ROCKFORD, ILL. — As part of its plan to become more efficient and facilitate growth, New York-based pork and beef processor AVA Cos. announced a partnership with two software companies, Cleo and VAI.

Since its founding in 1984, AVA has expanded its reach across the nation and around the world. The company is looking for improved business efficiency and cost savings with its recent partnership.

With the Cleo Integration Cloud (CIC) software platform, AVA Companies hopes to lower strain on its IT department and reduce the complexities that often come with expansion. The platform will outsource daily business to business operations.

“CIC has a Dashboard — the CIC Cockpit — that provides users with complete visibility of orders going in and out,” said Domenic Capul, IT Manager, AVA Companies. “CIC is accessible from anywhere with a browser and easy to use. We can quickly and easily spot customer errors and manage all data from one location. With a point and a click, we have easy navigation and advanced search features that allow us to view pending items, invoices, purchase orders and more. It’s a great time saver for us and our end users.”

VAI will manage CIC for AVA. VAI specializes in supply chain and business management solutions, serving customers with its flagship ERP Software Suite.

“Cleo Integration Cloud is the right solution for VAI ERP customers looking to automate their EDI and API transactions,” said Maggie Kelleher, VAI director of sales. “Our customers want the real-time visibility of CIC, which offers more insights than any other integration platform. For AVA Companies, that translates to an easier, quicker and more unified way of doing business. VAI’s ERP software combined with Cleo Integration Cloud are extremely effective in saving our customers time and money, and we look forward to many more upcoming integration successes.”