USA Jobbers still need to lobby for Warehouse Sales

At least ONE  group of stores in USA still does not have have warehouse sales in their Exploris - REALLY REALLY handy for forecasting and just quick confirmations if you add or increase a stocking level.

More details can be found by joining the message board for CARQUEST Jobbers at www.cqhanover.com/forum/     You need to sign up but you have to be cleared ( to make sure you are a jobber ) - so give it a day ( or longer over the new years )

Good thingshappen when jobbers talk with jobbers - you LEARN best practices and get more competitive.  Happy New Year.

Wish # 6015 - Make FORECASTING easier - especially for Multi-store

1) allow multi-store to change locations from within VENDOR>>LINE??PN SETUP

2) have button to OPEN ALL PARTS in forecasting window - at present you have to manually click on EVERY PLUS SIGN to see what happened inside for each store

3)  have option to split window panes ( like excel ) and to FREEZE window panes - do the part number ALWAYS stays visible --when you scroll to the right -- you loose sight of the part #

4)  space is at a PREMIUM - why waste space for things NOT USED in CARQUEST environment - like Min Max shrink these down --so we can see KEY ITEMS.  Also have option to remember the screen column widths used the LAST TIME - so we can keep our settings.  Also have a 'mouse over' option when we put the mouse pointer on a title for a column it pops up with full name so we don;t have to option the column to see what it was.

5)  have option to display DESCRIPTION --- really needed for some lines

6)  have option to finalize ALL STORES orders and transmit from ONE screen

all changes to help multi-store CARQUEST jobbers

Exploris Wish # 6014 - MISSING Universal Report Generator - Anything we can EDIT -- we must be able to PRINT

I am surprised by the LACK of options for reports -- to the point --I am surprised that the UNIVERSAL REPORT generator ( Crystal Reports or whatever name you give it ) is still missing.

In short --if we can edit the field --we need to have the option to PRINT that field in a report -- case in point --we are looking at the flexibility to use customer  notes to help us collect overdue A/R - we need to be able  to PRINT these customer  notes either in total or by any number of filter criteria ( say - all notes for salesmen #1  or all notes by Account Group that equals 'x'.

This is written up an enhancement request # 1022063 called into Ed Brown today.

Please let us know the estimate for a universal report writer  --  that has been promised for some time to the advisory committee.

Wish # 6013 - missing option in FORECASTING to adjust levels

In FORECASTING there is something missing - there needs to be an option to ADJUST existing stock levels based upon sales levels.  There is a way to ADD level for parts OUTSIDE the ales class  threshold ( eg if you sell 8 of something in sales class 7 and your P/N level is set to 5.8 -- it will add one ).  BUT there is NO WAY to adjust stocking levels for parts that CLIMB or DIVE in sales that are in our stock.

A  good example will be  stock levels on BDR 5580 rotors -- this level will be set HI and as sales continue to decline --what mechanism is there to pare back stocking levels ... or conversely on items that start to rapidly increase -- the forecast program doesn't pick these up to INCREASE stock levels.

In the image attached - this missing section handles the GROWTH and DECLINE phase - while the existing handles the DEVELOPMENT & INTRODUCTION phase well.  Thanks to Dave W for help on  this

Wish # 6012 - variable margins for LIST price

I have sat thru several CTI classes where the instructor was pushing the idea that shops needs to set a MATRIX in their Shop Management software for their price they charge their customers - to have less MARGIN on more expensive items and an ever increasing MARGIN on the less expensive items.

Well - guess what - they are right -- and I want to know why we don;t have this option in our EXPLORIS system so we can work with our customers and set our LIST to equal what they want their selling price to be.  We need variable margin table based upon selling price.

Please add this to the enhancement request file....   BTW --I have also requested this on Oct 18 2004 -- before I started the policy of numbering my requests ... this need still exists - and the passage of this many years just amplifies the pressing need. ---below is that 2004 copy ........

Begin forwarded message:

From: Greg HENDERSON

Date: October 18, 2004 3:53:42 PM GMT-04:00

To:  XXXXXX

Cc:  xxxxxx

Subject: Variable LIST price matrix

Hello Terri

I hope the Exploris roll out  is going well

I had an opportunity to sit in on  a CTI training  course ( Alban Bennett -
Service Advisor - Beyond Order Taking  ) recently and am  going thru notes I
made.

