Customer Marketing Tools: Power to Compete

Transcription

1 Updated May 2017

2 Contents Introduction...3 Common Fields/Boxes Used for Marketing Reports...3 Customer Marketing Concepts...5 Customer Item Substitutes...5 Grouping Customers...7 Integration to a Shipping System...7 Customer Laundry List...7 Minimum Margins by Customer...8 Managing Customer Invoice Documents...8 Summary Billing...9 Boxes in the Customer History Window...9 Customer Campaigns...10 Creating Campaigns Notes Everywhere...12 Setting Up Notes Everywhere Parameters...12 Setting Up Options...13 Adding Notes Customer History Group Sales Tab...15 Understanding Customer Monthly Budgets...16 Customer Contact Maintenance...17 Customer Evaluation...18 Using Customer Evaluation Viewing Customer Evaluation in Order Entry Fuel Surcharge (Order Entry Minimum Order Charge)...19 Additional Volume Discounts...19 Sales Trends Period to Period...20 Customer Price Plan...21 Unlimited Contracts Per Customer ECi Software Solutions, Inc.

3 Introduction The following sections explain DDMS marketing tools. For more information on these topics, see your online help. Common Fields/Boxes Used for Marketing Reports Fields/boxes that create separate database records: Customer Master Tab Acct #: This creates a separate database for each customer department. There are two options for account numbers. DDMS can assign the account numbers for you or you can assign each customer an account number manually. Customer Master Tab Dept: This creates a separate database for each customer department. Enter or look up the name or number that identifies a customer department. This name or number becomes an extension of the customer account number. You can enter up to four alphanumeric characters in this box. If the department number has more than four characters, enter the department number after the name in the Name box. Fields/boxes within a database record: Customer Master Tab Dept Name: Enter or look up a description for a department account. Enter any text that helps you identify the department account. When you place an order for a customer with multiple departments, you can use the Query feature to display the department descriptions, so you can easily and quickly choose the correct department account. Customer Master Tab Sic: Enter the Standard Industry Code or any user-defined code that can be used to group customers. Customer Master Tab Category 1/2/3/4: Enter any user-defined code. Customer Master Tab Salesperson 1/2: Enter the number of the salesperson assigned to this account. If a salesperson is not assigned to the customer, assign the account the in-house salesperson number. 3

4 Customer Master Tab Region: Enter a user-defined code that defines the customer s region. Customer Master Tab Area: Enter a user-defined code that defines the customer s area. Customer Master Tab Group: This box allows you to assign customers to a specific group. Customer Master Tab List: Enter a substitute item list to assign to this customer. Customer Master Tab Route: (used mainly for business flow routing) You can sort by route when printing tickets, and/or flushing backorders. You can limit by route when using auto short-buy. If you do not use the route in the Shipto/Attention tab, this route is the default route in O/E. (The route in P-MASTER prints on pick tickets and invoices to help with deliveries. You can sort by delivery route when printing a shipping manifest, printing tickets, and/or flushing backorders.) Shipto/Attention Tab Route: This route is the default route in O/E if filled in. (The route in P-MASTER prints on pick tickets and invoices to help with deliveries. You can sort by delivery route when printing a shipping manifest, printing tickets, and/or flushing backorders.) Shipto/Attention Tab Attention Name: Enter the attention s name to assign this account. Shipto/Attention Tab Shipto Address: Enter the address, city, state abbreviation, and zip code of the new shipping address. Customer Shipto/Attention Tab Credit Card ID: Enter a credit card that would be used as the tender for an order. Customer Buyers/Manifest Tab Route: Specify the customer s delivery route. If you do not specify a route in this box, it defaults to the route entered in the Route box in the Master tab. This is the second route box used in searching for a route. The first box used to determine the route is the Route box in the Shipto/Attention tab. Customer Order Entry Tab Remote ID: Use this box as an identifier for customers with remote order entry terminals. This works as a password that restricts a remote customer to the order entry application. To make the remote site to be able to print pick tickets or invoices, the identifier entered in this box must be numeric. If you enter NH in this box, DDMS does not search for, display, or hold orders. If you do not use this box for this purpose, it can be used for any user-defined sorting code. Customer Order Entry Tab O/E Exempt: Use this box to place the customer on credit hold in order entry. DDMS does not allow an order to be placed for customers on credit hold, regardless of their order entry status. Customer Buyers/Manifest Tab P/O #: Use this box to enter the default P/O # for this account. Customer History Total Sales Tab Exp Sales: This box displays the expected sales for this customer. This is a customer input only box. The information is not used. Customer History Total Sales Tab Exp Margin: This box displays the expected margin for this customer. This is a customer input only box. The information is not used. Customer History Total Sales Tab Exp GP%: This box displays the expected gross profit percentage for this customer. Customer History Total Sales Tab # of Employees: The # Of Employees box in the Customer History Total Sales tab displays the number of employees for this customer. This is a customer input only box. The information is not used in any way. 4

