New Sales Tools for the Road Rep
The aftermath of a trade show as big as the recent MAGIC Marketplace in Las Vegas usually involves a mass of paperwork for apparel manufacturers. But for sales executives at Steady Clothing, based in Santa Ana, Calif., the trip home from Vegas was less worrisome—they didn’t have any paperwork to deal with.
Sales staffers at Steady were using a remote order-entry system at MAGIC provided by Montreal-based Groupe BDM Inc. The system works with wireless handheld scanners, which scan barcodes attached to samples. At the end of the day, the data can be uploaded to a laptop via USB connection and transferred to a manufacturer’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, or other order-management system, via the Internet.
In Steady’s case, it is using AIMS software, which handles EDI transactions and other order-management processes. BDM’s system will work with most order- management systems, but the company has integrated it with AIMS as part of a marketing agreement.
“BDM is the front end. We’re the back end. It’s a natural complement,” said AIMS principal Henry Cherner. BDM’s association with AIMS will make the system more accessible to California companies, thanks to AIMS’ association with industry organizations such as Fashion Business Inc.
In Steady Clothing’s case, processing paperwork following trade shows used to take two to three weeks to manage. Now it’s done overnight.
“The big thing is that the process is error-free,” said Steady president Eric Anthony. “I was a little afraid about how our reps would handle the system at MAGIC, but it went great, better than expected.”
Steady’s climbing sales have forced the company to adopt new technologies to manage its growing business. The company recently introduced Adeline, a new punk rock–inspired line it’s collaborating on with Green Day rocker Billie Joe Armstrong. It also produces its Rock Steady, Last Call, Switchblade Stilleto and Steady Classics collections, as well as a private-label business.
The remote system isn’t just for trade shows. It’s designed for any remote environment, such as road trips and other events, said BDM principal Stephane Blanchet.
“You press one key and you are doing the work that would require three or four people to do for three to four weeks,” he said.
Called “the Assistant,” the device can store up to 500 sample styles. The accompanying software creates barcodes, which are printed out on Avery-type labels to reference samples. Manufacturers can also create online showrooms with the software so reps can reference styles, colors, prices, etc.
Blanchet said companies that adopt these emerging technologies stand to gain a competitive edge since few have adopted remote order-entry systems.
“When I go through a trade show, you may see less than 1 percent using them,” he said. “It’s hard to convince the reps. They’re human and often resist change. On the other hand, you have companies that are pushing it on them.”
The prices for the systems vary. Blanchet would only describe them as very affordable with a fast return on investment. Other companies have also developed sales-force automation tools. San Diego–based Indra Technology Inc.’s “Escape” system allows reps to take orders from the field either online or offline. If they’re online, they can access databases with product catalogs, inventory updates and pricing information. If they’re offline, they access a similar database that is based on information captured the last time they were online.
“You used to have sales guys carrying six to eight, maybe 10, catalogs with them. That isn’t necessary anymore,” said John Wham of Indra. “We have about 1,000 to 1,500 sales people using it every day.”
