Carol’s Lighting and Fan Shop in Houston, Texas is on a roll. Their sales of lighting and home accessories are booming. Thanks to Mylee’s Tag n Trak inventory system, owners Don and Carol Gressett have been able to keep up with soaring inventory requirements while improving gross profit margins.

Unlike other computer inventory management firms, Mylee concentrates sales exclusively on business niches such as lighting showrooms and distributors. This strategy helps to develop a knowledge-based approach to their customers. "From the very beginning, I was surprised at Mylee’s ability to communicate with us using the lingo and terminology of how we operate," says Don. "From the top down, Mylee can sit down and communicate with us about our vendors and actually prepare us for other internal challenges that come with an expanding lighting showroom. That’s always impressed me."

Carol Gressett started the original lighting business in 1979. The business has grown steadily since that time, creating enough business that Don Gressett finally quit his job as superintendent at Sears Roebuck and began the job of managing the showroom. The first installed Tag n Trak system was for 8 users in 1992. Since then Carol’s has upgraded to a 12-user system and most recently to a 24-user system. Initial costs can seem formidable but Carol’s found that the return on investment was immediate and continual. "The biggest challenge for any showroom owner is to determine that the initial investment in a computerized inventory system will be returned," says Don. "Once we installed our system, we discovered that the investment was returned in many ways. We’ve reduced the inventory, we’ve increased the amount of inventory on display, and we’ve increased our turns on the merchandise we do stock."

Mylee handles not only the software and hardware for the system expansion, but also makes recommendations about phone lines and other hardware and software needs. And Mylee’s support organization provides valuable feedback to Mylee programmers. "I can’t say enough about Mylee’s support," says Don. "They are there to help and guide us through any problem. They have listened to the showrooms over the years and have incorporated suggestions into numerous updates and new releases. Right now the Y2K update is being implemented as a normal part of our support contract. You don’t see that kind of service out there these days."

Carol’s Lighting is opening a second location in The Woodlands, a very upscale area just north of Houston. Mylee’s upgraded 24-user system establishes direct phone links to communicate real time inventory status between the original store, the warehouse and the new location.

Carol’s Lighting and Fan Shop is just one example of how Mylee Systems has helped lighting showrooms prosper over the years.