – all that is required is a short demonstration.”

Richard Gyde, Managing Director of Mila, says that the company launched the online ordering portal at the start of 2011 in response to demand from a number of customers who were already ordering profile and glass online.  

He says:  “Customers now have a choice of whether to order their hardware from us by phone, by fax or online.  They will receive the same outstanding service and delivery performance however they place the order – they can simply choose the solution which is easiest for them and delivers the biggest benefits for their business.”