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Field Mobility Real Life Results Challenge:
As soon as the delivery trucks departed on their routes, the District Sales Manager at a blender, roaster and distributor of fine coffees in three Midwestern states knew to expect the calls. After all, much of their sales derived from route deliveries to offices, restaurants, cafes and retail outlets, in addition to their direct orders. Inevitably, as the field force met their customers, questions would roll in. Some customers wanted pricing information or extra inventory; others needed account or order recaps and more. But with no access from their trucks to current customer data, the drivers had no choice but to call the manager to find answers, making their customers wait and delaying deliveries downstream.
In addition to the sales needs, drivers needed a way to more proactively manage inventory on their trucks, loading enough stock to meet demand before running out, not after. They also wanted to reduce paperwork to streamline the product reorder process at the distribution points.
Solution:
The coffee distributor called in Indigo Olive Software (IOS), a route accounting applications specialist, who in turn called on integration partner AbeTech for the hardware, configuration and deployment portion of the solution. Together they assessed distributor’s challenge, evaluating current systems and processes and tracking truck routes and daily demands. Clearly, the best solution would incorporate wireless, portable technology that offered smooth interoperability into the back end accounting system. The distributor and AbeTech conducted field tests to determine which devices met functionality and durability needs in a dynamic environment. They chose a handheld computer from Intermec and an O’Neil mobile printer to complement IOS’s customized route delivery software, developed expressly to adapt to varying demands of drivers and customers. A key piece to the equation is all components link seamlessly to a single, centralized SQL database.
Once the solution was designed, the AbeTech team went to work to configure and assemble kits for each driver, loading software on each handheld, activating and provisioning wireless service and setting up Bluetooth pairing to each mobile printer. AbeTech also provided device management software, so the distributor could load application updates remotely, troubleshoot equipment issues in the field and deploy security and lockdown parameters. Finally, documentation was created and the distributors IT staff trained on the equipment functionality in order to use it to the maximum potential. Result:
The solution enables fast pricing calculations and easy access to price lists—no more "quick calls to HQ." It also gives drivers a customer-specific order history, displaying commonly sold items organized by client so drivers can anticipate and ask for add-on sales, raising revenues and service levels.
Behind the scenes, the solution drastically cuts down on paperwork. Drivers leave a single copy of the customer’s invoice upon delivery, while all other information is stored on the distributor’s application server. Sales data, such as invoices, credit memos and collections, is transferred continuously, as wireless access remains available or batches it temporarily until network coverage returns. The solution even offers signature capture, extending accountability and supporting real-time delivery sign-offs on compact, yet easy to read receipts. Even better, because distributor’s server is updated in real-time as drivers deliver their orders, there are no more lengthy end-of-day reconciliations or delivery truck replenishment exercises to endure. Customers, drivers, sales managers and management can all do their jobs faster and smarter with AbeTech-deployed productivity enhancements. |
