In February, the Herlitz IM team held its second annual conference, Ascend: The HIMPACT Buyers’ Summit. We promised attendees the opportunity to explore new software enhancements, gain insights to improve operations, and network with fellow users. According to the feedback we received, Ascend delivered on all fronts.
Seamlessly Transitioning to a Virtual Event
This year, the event moved to a fully virtual format, making it even more accessible to buyers. The result? 100% participation, a testament to the growing engagement within the HIMPACT community.
The shift from an in-person conference to a virtual format was smooth and successful thanks to BFC’s corporate infrastructure and experience in hosting online events. Attendees appreciated the ease of participation and the ability to engage without travel constraints.
A Growing Community and Expanded Support
One of the most exciting announcements at Ascend was the expansion of our Buyer Support Team. Providing swift, friendly, and expert support has always been a priority, and this enhancement ensures that HIMPACT users continue to receive top-tier service.
Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to meet Will Collins, the CEO of our parent company, BFC Software. After joining a larger company, HIMPACT can offer even more benefits to its buyer community, including:
- Increased resources
- Improved infrastructure
- Accelerated innovation
- Standardized APIs
- New modern, robust BI platform
- Access to WMS Data
Key Feature Enhancements Introduced at Ascend
Ascend 2025 also introduced several new feature enhancements that were well received by current users:
Super Source
Super Source is a heavily used feature in HIMPACT. It allows buyers to combine separate vendors to create a single order build. Within the system, we enhanced the Super Member’s view by adding a more detailed summary for 9 important units of measure. This will help buyers quickly see if they have any issues with their current truck order builds.
Truck Splits
Truck splits, another popular module in the system, also received an upgrade. We added Delivery Split. This new feature enables users to take all the POs about to be created in the Truck Split Module and spread out the delivery dates automatically, removing the need to enter due dates manually. This increases accuracy and saves buyers even more time on complex orders.
Mass Maintenance
This module enables HIMPACT buyers to make mass changes to vendors and items as needed. We upgraded it to include events so buyers can make systemwide changes to events without leaving the system.
Chain Demand Tool
Historically, HIMPACT users could not remove demand at the chain level without involvement from our team. Now, HIMPACT buyers can complete this action on their own without waiting on support.
Item Scrub
Another request from our buyer community was to adjust daily demand at the week level instead of waiting until the 4-week period closed. We added the ability to change demand for a 4 week period, a single week, or a single day immediately in the system. This change offers greater flexibility and empowers buyers to use more accurate data for their forecasts and orders.
Lot Analysis Improvements
Lot Analysis also received an enhancement with improved views. Buyers can now see the most pressing lot information for their items sorted by expiration date and in other ways, along with new views on the Spoilage section to provide even more insight than before.
LTO & Pipeline Fill
While the existing suggested pipeline fill quantities are accurate, we have added an LTO pipeline fill button on the item forecasting tab. This button adds the suggested pipeline fill to the current order quantity and logs this action automatically, providing greater ease of use and better activity tracking within the system.
BI (Business Intelligence) Dashboard
In addition to the standard Acquisition, Warehouse, and Buyer KPI graphs in HIMPACT, this new dashboard will include three new KPI graphs:
- Department
- Class
- Buyers
These enhancements reflect our commitment to continuously improving HIMPACT and providing buyers with the tools they need to know more and make better, more profitable buying decisions.
Take the Guesswork Out of Buying
These are just a few of the many features HIMPACT has created that empower buyers to know more so they can make profit optimized purchases. Schedule a free call with our team to see HIMPACT in action.
Looking Ahead: The Future of HIMPACT Events
One of the most exciting takeaways from Ascend 2025 is BFC’s commitment to hosting HIMPACT events more frequently throughout the year. This ensures that buyers will continue to have a dedicated space to connect, learn, and shape the future of their operations.
We’re grateful to all who participated in Ascend 2025 and look forward to seeing you at future events. Stay tuned for more updates on how HIMPACT continues to evolve to meet your needs!