By Heather A. Johnson
Toy
manufacturer GUND, based in Edison,
N.J., is well known for its long
history of quality, huggable plush teddy bears. Plush toy products from the
110-year-old company can be found in stores nationwide and throughout Canada, Europe, Japan,
Australia and South America.
GUND’s
150-person U.S.
sales force regularly attends industry tradeshows and visits customers to market
the company’s everyday and seasonal product collections. Sale associates previously used a clamshell
device with basic software that couldn’t accommodate the modifications
necessary to meet the company’s changing needs.
In need of
a more stable device and flexible application, GUND implemented a new mobile sales
force solution from Intermec and Apacheta. Sales associates now use Intermec
CN2 handheld computers equipped with Apacheta SellACE software to:
- access product, promotion and
pricing information
- confirm order deadlines and
ship dates while on-site with clients.
GUND sales
associates are now creating near-flawless orders, driving down out-of-stock
instances and keeping customers satisfied.
The company
has also reduced credit card transaction fees and minimized customer support
calls. In a company statement, Christopher Walsh, vice president of I.T. for
GUND says that “nearly 100% of GUND orders are taken through [the] mobile sales
system, making it a mission-critical piece of [our] business.”
He adds, “We
were able to update obsolete hardware and adopt flexible mobile sales software
that enables us to react quickly to customer demands and increase productivity
and cost savings.”
Intermec’s shirt-pocket-sized rugged
CN2 runs on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform and can operate in batch mode
or with local area radio connectivity. The
CN2 has an integrated Intermec EV10 linear scan engine with low power operation
to preserve battery life for mobile computing applications. It’s a Cisco® Certified Extension (CCX)
device, ensuring compatibility with Cisco infrastructure and advanced
features—including the latest in security.
“We make
solutions where we can provide software content to deploy applications for
customers, and we are always looking for the right combination of pieces to
bring about a seamless and hassle-free enterprise solution,” says Intermec’s Jon
Rasmussen, industry marketing director of consumer goods.
Apacheta’s
SellACE software enables companies to customize their workflow based on unique
business needs, and can be updated as business processes change.
Mike Kabat,
director of software development for Apacheta, says the software is designed to
accommodate companies such as GUND that sell a high volume of different
products.
“The
ordering aspect sounds simple, but there is a lot of complexity [to it], such
as pricing,” says Kabat. “Promotions are very dynamic because they come and go,
and they need to be presented adequately so they can be accounted for on the
spot. From a software prospective, we’re able to support this.”
And because
nearly every dollar of revenue comes from this system, Kabat says, “The
trustworthiness of this application is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
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