5 Customer History Total Sales Tab Campaign 1/2: You can view campaign information for this customer. The campaign code and the last activity date for these campaigns are displayed in these boxes. This information is for display only and is stored in the C-SUPP file. Fields/boxes entered in the O/E record (Order Entry window): Order Entry Global Tab Purchase Order #: Click this box to enter the customer s purchase order number. (You can enter a long or short P/O number.) Order Entry Order Settings Dialog Box Who Called: Click this box to enter the name of the individual who called to place the order. This option is especially helpful when dealing with telephone orders. You can enter up to 30 characters. The name you enter displays as a AAAA special and prints above the first line item on the pick ticket. Order Entry Global Tab Ship To: Click these boxes to change the customer s default shipping address. The address in these boxes indicates where to ship the order. Order Entry Order Settings Dialog Box Attention: Enter or select the name of the individual who the order needs to be delivered to. This option is especially helpful when dealing with telephone orders. Order Entry Global Tab Route: Click this box to change the customer s default delivery route for this order. This box displays the customer s default route, UPS for United Parcel Service, or UMS for United Mail Service, for example. The information in this box comes from the Route box in the Customer Master tab. Route information prints on pick tickets and invoices and can help with deliveries. In addition, you can sort by delivery route when printing a shipping manifest or flushing backorders. Customer Marketing Concepts Stockroom locations: Most companies have a stockroom from which they disperse office supplies. ECi makes it possible for you to manage your customers stockrooms as a special service. There are two types of stockrooms you can offer to your customers. With the first type of stockroom, Bill Before, you bill the customer when the stock is shipped to the customer. With the second type, Bill After, you bill the customer when the inventory is pulled. The two basic services that the dealer provides through the stockroom management program are restocking the stockroom location, and providing the customer with usage reports that show sales by department. Stockrooms can be maintained using low-stock reports and mins and maxes, removing the guess work as to how much of an item a customer needs. You can use the Sic box in the Customer Master tab to enter a stockroom location number. This number is used when transferring inventory to your stockroom to be reserved for a customer or for future use. Customer Item Substitutes Item substitution lists allow you to setup a list of items to substitute with another item for specific customers. Each list you create can be assigned to individual customers or a group of customers rather than for the entire customer database. Item substitution lists can also be assigned to customers by shipping routes. This feature is helpful when you are drop shipping orders through a wholesaler. This feature is not included in all software packages and may require authorization. For more information, contact DDMS sales. 5

6 To set up customer item substitute lists, do the following: 1. From the DDMS Master Menu, double-click. 2. Click View and then Substitute List. 3. Click Add to use the List box to assign the substitute item list to customers. 4. You can also use the (L8R) Route Parameters screen to assign the substitute item list to customers. There are three ways that route is determined: Customer Master Tab Route: (used mainly for business flow routing) You can sort by route when printing tickets and/or flushing backorders. You can limit by route when using auto short-buy. If you do not use the route in the Shipto/Attention tab, this route is the default route in O/E. (The route in P-MASTER prints on pick tickets and invoices to help with deliveries. You can sort by delivery route when printing a shipping manifest, printing tickets, and/or flushing backorders.) Shipto/Attention Tab Route: If filled in, this route becomes the default route in O/E. (The route in P-MASTER prints on pick tickets and invoices to help with deliveries. You can sort by delivery route when printing a shipping manifest, printing tickets, and/or flushing backorders.) Customer Buyers/Manifest Tab Route: Specify the customer s delivery route. If you do not specify a route in this box, it defaults to the route entered in the Route box in the Master tab. This is the second route box used in searching for a route. The first box used to determine the route is the route box in the Shipto/Attention tab. 6

