EDP at work

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sales running more than $35 million annually, the l0 outlets of Ward and Harrington Lumber Co. in Orange County, Calif., average 20.000 transactions a month. The bulk of the dollar volume is done by 4,000 charge account customers. This places a cash-flow premium on the preparation of accurate monthly statements and getting them into the mail as promptly as possible.

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Computer provides big firm with flexibility in credit control plus providing management and sales information more rapidly than ever before conversion required no new proceduies for store clerks.

That the company does, reports controller E. V. Nickles, and the magnetic disc-oriented computer system which makes it possible also generatesas a by-productmanagement information reports which further enhance efficiency of the overall operation.

"As just one example of what we're getting from our computer," the controller said, 'othere is the current credit analysis for every overdue account. This is prepared every 10 days and shows the aged status of the balances in 30.day increments.

"The credit manager at our Santa Ana headquarters uses the report to speed collections. When it seems advisable, he can phone customers and counsel with them. In addition, the report helps guide decisions about credit extensions. o'We were convinced, to begin with, that we needed the randomacess capability provided by magnetic disc," Controller Nickles explained. "In this respect and others, we determined that the NCR configuration provided us with more performance for the price than anything else.

"When stores call in to ask if a given customer can be permitted to buy beyond his previously established credit Iimitand they, too, have reports which show his current status -- the credit manager can check the l0-day report to see if he thinks it wise to approve the request.

"The point here is that our customers aren't faceless numbers. We may no longer be able to call all of them by name when they come into our stores, but we can certainly give them the individual attention which they descrve.

"Granting credit cannot be a cutand-dried matter of how much a man owes and when he made his last payment. Not, at least, at Ward and Harrington. We want to consider' the person and his association with us, which may go back for many years."

These sentiments were underscor' ed by James Harrington, general manager of the company which was founded more than a quarter of a century ago by his father, Frank G. Harrington, and C. G. Ward, who are now president and chairman of the board.

Besides lumber, the l0 wholesale and retail outlets also stock an ex' tensive range of other goods. Included are outdoor carpeting, shrubs, television sets and other appliances, automotive parts and plumbing fixtures. In addition. Ward and Harrington owns subsidiaries engaged in construction and wood finishing and has investments in still other businesses.

Growing sales and the increasing complexity of the product mix dictated the substitution of electronic data processing for conventional accounting techniques in late 1968, General Manager Harrington relates. After considerable study, he said, the company selected an NCR Century I00 computer system.

"Important, too, however, were the superior packaged programs rvhich the manufacturer offered. along with the support of its systems personnel. We were also mindful that we're a fast-growing company. We didn't want to get saddled with a computer system that would be adequate for our workload then, but be obsolete in the near future.

"With N C R, we're protected against that, because we can expand the capability of the computer we have or step up to large configurations within the Century family, and without having to throw out our software and start all over again."

Components of the Ward and Harrington computer system consist of a 32K central processor, with an integrated punched paper tape reader; a printer rated at ,150 alpha and 900 numeric lines per minute, and a dual-spindle magnetic disc unit. The last puts two removable packs on-line which, between them, can store more than 8.3 million characters of information.

The conversion to electronic data processing of accounts receivable required no new procedures on the part cf store clerks. As before, they prepare carboned invoices at the check - out counters. For charge transactions, they look up customers' account numbers in a file and enter them on the invoices in addition to the prices for individrral items, the tar and the total.

Quite frankly, redwood is in strong demand right now. That's why you should call your Georgia-Pacific redwood lumber salesman. He's experienced. He's backed by all of Georgia-Pacific's manufacturing facilities. And he willdo his best to take care of your specifications.

So when you need redwood decking, fencing, finish, fascia, siding-any type of garden redwood-call your G-P salesman. He'll do everything he can to help you get it.