Implementation enables Pepsi distributor to fully integrate wireless on-the-road invoicing with back-office QuickBooks accounting system

Solid Innovation® Inc. is pleased to announce that Valley Beverage, a Pepsi distributor and snack foods distributor servicing Central New York State, has implemented Solid Route Accounting™ - Integration Edition™ to automate its mobile sales force operations. Valley Beverage is using Solid Route Accounting™ - Integration Edition across its delivery fleet to integrate with its QuickBooks® accounting system to streamline operations and speed route sales. By replacing time-consuming, manual billing processes with automated, push button invoice synchronization, Valley Beverage has been able to reduce billing errors, improve customer service, and generate new accounts without hiring additional back-office support staff.

William Trendell, owner of Valley Beverage, said, "From day one, Solid Route Accounting™ - Integration Edition has enabled us to generate added efficiencies both with our mobile sales operations and back-office accounting department. Rather than spend hours and days manually reconciling invoices, we are now able to focus our time better servicing our clients and growing our business." Trendell continued, "Moving forward, I am already in discussions with Solid Innovation to implement a Standing Order feature designed to increase sales through a more proactive sales management approach."

Solid Innovation CEO Craig Fisher said, "Valley Beverage is a forward thinking company that has established itself as a leading supplier of quality beverages and snacks throughout Central New York. We are pleased that Valley Beverage selected Solid Innovation to automate its sales force operations and look forward to a long-standing relationship helping them gain a competitive advantage with our technology."

Solid Innovation's Solid Route Accounting™ - Integration Edition is a wireless order entry, invoicing and mobile inventory control solution. Order Entry, Invoicing, and Received on Accounts transactions with integrated pricing and inventory control is managed on-the-road and seamlessly integrated with a company's existing accounting or ERP systems. Solid Route Accounting™ - Integration Edition increases Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and mobile sales force productivity for distributors of all sizes by providing each driver with tools and information needed to invoice and settle on location.

Where is that extra hand when you need it?

How often have you found yourself with both hands full and yet something else that has to be pressed or picked up? The Scan to Close feature of the Solid Sales Pro™ program gives you that helping hand.

Fully utilizing the integrated barcode scanner and scroll buttons of the Symbol SPT 1800 series handhelds, Solid Sales Pro™ allows you to scan an item using the convenient thumb triggers, increment or decrement the quantity using the up and down scroll buttons, then simply scan the next item. The Solid Sales Pro™ program automatically saves the current item and presents the newly scanned item on screen. You need not remove the handheld stylus nor fuss with the touch pad characters.

Many DSD route accounting businesses using the Solid Route Accounting™ - Enterprise Edition Suite, testify that their salesmen have mastered the Solid Sales Pro™ program in a short period of time and are now moving through customer sites much faster. In fact, many of the same routes are taking about 1-2 hours less per day to complete and invoicing time has been cut in half using the mobile point-of-sale system.

At Solid Innovation, we recognize the need to ensure that you provide the highest level of service to your customers. The Si Scan to Close feature is just one more innovative way that we assist you in reaching that goal. Just one more step to moving your Direct Store Delivery reps through customer sites up to 60% faster.

For full information, please check out our Internet site at www.solid-innovation.com.

Inventory Control Made Easy!

A few years ago, one of our clients challenged us to make a thorough, yet easy to use mobile inventory control system. While it took a bit of time and work, the system works very well. Then, we extended the concept of a warehouse to represent many types of inventory locations.

Here's what we came up with.

First, every mobile unit (or truck) becomes it's own warehouse just like the main warehouse. This means that both administrative staff and the route driver can know exactly what inventory is on hand at any given time. On the mobile side, inventory updates occur every time a sale is made or stock is transferred. From the administrative side, inventory is continuously maintained for every warehouse as transactions occur or enter the system.

Second, inventory is moved via a stock transfer. This means that there is an audit trail, or traceable record, for stock movement. It is easily printed to form the basis for pick tickets or to ship with product. The electronic version is sent to the mobile with every new stock transfer to allow route staff to verify their inventory.

Thirdly, managers can conduct spot counts on inventory. A manager who logs into the system with his or her own password can create an inventory count. This inventory count is then used to establish the balance of each inventory item in a warehouse. It is this reconciliation that forms the basis for an adjusting stock transfer or stock write-off, which is created automatically upon connection of the mobile unit PDA device.

Recently, we had the pleasure of discussing our inventory counting and control system with one of our clients. This client employs a very experienced warehouseman. Upon reviewing our system, he remarked that the Si system provided all of the options he was looking for, even overcoming several of the limitations he found in other systems. He found that the system was easy to use while providing the audit trail he needed to run his company.