7 Grouping Customers You assign customer groups in the 10 character Group field in the (AQ) screen and the Customer Master tab. This user-defined field works with the new customer contracts feature. This field/box lets you assign customers to a specific group. Assign contracts to the master account and all department accounts. Once you have assigned group codes to your customers accounts and department accounts, you can go to the (ET) Inventory Contract Price screen (Customer Price Plan window) and use the customer contract features to assign customers as many contracts as necessary. Post a check to all accounts in a group. You access the account by group and all invoices for all accounts in that group are available for posting. Use this group code when searching for a customer by alias. View your combined customers history information by group in Customer History. In the Customer History Total Sales and Group Sales tabs, check the Sales Rollup By box. You can view history by customer or by group. This feature is not included in all software packages and may require authorization. For more information, contact DDMS sales. Customer Master Tab Group: This box allows you to assign customers to a specific group. Customer History Total Sales and Group Sales tabs: Check the Sales Rollup By box. Customer Price Plans/Contracts: Enter the group and set up the contract. Integration to a Shipping System Minimize your shipping costs with Third Party Carrier (3PC) Shipping Interface. 3PC lets you connect your DDMS server to a PC running shipping software provided by your carrier. Customer Buyers/Manifest Tab Method: If you use the third party billing feature, use this box to enter the code to designate the default shipping method for that customer. The values depend on each specific carrier. For example, you could enter 01 for overnight shipment, 02 for second day delivery, or 06 for ground shipment, and so forth. (This box represents the default method of shipment. You can change the method of shipment when you place the customer s order.) This information is available in your shipping system. Customer Buyers/Manifest Tab FR: If you use the third party billing feature, use this box to specify whether to add freight to a customer s invoice. Type Y in the box to add cost only freight to the invoice. Type N for no freight to be added. Type B to add cost and sale freight to the invoice. The cost comes from your shipping system and posts to the customer per your response. Customer Laundry List A laundry list is used to display items that a customer purchases on a regular basis. You can then select items from the list and place them on an order. If you create a laundry list, you can display the items in requisition type form in order entry each time you place an order for the customer. You can also customize and print a requisition for the customer, which makes it easier for them to order the items. Customer Order Entry Tab Laundry List ID: Specify a four-character identifier for the laundry list. A laundry list is used to display items that a customer purchases on a regular basis. 7

8 Minimum Margins by Customer The Customer Order Entry Tab Hold Type/Days box displays whether the customer pays a minimum gross profit on all items purchased. If the total pricing of an order is below the minimum margin amount, the order-taker is prompted to place the order on hold or modify the pricing before the order can be completed. A password can be set to allow overriding this feature, when necessary. You set your password in the Under Min Gross Profit % box. To apply a minimum gross profit percentage to every item on the customer s invoice, type M. Enter the minimum gross profit percentage in the Days box. To check for minimum margins for an order, type O in the Hold Type box. In the Days box, enter the margin percentage. Managing Customer Invoice Documents Prevent Invoices from Printing for Summary Bill Customers: Customer Order Entry Tab Hold Invoices: Use this box to prevent a customer s invoice from automatically printing. To prevent a customer s invoices from automatically printing, type X. These invoices automatically flow to accounts receivable, and update all files that are normally updated by invoices that print. If you need a copy of the invoice, it can be printed from the (TR) screen. or Fax Pick Tickets and/or Invoices to Customers: Customer Order Entry Tab Hold Invoices: To use this box to an invoice, type E. To fax the invoice, type F. If you select one of these options, when a (TR) [A] or a (TR) [B] is run, it does not print the invoice/pick ticket. You must be using AutoComm, Reform, or Mprint. Set Customers up for Bill-Complete or Ship-Complete: Customer Order Entry Tab Hold Invoices: To prevent a customer s invoice from automatically flowing to accounts receivable, type C. This is a bill-complete invoice. After the merchandise has been shipped, you must release the bill-complete invoices to accounts receivable. To enable the ship-complete option for a bill-complete customer, type S. Entering an S in this box makes this 8

9 customer both a ship-complete and bill-complete customer. The order prints when it reaches the percentage of completion set in the (LF1) screen. Since the customer is still a bill-complete, they are not billed until the order is shipped. When placing an order for a bill-complete customer in the Order Entry window, go to the Order Settings dialog box. Check the Ship Complete Order box. Customize Individual Customers Delivery, and Invoice Documents: Customer Order Entry Tab Invoice Format: Specify the format for invoices for your customer. This overrides the format in the (L1) Terminal and Ticket Parameters screen. Customer Order Entry Tab Pick Ticket Format: Specify the format to be used for pick tickets for your customer. This overrides the format in the (L1) screen. Summary Billing The summary billing feature consolidates a number of orders into a single summary invoice for a billing period (once a month, for example). This feature is particularly useful for schools, government agencies, or other customers who place frequent orders but only need monthly or semimonthly bills. The following outlines the flow of summary billing through the system: 1. Set up the summary billing parameters in the (LB) Summary Billing Parameters screen. 2. Set up each summary billing customer in the Summary Billing boxes in the Customer Credit tab. 3. Enter the customer s orders in the Order Entry window. 4. Print the customer s orders to an invoice (status B). 4.1 The shipped items go on the summary invoice. The summary invoice number comes from the number set in the Current # box in the Customer Credit tab, if there is one. If there isn t, the summary number is the next number set in the Summary Invoice # box in the Customer Credit tab. 4.2 At the end of the billing period, print the summary invoices through the (UR) Sales Reports screen. All the items that are not shipped move to the next summary invoice. 4.3 The system moves the number in the Current # box in the Customer Credit tab to the Last # box. The date from the Next Date box moves to the Last Date box. The system also determines the next summary billing date by the frequency specified in the Summary Freq box. 4.4 When you post the customer payment in accounts receivable, you can mark the delivery tickets from the summary invoice that you are paying. Boxes in the Customer History Window The following boxes display in the Customer History window: Customer History Total Sales Tab Exp Sales: This box displays the expected sales for this customer. This is a customer input only box. The information is not used. Customer History Total Sales Tab Exp Margin: This box displays the expected margin for this customer. This is a customer input only box. The information is not used. Customer History Total Sales Tab Exp GP%: This box displays the expected gross profit percentage for this customer. Customer History Total Sales Tab # of Employees: This box displays the number of employees for this customer. This is a customer input only box. The information is not used. 9

