
The Turnkey staff were fantastic during and after implementation. They are experts on every aspect of Dynamics GP and we can always pick up the phone and give them a call if we have any questions.
- Jeff Downs, CIO, CFO, Hoy Shoe Co.

Business Challenge
Hoy Shoe Company is a St. Louis-based shoe manufacturer founded in 1944. The company makes sandals for women and children under two brands: Saltwater Sandals and Sun-San. The Hoy Shoe Co products are unique for being fully leather and water resistant. Since originally making sandals from the scraps of military boots during World War II, Hoy Shoes has become an international brand, with sandals distributed in Australia, Canada, Europe, East Asia, Israel, and South Africa.
Faced with high demand and continuing expansion, Hoy’s previous business systems began to strain under the technological requirements for doing business in the modern economy. Their previous ERP system, developed in the early 90’s, offered no visualizations of market trends or inventory. To complicate matters, after Hoy moved to a modern ERP system, their old EDI system was incompatible with the new ERP. This meant that all EDI orders had to be manually entered into GP, which entailed massive processing times and the risk of errors that could lead to chargebacks. Mounting frustrations with manually handling over 3,000 SKUs combined with having to limit the number EDI partners led Hoy to seek a new platform on that side of the business as well.
Solution
Hoy Shoe Company partnered with Turnkey Technologies and SPS Commerce for a dual-pronged approach. Turnkey implemented Microsoft Dynamics GP to give Hoy modern ERP capabilities, and SPS Commerce provided an EDI platform that eliminated manual order reentry through automating the flow of purchase orders, invoices and shipping notices to Dynamics GP.
Jeff Downs, CIO, CFO and Global Sales Director for Hoy Shoe Company, selected Dynamics GP because of it’s status as a mainstream, industry standard ERP system that’s flexible enough through third-party applications to meet for Hoy’s Specific needs. In turn, SPS Commerce was chosen for its strong compatibility with Dynamics GP, as well as its status as an EDI industry leader with cutting-edge capabilities. With the implementation and integration of Dynamics GP and SPS Commerce, Hoy Shoe Company was able to take their business to the next level.
“It was difficult to keep up with demand while relying on outdated resources. Thanks to Turnkey Technologies and SPS Commerce, Hoy can continue providing exceptional footwear with the advantages of modern business systems."
- Jeff Downs, Hoy Shoe Co.
Benefits
Better Business Insight
The Dynamics GP/SPS Commerce solution increased visibility into Hoy’s internal processes as well as external trends. Better forecasting accuracy allows Hoy to identify demand trends for specific styles and colors, and focus production to respond to demand and increase sales. This insight is critical for determining production and ordering at their St. Louis-based plant as well as their production facility in China. On the accounting side, Dynamics GP gives more accessible and accurate tracking of purchasing, receivables, payables and reporting.
Improved Ordering Process and Greater Efficiency
Dynamics GP and SPS Commerce Fulfillment have revolutionized the quality and effectiveness of Hoy’s ordering process. The EDI solution has eliminated manual order entry, reducing a process that once took an entire day to as little as five minutes. This is thanks in part to Dynamics GP’s compatibility with the third-party application SalesPad, which enables complete insight into the inventory lifecycle. Sales associates are able to easily keep up with call-in orders through the use of the application’s ordering grids. SalesPad is also interfaced with Dynamics GP through barcode scanners that packers use to track what SKU is placed in each box, saving time and improving fulfillment accuracy. It also allows Hoy to remotely track what is in each box after it has shipped.
The combined features of Dynamics GP and SPS Commerce led to a 100% order accuracy rate in 2016, saving tens-of-thousands of dollars.
More Customers and a Larger Bottom Line
Perhaps most critically, the Dynamics GP and SPS Commerce solution has expanded Hoy Shoe Company’s customer base. Prior to implementation, Hoy often turned down orders from larger distributors that were too large to handle with their manual ordering process. Now such orders are easily manageable with Dynamics GP and SPS Commerce. According to Jeff Downs, Hoy Shoe Company is always looking to expand into both small and large retailers. By incorporating modern technology into their business model, Hoy’s leadership has ensured that nothing stands in the way of reaching new customers.
Award-winning Partnership
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