Encompass Resolutions for 2017

Like the next hole on a golf course, a new year always offers the chance to start fresh with a renewed perspective on your business. It’s a time to evaluate the year gone by and assess what went right and what didn’t go so well. You now have another 365 days to try new ideas, implement new programs and go after new business.

        Robert Coolidge
       President & CEO

While Encompass is set to enter our 64^th year of operations, we are challenging ourselves to think like a startup and continue evolving our business. Encompass has long understood that just being a consumer electronics parts distributor has little value to the market. As such, here is a sampling of our business resolutions for the coming year:

• Training & Development – Realizing that tech training is as vitally important as it is hard to come by, we recently opened a learning center at our headquarters in Lawrenceville, GA, just north of Atlanta. Manufacturers have been invited to use the space at no charge, and have accepted our offer for their authorized networks. To expand training opportunities to independent techs, we have contracted with Level 2 Learning – a leading provider of appliance technology training – to hold classes on Samsung refrigerator and laundry diagnostics 24 & 25. Registration is now open on a first come, first served basis.We anticipate offering courses throughout the year and welcome any input servicers have on topics they’d be interested in (please email customercare@encompass.com with your feedback). Our goal is to help our customers be more successful, and that starts with enhancing their skillsets and knowledge.Beyond offering training to our customers, we are also focused on professional development for our staff. From honing their service skills to accelerating their parts identification capabilities, we aim to help ensure our team has the tools they need to provide world-class customer service.
• New Verticals – One of Encompass’ greatest advantages is our diversity. We currently serve as a one-stop source of 10 core product categories and are constantly looking for new verticals to add to our catalog. As most independent servicers appreciate the need to diversify their own businesses to stay relevant, Encompass enables techs to come to one streamlined provider for all their parts needs.We are set to debut LED troffers – lighting panels you see mostly in commercial settings – and are in discussions with other manufacturers of some exciting products emerging in the market. If it needs parts, we want to support it after the sale. We also have several new and existing products and brands launching in 2017.  We must all continue to evolve!
• E-Commerce Enhancements – You will have noticed that our e-commerce site com has undergone a massive overhaul in recent months. Our goal is to help visitors quickly and easily find and order the parts they need. The sooner you can get your parts, the sooner you can complete a repair or get your electronics back to working condition. Look for further upgrades in the coming months, including new functionality, additional parts photos and data and other helpful support tools. We have already added over 50,000 product photos, which brings us to over 250,000 total. This, combined with our innovative suggested part relationship data will help make first time repairs a much easier reality.
• Business Solutions – To further help our customers be more successful, Encompass recently partnered with Netsirk Technologies to develop Skulocity, a new business management application. We leveraged our decades of aftermarket distribution expertise to design a solution specifically tailored for small to mid-sized manufacturers, retailers, field and depot service organizations and parts distributors. Skulocity is a fully-integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with comprehensive functionality for: order management, inventory control, warehouse management, procurement, discrete manufacturing, accounting, payment processing and customer relationship management. This product will help all part distributors become healthier and more capable as they continue to expand their product offerings and improve their value to the OEMs they represent.

As a dynamic organization, Encompass is continually evaluating ways to enhance our business and yours.  We strive to deliver a superior service experience to all our customers, but acknowledge we don’t always get it right. When this happens, we do whatever it takes to turn the situation around.

On behalf of the entire Encompass Team, we wish you all the best in 2017 and appreciate the opportunity to serve you.