10 Customer Campaigns Campaign Manager lets you create automated marketing tasks based on the customer s status, such as new customers or growth customers. You can send s to both internal and external customers. For example, if a customer hasn t made any purchases recently, you might their salesperson internally to notify them. You could also marketing flyers or perhaps a discount offer. Campaign Manager lets you automatically recognize and react to customers who haven t purchased recently. You simply set up the campaign and limit to the customers that fit your criteria. This feature is not included in all software packages and may require authorization. For more information, contact DDMS sales. Creating Campaigns 1. From the DDMS Master Menu, click Databases and then select Notes. 2. Click Campaign Manager. The Campaign Manager window opens. 3. To create a new campaign, click. The Campaign Wizard dialog box opens. Set up the campaign on the left side of the dialog box and set up the corresponding note information on the right side of the window. 4. In the ID box, enter the user-defined two-digit identification code to assign to this campaign. 5. In the Description box, enter a description for this campaign. 6. To enter a date for this campaign, click the down arrow in the Effective box and select a date. 7. To enter an ending date for this campaign, click the To check box. Then click the down arrow to select the ending date. If no ending date is selected, the campaign is active until it is manually deleted. 10

11 8. In the Location box, enter the general ledger location. Customer Marketing Tools: 9. Use the Active check box to specify whether this campaign is currently active. If not, clear this box. You must check this box for this campaign to run. 10. Click the Campaign 1 or 2 button to specify whether this is Campaign 1 or 2. This lets you specify which Campaign box to update in Customer History. Campaign order determines priority. If you execute a campaign manually, the campaign information does not override any previous information stored in Customer History. 11. In the Inspect and Update boxes, you can select which customer records to search for matching criteria for this campaign and select which customer records to update with this information. To search all customer departments including the master department, click Master + Departments. The master account plus all customer departments are automatically updated with this campaign information. To search only the master department, click Master Only. If you select this option, you can also select which records to update in the Update boxes. You can select to update the master account or department accounts or both. Click the Master Accounts and/or Department Accounts boxes to update. To search only departments, click Departments Only. Department accounts are automatically updated with this campaign information. If you select to search customer departments, all accounts with no departments are searched and updated if matching criteria is found. 12. Set up the note information. Use the Zone box to select the Note for this campaign. Click the down arrow and select the zone. When you select the Zone, the corresponding note code displays in the Code box. You can change the Code by using the drop-down arrow to select another code. 13. If you entered external text in the Note Setup dialog box, that information is displayed here. To send an internal with this campaign, enter the text in the Internal Text box. 14. When you complete the boxes in this dialog box, click Next. 15. Use this window to set up campaign filters or limits. Highlight the filter on the left, then set the criteria for that filter. For example, if you select Salesperson, you might enter a range of salesperson numbers in the Range boxes. Then click Add to add this filter to your campaign. 16. Use the Compare boxes to specify whether to limit by numbers that are greater than, less than, or equal to the numbers entered in these boxes. For example, if you limit by year-to-date sales, you would click Compare then specify whether to limit by sales greater than, less than, or equal to by using the drop down arrow. Then, enter the number in the last box. 17. Use the Range boxes to enter a range of numbers, such as Salesperson numbers. 18. The Exclusive check box works with the Range boxes. After entering a range, you can click Exclusive to limit by numbers outside of the range you set. 19. Use the Records boxes to specify sales by maximum, top percent, or bottom percent. Click Records then specify the number in the next box. Then, use the drop-down arrow to specify maximum, top percent, or bottom percent. 11

