Jackie Newbeck, Welk Resort San Diego

Company overview

Lawrence Welk, the bandleader who was loved by millions for his “Champagne music,” was one of the biggest stars of his time. He was also an astute business- man who made wise investments in the hospitality industry, resorts which have become world-renowned. Welk Resort San Diego is designed with the emphasis on luxury, convenience and style. It is the largest Vacation Ownership project in Southern California located on a sprawling 640 acres. Welk’s Desert Oasis is located in the sun drenched Coachella Valley in Southern California – just minutes away from Palm Springs. Immersed in the serene beauty of the Ozarks, Welk Resort Branson offers award- winning entertainment in a spectacular location and  last in the Baja is Welk Resort Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Complementing the Welk Resort holdings is the Welk Music Group, a leading independent music company with offices in California, North Carolina and Tennessee, encompassing three labels – Vanguard Records, Sugar Hill Records and Ranwood Records.

The purchasing department’s duties

Jackie Newbeck is the Director of Purchasing for Welk Resorts. She began her career there seven years ago in the same position she currently holds. She is responsible for all timeshare facilities’ purchasing needs, including office needs, interior furniture, fixture, equipment and services. Her department consists of five employees who, directly or indirectly, manage the purchasing process for existing and new time-share facilities. A big part of Jackie’s job is developing standard operating procedures for how and what all properties will order. Jackie says, “Items like bedding, shampoo or soap, for example, must follow established protocol. Users may grumble when mandates are put in place, but, without them, quality control would suffer and our image throughout all of the facilities would also suffer. Maintaining a consistent, quality image through developing standard operating protocol ensures that the “look and feel” of Welk Resorts is maintained throughout all of the resorts.”

Bellwether Purchasing Software

“Currently,” Jackie said, “we have thirty users, but that number will grow as new properties come on line. In the last two years we have spent $6MM in service, supplies and equipment and that will also increase. We generate over 200 purchase orders per week, so we needed a powerful system. We were referred to Bellwether. We evaluated four companies, and we chose Bellwether’s Purchasing Software. We started to use the Purchasing, Receiving, Requisitions, and Inventory modules. Then we added the Bar-coding module in the future. When we first implemented Bellwether, there was resistance to change; however, within sixty days of the mandate, everyone was using Bellwether Purchasing Software because we no longer accepted email or paper requisitions. Processes and workflow are much improved now that everyone is on board.”

Bellwether software and  support

Jackie said, “We really like the Technical Assistance Department. They are knowledgeable and respond quickly. Everyone likes Bellwether Purchasing Software because it is so easy to use. This is a powerful program, even more powerful than I realized when we purchased it. We are completely satisfied with Bellwether and would highly recommend the product to others.”