Avery Weigh-Tronix works with Sikich to expedite data entry and cut payment timelines by 97% with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform

Avery Weigh-Tronix, a leading provider of industrial weighing equipment and subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works, is streamlining and modernizing its national service operations by bringing its processes into the twenty-first century. Facing time-consuming data entry, delayed billing, and limited process visibility for customers, Avery Weigh-Tronix worked with Microsoft partner Sikich to pivot its processes to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Microsoft Power Platform solutions, unifying its data and automating processes. 

Now, the company has improved payment processing times by 97% and reduced data entry by an estimated 60%. It also offers real-time service tracking, improving customer communication and setting the foundation for future advancements.

Modernizing logistics processes to avoid paper-chasing and digital bottlenecks

Though Avery Weigh-Tronix developed new customer-facing accommodations like custom web portals, over time, its internal systems had been largely manual since its founding. “Our evolution had always been driven by customer needs—but internally, our processes lagged behind,” says Kevin Detert, Logistics Segment Director at Avery Weigh-Tronix. “We were still buried in paper, receiving faxes and handwritten notes from service providers. Dynamics 365 Customer Service helped us modernize that reality.” 

Paper-recorded information caused inconsistent data entry into the Avery Weigh-Tronix iSeries mainframe. Its network of third-party field technicians logged every service call by hand, so data errors and manual entry times mounted quickly, resulting in costly billing delays. “We had to read the technicians’ handwriting, they could only fit so much information on a piece of paper, and we would paper-chase when paperwork got lost,” says Robyn Griese, National Accounts Supervisor at Avery Weigh-Tronix. The lack of digital input from the field made it difficult for the team to track service activity or communicate with customers in real time.

Even done properly, ingesting handwritten information into the mainframe required time-consuming triple data entry. “One order would require 300 key presses, multiplied by tens of thousands of entries per year,” says Detert. This inefficiency contributed to a 65-day payment processing timeline.

Supporting technicians with a scalable, configurable solution

To help modernize its processes, Avery Weigh-Tronix turned to Sikich, a Chicago-based business advisory firm. “Sikich was very process-driven and wanted to immerse itself in our customer experience,” Detert says.

After mapping its internal processes and customer and service provider journeys, Avery Weigh-Tronix requested a solution that emphasized scalability and configuration over customization. Sikich recommended Microsoft Dynamics 365 to combine detailed product information, service tracking, and customer relationship management data into one platform.

Sikich also suggested using Power Platform. With Power Apps, Avery Weigh-Tronix developed low-code mobile applications for technicians to log service data, while Power Automate streamlined processes.

“We’ve moved from a paper-based process to a fully digital, flow-based system,” says Detert. ”Now, all service parts for each product are compiled in Dynamics 365 Customer Service, so technicians no longer spend time searching. Whether they use voice-to-text or type their notes, everything is captured and stored seamlessly in Dynamics 365.”

Improving efficiency with 97% faster billing, 60% less data entry, and better customer communication

Since implementing Microsoft solutions, Avery Weigh-Tronix has seen remarkable gains in efficiency, customer communication, and data quality.

“Tasks that used to take 20 minutes using our old process now take 2 or 3 minutes,” Griese says. The team nearly doubled its original goal for increased efficiency. These streamlined workflows have expedited the company’s billing process, narrowing its payment timeline from 65 days to just 2 days.

Griese noted that Avery Weigh-Tronix partners and customers have increased their engagement in technician services since the company went digital. “We’re talking to customers daily now, instead of an email here and there. Hearing their excitement about possible improvements has been fun as well.”

Building a data-driven future

With access to higher-quality data from digitized systems, Avery Weigh-Tronix is eager to increase data-driven decision making in the future. Plans include using machine learning to analyze product use and servicing data collected in the field to inform new product development.

“I look at this project as the tip of the iceberg,” says Andrea Issendorf, Industrial Division General Manager at Avery Weigh-Tronix. “We’ve proven that we can integrate partner needs, end-user/customer needs, and manufacturing needs into one system. The customization that Dynamics 365 offered with the partnership through Sikich gave us the best solution.”

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