12 The Records boxes can only be used with one limit in this campaign. The other boxes, such as Range or Compare, can be used on many limits. 20. The Relative Dates check box works with the Range boxes. For example, to limit by First Order Date, click Use Relative Dates. Then, the Range boxes let you set a range within the last number of days, weeks, months, or years. 21. Use the Sort Descending check box with the Records boxes. Check this box to sort records in descending order. 22. As you select the criteria to use, click Add to apply it. To remove a filter, highlight it and click Remove. 23. When you finish, click Finish to create the campaign. To not create the campaign, click Cancel. You can also click Back at any time to go back to the first window. 24. The system returns to the Campaign Manager window. The campaign you created now displays in this window. Two boxes in the Customer History Total Sales tab contain the last two active campaigns for this customer. The campaign code and the last activity date for these campaigns are displayed in the Campaign 1 and Campaign 2 boxes. This information is for display only and is stored in the C-SUPP file. You can also use these boxes for reporting. Notes Everywhere This feature keeps details directly at your fingertips. Notes Everywhere allows you to create customer notes and vendor notes. Customer notes are associated with the Customer database; Order Entry application; Accounts Receivable application and A/R invoices; and existing project notes. Vendor notes are associated with the Vendor database; purchase order numbers, Accounts Payable application and A/P invoices. Notes Everywhere is an authorized feature. For more information, contact DDMS sales. Setting Up Notes Everywhere Parameters Notes Everywhere works with Campaign Manager. When setting up parameters for Notes, you are also setting up Campaign Manager parameters. In the Notes Everywhere parameters, you can also set up passwords. 1. From the Master Menu, double-click. 2. Double-click. 3. From the Parameter Editor window, double-click Notes Everywhere. 4. Click General Configuration. 5. In the Auto Launch text box, you can specify whether to launch notes when opening DDMS. Type Y to automatically open notes when opening DDMS. Type N to not open Notes automatically. DDMS recommends that you set Auto Launch to Y. 12

13 6. In the Path to Attachments text box, enter the path where attachments are stored. Attachments must be stored on a network for this function to work. (This box works with Notes Everywhere and Campaign Manager.) 7. In the SMTP Server Name text box, enter the IP address from which s are sent. This box must be completed for the function to work. (This box works with Notes Everywhere and Campaign Manager.) 8. In the From Name, enter the name from which you are sending the . (This box works with Notes Everywhere and Campaign Manager.) 9. In the From Address, enter the address from which you are sending the . This box must be completed for the function to work. (This box works with Notes Everywhere and Campaign Manager.) 10. Click Passwords. 11. In the Delete Password text box, enter the password for deleting notes. 12. In the Restricted Note Fields text box, enter the password to restrict user access when adding on to notes. You are prompted for this password when changing notes. 13. In the Setup Password text box, enter the password to restrict user access to notes setup. 14. In the View Private Notes Password text box, enter the password for viewing private notes. 15. When you enter the information, Notes Everywhere and Passwords appear in bold. Click to save your changes. Setting Up Options 1. From the Notes Everywhere Monitor dialog box or Notes Everywhere Manager dialog box, you can set options. To do so, click. 2. The Note Options dialog box opens. You use this dialog box to customize Notes Everywhere. Click Auto-Refresh to automatically refresh the notes information when you make a change. For example, if you are going to create notes for several different customers, you can make the Notes Monitor dialog box to refresh itself with each new customer you select in the Customer database. To do this, select Auto-Refresh. As you scroll through the Customer database, the Notes Monitor dialog box displays the notes for each customer you are viewing. In the Interval box, enter the number of seconds between each auto refresh. If you set the Auto-Refresh option and do not have the Customer or Vendor database open, the Notes Monitor and Notes Manager dialog boxes are blank. To view your notes again, go to the Note Options dialog box and click Customer or Vendor and enter the ID. You can also select whether to work with customer notes or vendor notes. If you normally work only on customer notes, click Customer. If you normally work with vendor notes, click Vendor. You can also specify a specific customer number or vendor number. Enter the number in the corresponding ID number box. 3. Click the Display All Customer Departments check box to display customer departments in notes. 4. Click the Display All Vendor Aliases check box to display vendor aliases in notes. 13

