Case Study
How The Affiliated Distributors (AD) Member Star AC Supply Streamlines Credit Applications and Empowers Sales with Dill
HVAC
Arlington, TX
Advantive Distribution One
A member of the buying group The Commonwealth Group (TCG) now Affiliated Distributors (AD), Star AC Supply is a wholesale distributor of heating and air conditioning equipment, replacement parts, and installation supplies servicing air conditioning contractors across North Texas.
The Challenge
Paper Applications Slowed Down Credit and Sales
Before implementing Dill’s digital credit application platform, Star AC Supply relied heavily on paper-based processes.
Applications were handed out by counter staff or sales reps and returned incomplete — often missing critical attachments like EPA or TACL licenses. Trade references lacked contact information. Sales reps had no visibility into status. And the credit team was stuck fielding constant “Where is this application?” questions.
Leesa described the process simply:
Paper forms came back with missing documentation
Reference contacts were incomplete or blank
Sales reps didn’t know whether customers had started or submitted applications
Credit had to chase down documents by phone, email, or text
Sensitive information like SSNs and EINs were accessible across multiple locations
There was no easy way to see which applications were sitting in draft, who sent them out, or what was holding them up.
Meanwhile, sales reps would move on to their next opportunity, and applications often stalled.
The Solution
Visibility, Automation, and Built-In Compliance
With Dill, Star AC Supply digitized and centralized its entire credit application process.
1. Real-Time Visibility for Sales & Credit
Every sales rep and counter person can now see the status of the applications they’ve sent out — without contacting credit
Who sent it
Whether it’s in Draft or Submitted
Which accounts still need follow-up
This eliminated constant internal back-and-forth and empowered the sales team to own their pipeline.
“I used to field questions like ‘This customer started an application — where is it?’ Now the sales team can see for themselves. It takes all of that out of the mix.”
— Leesa Gemeny, Accounting Manager, Star AC Supply
Just as importantly, the team can now identify applications stuck in Draft and proactively follow up to drive them to completion — something that was nearly impossible with paper
2. Required Licenses Collected Upfront
Previously, EPA and TACL licenses were often missing. Leesa had to chase them down after submission, sometimes across multiple calls and emails.
Now, those documents are collected as part of the application process.
This eliminates back-and-forth, reduces processing delays, and ensures compliance documentation is secured from the start.
3. Faster, Easier Trade Reference Checks
Before Dill:
References were often missing contact details
Requests were manual
Follow-up was inconsistent
Now:
Customers are prompted to provide complete reference information
Reference requests are easier to send
Follow-up is automated
The result: faster turnaround and fewer incomplete files.
4. Stronger Credit Decisioning with Better Data
Leesa now has significantly more information at her fingertips when reviewing applications.
Through Dill, Star AC Supply can:
Pull NACM NTCR credit reports
View Plaid bank verification data
Retrieve bank data like historical balances, NSF fee history, and more
Leesa noted how valuable the real-time financial insight was in determining how far to extend credit.
The Results
Ownership, Transparency & Commission Protection
One unexpected benefit was improved sales accountability.
Before Dill:
Applications didn’t always indicate which rep handed them out
Locations weren’t always specified
Reps could lose commission attribution
Now:
The originating sales rep is clearly tied to the application
Applications are associated with the correct location from the start
Sales reps can track their own accounts
This ensures proper credit for commissions and encourages follow-up.
Reps no longer send an application and forget about it. They can actively monitor and engage.
Security & Centralization
With paper applications submitted across multiple branches, sensitive information like SSNs and EINs was accessible to more employees than necessary.
Now:
Sensitive data is secured digitally
Access is controlled
All applications are backed up in one centralized system
“It’s a reliable system. It’s in there and backed up. Whoever is in charge next has access to everything since we started.”
The shift also eliminated fragmented processes across locations, creating one clean, standardized workflow.
Conclusion
One Platform for Credit and AR
Star AC Supply also uses Dill for accounts receivable and online payments.
For Leesa, there was value in consolidation. By housing credit and AR in one platform, Star AC Supply has reduced system sprawl while improving both front-end credit onboarding and back-end receivables management.
You can read their separate case study on AR and online payments here.
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