For STI/SPFA, a trade association serving the steel tank industry, that problem was all too familiar. Member records lived in Novi AMS, products lived in QuickBooks, and purchasing rules varied by member with no unified way to enforce them. The result was a fragmented, manual workflow that cost staff time and created unnecessary friction for members.
Digital Mettle solved it with a purpose-built custom application: Tank Manager.
One Application, Three Connected Systems
Tank Manager acts as the command center between Novi AMS and QuickBooks. It pulls member and product data from both platforms, applies STI/SPFA’s purchasing rules, and automatically pushes completed invoices back into QuickBooks each night. Those invoices then sync into Novi to close the loop. No manual exports. No reconciliation guesswork.
For members, the experience is clean and intuitive:
- Single Sign-On: Log in directly through Novi, no separate credentials needed.
- Personalized product views: Each member sees only the products they’re authorized to purchase.
- Real-time compliance alerts: Expired insurance information is flagged immediately within the purchasing flow.
- Familiar cart checkout: Members complete purchases and return later to enter registration details at their convenience.
The Outcome
Tank Manager transformed STI/SPFA’s operations from a fragmented, error-prone process into a reliable, fully automated workflow. Members now move through purchasing in a single, seamless experience. Staff no longer shuttle data between systems by hand.
The broader lesson is straightforward: the most impactful software isn’t always the biggest platform. STI/SPFA didn’t need to replace their AMS or overhaul QuickBooks, but rather needed a focused application that made their existing tools work together intelligently. That kind of targeted, custom development often delivers faster results and greater long-term value than a broad platform switch.