14 5. You can set the level of transparency for the Notes dialog box. To make the box solid, click No Transparency. To set transparency, clear the No Transparency box then use your mouse to drag the Visibility arrow to set the transparency. 6. Click View to display the preview pane in the bottom right hand portion of the Notes dialog box. Click Hide to not make the preview pane display in the bottom right hand portion of the Notes dialog box. 7. Use the drop-down arrow in the Default Priority box to select the priority of this note. You can select a number between one and five, with one being the highest priority. 8. Click OK. Adding Notes You can add notes in several places. You can repeat the following steps in other windows to add notes. For example, to add vendor notes, open the Vendor window and add the vendor notes. In this example, we are adding notes in the Customer window using the Notes Everywhere Monitor and Manager dialog boxes. You can also add notes in the Notes Everywhere Note Codes dialog box. 1. From the DDMS Master Menu, double-click. 2. Select the customer for whom to create notes. 3. If the Customer Notes dialog box is not open, go to the Master Menu and click the Databases menu. Select Notes, and click Open Monitor. The Notes Everywhere Monitor dialog box opens. If you have campaigns set up for Campaign Manager, these display first in the Notes Monitor. Campaigns are displayed with a light blue background. 4. To add a note, click New. (You can also highlight a note, right-click and select New or type Ctrl + N.) The New Note Customer dialog box opens. In this dialog box, you can cut and paste text as you normally would. You can also use the Find feature as you normally would. 14

15 5. Click the down arrow in the Priority box and select the priority for this note. You can select a number between one and five, with one being the highest priority. 6. Click the down arrow in the Code box and select the code to use for this note. (This is the note code you created in the Note Setup dialog box.) 7. The Type box is for display only. This box contains the type of note, Invoice, for example. 8. The Reference box is for display only. For example, if the type is Invoice, this box displays the invoice number. 9. In the Loc box, enter the location. 10. The Who box is for display only. 11. Click the Subject box and enter the subject for this note. 12. Click the large Text box below the Subject box and enter the text of this note. The toolbar at the top of the dialog box has icons for cutting, pasting, and copying text. You can also click to select all text. You can also select font and font size and search for text by clicking. 13. To mark this note as private, click. If you entered a password in the Restricted Note Fields parameters text box, you are prompted to enter that password to mark this note as private. 14. Click Save. Customer History Group Sales Tab The Customer History Group Sales tab stores the customer s sales history into individual categories: sales, costs, gross profit percentages, and group sales item budgeted amounts. 15

16 These categories are broken down by monthly totals, which allow you to analyze cost usage for your customers with budget reports. The Customer History Group Sales tab displays year-to-date totals and last year s totals. These totals are displayed in columns based on calendar months. This information is used for the following: Updating Goldmine through 3rd party interfaces Campaign Manager Customer Evaluation Reporting DDMS stores information from this tab in the CM-SALES file, and you specify the customers and items that to keep sales history for in the (LA1) Customer History Parameters screen. Advanced G/L lets you view history by individual or by group. You can view customer history and salesperson history. In the Customer History Group Sales tab, you can select the Sales Rollup By check box. Then, use the drop-down arrow to select which customer history to view. You can select group or the individual customer. In the Salesperson History Group Sales tab, you can click the Sales Roll-up by Salesperson Group check box to view the group totals for all the salespersons in the group. Understanding Customer Monthly Budgets You use the Customer History Monthly Budgets tab to help you manage customer budgets. If you set up a customer with the appropriate information and the customer s sales go over the allotted budget amount, a warning displays for the order-taker in the Order Entry window. DDMS stores all the budget information for the customer for the current year in the C-BUDGETS file. The C-BUDHIST file stores the budget history information for the customer for last year and the next year. Budget Types: There are three types of budgets you can set up for your customers. You can have a fixed monthly budget, floating monthly budget, or a P/O budget. You can use P/O budgets to manage a standing budget, such as that of a school district, for example. Fixed Monthly Budget: With a fixed monthly budget, any unused money from the previous month does not roll over. The budget is fixed. Also to receive credit for a return, the credit must be done in the same month as the original order. (This is the original order date, not the invoice date.) Otherwise, the credit is not added back to the budget amount. Floating Monthly Budget: With a floating monthly budget, you can allow the customer to carry forward or roll over any unused money from the previous month. Suppose that the customer has a budget of $2000 a month. If the customer only spends $1000 of this money in February, the remaining $1000 carries over and be added to March s budget. Also the customer receives credit for all credits, even if the credit is not done in the same month as the original order. The credited amount is automatically added to the budget for the current month. P/O Budget: With a P/O budget, the customer is issued a P/O number for a certain dollar amount. The amount on this P/O is tracked until the dollar amount is reached. With a P/O budget, any returns are automatically credited back into the P/O. If you are going to do a P/O budget, you must set up only one P/O per department. If you have multiple P/Os, you must set up multiple departments. To help you distinguish the departments, you can use the Dept and Department Name boxes in the Customer Master tab to enter department information. 16

