Route Accounting/Vending Distribution with WSEasy™

Wengert Software Engineering, Inc. (WSE) provides sales force automation with WSEasy™, the fully functional and integrated Remote Order Entry and Route Accounting package for portable, hand-held computers.

WSEasy™ allows route salesmen to quickly enter new orders and process returned goods for customers on their route whether or not bar codes are available. Using the sorted pick lists and search capabilities, users can build orders from product master files containing over 10,000 items. Order creation is made even more accurate since par value quantities are available for each item in each customer's store. In addition, the order quantity history for each item is also maintained in the hand-held computer.

WSEasy™ provides labor tracking for the entire route sales force. Time of order creation and duration of each store visit is logged for each route salesman. Reports can be generated showing average visit time, number of visits, and productivity in terms of income vs. time invested. Because all orders are entered using the computer, salesmen can increase their frequency of visitation or can handle more customers. The extensive labor tracking and reporting functions allow the route manager to optimize the workload for each of his route salesmen.

All transactions are sent back to the host system at the end of the day using a MODEM or simply by connecting directly via a cradle. Should communications not be immediately available, the transactions can be queued and sent at a later date. Several days worth of transactions (i.e. orders, returns, quotes, inventory movements, etc.) can be queued in the hand-held computer. During the data exchange, the hand-held receives updated pricing, promotional announcements, customer routes and electronic messages from the host system. In addition, the route accountant can send electronic messages back to the host or to other route accountants via the host. The remote sales force always has the latest information allowing them to maximize sales.

In cases where the route sales force also carries and delivers goods, WSEasy™ maintains an inventory of the route accountant's truck. Truck restock item quantities are updated in real time as each order comes in to the host system. Items can be picked and ready for loading onto the truck prior to the truck's return, thus minimizing costly night differential and overtime pay.

WSEasy™ also has extensive route scheduling features. Customers can be scheduled for several different types of service including direct store delivery/sales, lease/rental collections, equipment service, fire extinguisher service (e.g. annual, 6 year and hydro), bulk gas delivery, etc. WSEasy™ determines customers due for one or more types of service on a daily basis based upon route interval and date of last service.

WSEasy™ is currently installed and operating in many industries including first aid and safety supply distributors, fire extinguisher service companies, beverage distributors, bulk CO2 distributors, maps and atlas distributors, dairy products distributors, restroom cleaners and automotive accessories distributors.

WSEasy™ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

WSEasy™ Application Overview

WSEasy™ Typical System Architecture

Request WSEasy™ Product Information

WSEasy™ User Group Wiki

Complete WSEasy™ System Components:

Each Route Accountant (Sample configuration):

• Intermec Norand 602 hand-held data collection computer or Palm Pilot with:
  • 32 MB Compact Flash Card
  • Epson LX-300+ Dot Matrix Printer
• Intermec Norand 602 Communications dock with battery charger and universal power supply or Palm Pilot Communications cradle
• WSEasy™ route automation software

Options:

• MODEM and Telecommunications software
• Annual Technical Support and Software Maintenance Plan

Central Order Processing and Route Management Facility:

• Desktop PC with:
  • Intel Pentium III (or better) processor
  • 128MB RAM
  • 2.0 GB IDE hard drive
  • 17" color monitor
  • Microsoft Windows NT/9X/2000/XP operating system
  • MODEM
  • Standard system documentation
• WSEasy™ Client application software with InterBase Relational Database Server with SQL-92 compatibility
• WSEasy™ Communicator application software for direct and remote communications with field devices.
• WSEasy™ Transaction Manager application software.

Functional Specification:

• Menu driven, user-friendly man-machine interface
• Computer assisted order entry, quotes, returned goods, and inventory management
• Automatic transfer of sales transactions directly into accounting software eliminates the need for non-productive data entry
• Electronic data transfer for orders, returns, inventory movement, route management, price updates and promotional announcements
• Fast, easy to use sorted pick lists with search capability
• Automatic labor tracking for each route accountant
• End of day receipt reconciliation
• Truck inventory (including par value) and restock functions for applications using trucks with products on board
• Yearly, monthly or seasonal item order history for all products purchased by each customer
• Edit and modify functions for updating sales transactions
• Par value quantity for all items for each customer
• Item list pricing and discount pricing by customer
• Custom sales tax rates by customer and product
• Route management for creating and assigning customer routes to individual route accountants
• Security feature restricting access to sensitive information and all functions
• Item master data file containing SKU, description, category, and list and discount pricing for over 10,000 entries
• Mix files for each store on route with specific pricing, par value, and order history for each item purchased by that customer
• Customer routing for direct store delivery, rental collection, bulk gas delivery, fire extinguisher/suppression system/first aid class, training and miscellaneous service.
• Interface to popular accounting software such as QuickBooks, PeachTree, Great Plains and more.
• DeciMax database technology allowing up to 160MB of information on a single 16MB Compact Flash card

Pricing:

• Less than $1,000 per route driver for Palm Pilot based system including printer, power inverter, memory card and cables.
• Less than $5,000 for office software components including application software, relational database, unlimited user license and accounting software interface.
• Total cost for fifteen driver system using Palm Pilots is less than $20,000. That's less than $1,333 per driver!