Software: Tackling Technology Intimidation

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Many distributors hesitate to install professional distribution software because they are afraid it might be overwhelming to their employees.  Jeff Halper, president of JH Paper Company, Inc. in Fairfield, New Jersey was one of those distributors.

However, his concerns evaporated when he viewed Inform 2008 distribution software by DDI System.  The program's visual layout and screen graphics are similar to those seen everyday on millions of websites.  "Everyone uses a mouse," points out Halper. "Once I saw the screens and 'point-and-click' capabilities, I knew this system would work for us."

Fast Start Conversion
Shirley Boyko, sales assistant for JH Paper was relatively new to the administrative team when Inform 2008 was installed and had never used a distributor software program.

"Everything is laid out so clearly," Boyko remarks about the visual appearance of Inform 2008. "It is really easy to learn the system because it is so organized and self explanatory."  

Insightful Inventory Control
One click tells it all when it comes to Inform 2008 and inventory control. For example, by typing in a product name, product category, or the first three SKU digits, the system brings up all the matching items, along with customer sales history and available stock. A single mouse click reveals a remarkable array of information on one screen, including how many units are available or committed to customers, a visual graph of the sales trend to help in pricing, and product images to assure correct identification.

Halper finds this capability a key to staying on top of his business. "The purchasing feature is absolutely brilliant," he explains.  "As you build more time on it, it builds the memory regarding inventory and tells you when you need to place an order."  This single function has saved him from making costly overstock mistakes.  

Saving Customers Time and Money
Since the software is so fast, easy-to-use, and comprehensive, customers are rarely waiting for answers.  Questions are addressed with a mouse click or two, including confirmation of a delivery, what goods were on the truck, and who signed for them.

The purchasing module provides pricing that is consistent with vendor changes. "We are able to fairly and precisely modify costs based on vendor pricing changes," notes Halper.  "This is a tremendous feature for us and our customers.  We are not taking arbitrary price increases, but we can pin-point slight price changes so we are being fair to our customers while preserving our necessary profit margin."

Additionally, Inform 2008 will alert the user to a price change that is mistakenly adjusted and falls beneath the appropriate profit level.  Thus, any user-error or typos that can lead to profit loss are adverted.

Software Savvy
Those at JH Paper feel that DDI System has finally addressed the apprehensions of software neophytes when it comes to distribution software.   

"This is not an intimidating system," notes Halper.  "It does not take a long time for a rookie to be comfortable with the program and its applications. And, it's worth it.  It has paid dividends in real, tangible ways during these turbulent economic times for us and for our customers."