17 Preparing to Use Customer Budgets: If you re going to use the customer budgets feature, you should review two parameters in the (LG5) Additional Order Entry Parameters screen. Required Authorization Code When Over Credit Limit: Use this parameter to specify whether an authorization message should display before continuing an order that exceeds the budget amount. If you specify Y, the Authorization Code message displays. You can enter any user-defined authorization code at this message to continue. Password: You can enter a password to restrict the order-writer from continuing with an order that exceeds the customer s budget amount. If you set a password and an order exceeds the customer s budget amount, the Authorization Code message displays. The order-writer must enter the password before the order can continue. You can enter up to four alphanumeric characters in this field. Customer Contact Maintenance The Customer Contacts window lets you manage multiple contacts for your Customer database. You can add, change, and delete contacts. You can also specify contacts for departments. For example, if you are working with several departments in a company, you can set up a contact for the accounting department and the sales department. The Customer Contacts window, contains the following: Type: Enter the type of contact you are adding. For example, if this contact is in the accounting department, you can type Acct. This box allows you to enter a small description of the contact. When setting up Notes Everywhere and Campaign Manager, you may use the information stored in this box. Contact: Enter the name of the contact. Fax: Enter the contact s fax number. Enter the address for the contact. F/E: This box allows you to decide the best way to send documents to the contact. Type E to documents. Type F to fax documents. Phone: Enter the phone number for the contact. Ext: Enter the phone number extension for the contact. 17

18 Customer Evaluation The Customer Evaluation dialog box allows you to view the customer s complete buying history quickly and easily. Viewing this dialog box allows you to evaluate your customer in every aspect of their buying history from sales to delivery. You can view pie charts and graphs by customer sales, categories, service, or credit. You can access the Customer Evaluation dialog box from the Customer database or Order Entry: From the Customer database menu, click. You can also click View then select Evaluation, or you can type Ctrl + F11. In Order Entry, click Order Entry from the menu and then select Customer Evaluation. You can also type Ctrl + F11. In the Customer Evaluation dialog box, click the drop-down arrow under each section and select the information to view. You can also click the buttons at the bottom to select Sales, Categories, Service, or Credit. Using Customer Evaluation 1. From the DDMS Master Menu, double-click. 2. In the Customer database, select the customer to view pie charts and graphs for. 3. Once you ve selected the customer, click. 4. In the Customer Evaluation dialog box, simply click the drop-down arrow under each section and select the information to view. You can also click the buttons at the bottom of the box to select Sales, Categories, Service, or Credit. 18

19 When you click the down arrow on each section, the graph changes accordingly. For example, the first box displays sales information. Click the down arrow to select to view Sales vs Budget 12 months. The graph changes and the dollar figures for the graph are shown at the bottom of the dialog box. You can also view information by clicking on the tabs at the bottom of the dialog box. Click Credit, for example, to view Current, 30, 60, and 90 day figures. This information is for display only. 5. When you re done, close the dialog box. The screen returns to the Customer database. Viewing Customer Evaluation in Order Entry 1. From the Order Entry window, click the Global tab. 2. Select the customer for which to view customer evaluation. 3. Click. The Customer Evaluation dialog box opens. 4. To view different information, click the down arrow in the Sales, Category, Service, or Credit section and click the information you want to view. This information is for display only. 5. When you re done, close the dialog box. The cursor returns to the Order Entry Global tab. Fuel Surcharge (Order Entry Minimum Order Charge) You can specify a minimum dollar amount for an order. Use this feature by setting the Minimum Order Amount and Add on Dollar Amount fields in the (LG3) Order Entry Pricing Parameters screen. Two other parameters in the (LG3) screen are Charge Description and Auto Apply. In the Charge Description field, you can enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters of descriptive text. You might enter the text Below Minimum Order Fee, for example. The text you enter prints on the customer s ticket, explaining the line item charge. When the customer s order falls below the specified amount, the order-taker is prompted and the customer is charged the fee or has the option of placing additional items on the order. If the charge is later deleted in the Item Detail tab, the system writes a line to the EXCEPTIONS file. In the Auto Apply field, you can specify that the system automatically apply minimum charges to all customer s orders when the total falls below the minimum amount. To exclude specific customers, you can use the Exempt From Min Order Charges box in the Customer Order Entry tab. This customer is then exempt from minimum order charges and the order-taker is not prompted when the order is ended. This information is stored in the C-SUPP file. You can also print this information using Report Writer. Additional Volume Discounts This feature lets you offer discounts and item gift rewards to customers that place orders within a certain dollar amount. It gives you two options: You can reduce the customer s order by a discount percentage whenever the order falls within a set dollar amount, $100 to $200, for example. If you use this option, the discount applies to the entire order total and is based on the subtotal amount, before tax is added. The discount is given in addition to the customer s regular pricing. 19

20 You can give the customer a gift item when placing an order within a specific dollar amount. In this case, a gift item is added to the order at no charge. Before you can use this feature, you must set up the Additional Volume Discount Plans window in the Order Entry parameters. You use this window to set up plan codes, dollar amount ranges, and discount and gift items. This feature works in both text-based and graphical Order Entry. You must set up graphical Order Entry parameters and graphical Customer parameters. After setup is complete, you can use this feature in text-based Order Entry. This feature requires authorization. For more information, contact DDMS sales. When you set up discount percentages in the Additional Volume Discount Plans window in the Order Entry parameters, the system links the discount percentage you specify to an existing inventory item. Linking the discount to an item is useful for tracking and reporting purposes. Unless you have items in your inventory that can be used as discount items, you must add new items for use with this feature in the Item window. This helps the order-taker distinguish between discount plans and regular items while placing an order and gives you the ability to track and report on these discount plans when printing reports. Therefore, you should carefully consider how to report these discounts. You have two options: To report the various discount amounts given for specific code plans and dollar range tiers, you should create several different unique items for each level and for each table you set up. If you only need to view one total amount of volume discounts across all your sales, you only have to set up one unique item, volume discount, for example. After you set up your items in the Item window and your plan discounts in the Order Entry parameters, you must assign the discount plan to a customer. Use the Additional Volume Discount Plan box in the Customer Order Entry tab to do this. In Order Entry, anytime the customer s order falls within the specified dollar range, the system adds the discount amount to the entire order as a credit, reducing the amount of the entire order. If the specified dollar range is set up as a gift item, it is added at no charge. A message displays in Order Entry, notifying the order-taker that the item or discount was added. In addition, if the customer s order falls within 30% of the next dollar range, the system prompts the order-taker, so the customer can consider adding more items to the order to reach the next dollar range and corresponding gift item or discount percentage. Whenever a volume discount line is added to an order in Order Entry, the system updates the P-GLOBAL file. If the order has a negative shipped total, the system prevents invoicing the order with the additional discount line items. Instead, the system holds the order at a status 6. The system also prints a message on the ticket indicating that the order cannot be invoiced. The system holds a negative shipped total order with additional discount items to a status 6 or 7 when using the (TR) [G] or (TR)[V] functions. An AAAA special line is added with the text Negative Total Invoicing Not Allowed and an exception is created. When final-verifying a ticket, if the order has a negative total, the system holds the order at a status 6 or 7 and creates an exception. In addition, additional volume discount items cannot be placed on a picking manifest. These factors only apply to discounted items, not gift items placed on the order. Sales Trends Period to Period The URG Sales Journal Selection screen is an excellent way to evaluate customer trends month to month, quarterly, or yearly. 20

21 The Period Comparison Sales Report compares sales dollars, sales margins, and gross profit percentages for any two business periods you specify. It also compares the number of invoices and average invoice amounts for both periods. The Item Sales Comparison by Periods Report lists sales and gross profit percentages according to item stock class. This report prints detail including net sales, cost, margin, and gross profit percentages for both the current business period and any prior business period you specify. Customer Price Plan The (ET) Contract Maintenance screen has been reinvented. The new Customer Price Plan application makes building, updating, and applying pricing plans a breeze. It shows you what you need to see on-screen. You can view usage from your sales history as related to items on price plans for specific items. You can see the following: Sales history for your company, for a customer, or for that price plan. What customers are buying on this price plan. Individual margins on items: Items with cost or price changes that affect your gross profit percentage and discount percentages display in red. You can see at a glance when it s time to refigure your pricing plan. The figures are calculated automatically. They display with the original price plan data. You can sort the data by column to group together items that need to be refigured. 21

22 You can build what-if scenarios on screen without affecting your current price plans. Modify costing and pricing on screen to show new pricing percentages while retaining your original pricing. You can undo and refigure until the price plan is correct. It doesn t become part of your price plan until you click Save. With a click, you can see all the customers using a particular pricing plan. You can substitute and delete price plans en masse to customers. When substituting plans, you can also make changes to the plan. Your information is displayed in an Excel-style grid with columns that can be fully customized. You can sort data by clicking a column. You can arrange columns as you prefer. Your changes are saved by user login, so your user preferences follow you, regardless of the machine you use. The Customer Price Plan application has unparalleled printing capabilities. You have complete font control and header text options. You can use your regular network printer. Because it s built on.net technology, your price plan information is fully portable. You can export your data to.pdf, HTML, text,.xls, and.rtf formats. Unlimited Contracts Per Customer Advanced Contracts, customer contract capabilities have been expanded. You can assign a customer or a customer s departmental account as many contracts as needed. You can also assign groups of customers to a contract number. The Advanced Contracts feature is not included in all software packages and may require authorization. For more information, contact DDMS Sales. 22