One key fact  he had  was to establish  a matrix for LIST PRICE based upon
cost - see below
               Price  Multiplier
Cost < $1           4x's
Cost  $1-$10        3x's
Cost 10-$50         2.5x's
Some data here omitted....
Above $500          1.33 x's

In J-CON we can set the list price -- but like so many other things in
CARQUEST it is a frozen value - regardless of cost ( ask Peter McNally of my
quest on other formula's with variability for cost )

Can Exploris do this?  If  not - could it PLEASE be considered?  Especially
since the CTI trainers are requesting it...:-)

Wish #6011 - faster simpler more ELEGANT way to reduce credit limits on overdue accounts

Looking at the steps required to REDUCE credit limits on OVERDUE ACCOUNTS ....  wow .... nothing ...just the old fashion labor intensive way of one at a time ....  gee ...what is up with this ...   We don't want the a SLEDGEHAMMER way of mass modify .... we want an elegant way --like you offer us in the  parts moveup in forecasting ---that allows us to edit changes then apply the resulting updates in a FAST SIMPLE way.

For Multi-store  we will need options similar to forecasting.   Perhaps there is an additional flag ( or two ) that might be added to the customer that allows us to identify at WHAT POINT the customer qualifies for the credit limit change .... most 2% net 10 customers would qualify at 50 days ( for us anyway )  but we have some customers that pay net 60 days and it would be nice to allow us to identify these and set their LIMITS accordingly.

Since we have your attention -- how about one extra nice feature - when we run this list - allow us to see the clerk that changed the  credit limit the last time ... this allows us to ask that clerk if they did in deed get a payment promise -- so we can follow up.

Exploris in general needs a massive upgrade  to help independent jobbers to 'systematize' their approach to collecting overdue A/R.   The fact that the JV's pull the data out and use Oracle does not help our cause in adding system improvements that allow us to minimize our time on collecting -- to maximize our time that we must invest in collecting monies.

Wish # 6010 - add the missing NON-STOCK flag for Warehouse

We miss the non-stocking flag that we had in J-Con (see image).  This helped us many times to push the request to someone special in Raleigh to get the warehouse  to ADD to stock based upon application or our 3 stores demand alone.

PLEASE - add the non-stock flag --so we KNOW what the problem is -- and then we can take steps to correct the problem -- we need stock to sell.

Exploris Wish # 6009 - SORT options in overdue A/R

Looking at Mutli-store or LARGE JOBBERS  - on the OVER DUE A/R report.   Called in # 1018223   as ADDING additional report sort options ....

The one image is from the MAIN CUSTOMER page --showing account class, account group and collector code - we feel  these should be INCLUDED in the options to SORT BY -- in fact we think with MULTI-STORE jobbers we need MULTIPLE sort by's ( like you have in common excel pages )  to sort FIRST by  --then sort  SECOND by ....

Large or Multi-store jobbers with common A/R need more options

Exploris wish # 6008 - MORE Options on Reports

On the image attached - we should have the option BEYOND just putting ONE number in the various field FILTERS ....

For example -- if you want MULTIPLE criteria --- you want all numbers from 1 thru 6 you would add '1-6'  or if you wanted multiple various numbers you would add  '1,3,5,7'
    Or if you wanted all but ( not equal to )  you would add  '!=2'  and get everything BUT things with a 2 in it.   Or if you wanted ALL that are greater than 3   '>3'   ...anyways you get the idea.  These are VERY SIMPLE commands in Oracle that Exploris seems to be missing ....  for existing users who may never need them - fine - nothing changes - but for larger or Multi-Store with common A/R these are VERY IMPORTANT.  This request is #1018217 on the help desk register  and my # 6008 )

Multi-store - open windows

Just a quick point to clarify -- you can have various windows open from each store in Exploris - you might have a hard time remembering what store was what tag until you went to that page and verified  the store tag in the upper right hand side - but it can be done -- kind of klunky - but possible

Footnotes in Alternates

Talking with Damon (Kitchener) and apart from his problem with WPC (see message board for Jobbers only at CARQUEST JOBBERS Helping Each Other (click here)  he briefly mentioned the EXTRA description at the end of Alternates ... since I am the NEW GUY I had to have a look.  Sure enough the footnotes allow you to have an extra line of description ( guess this is only fair as they don;t seem to publish the description for the Alternate part ... wonder why ?

I see that approx 30 characters are one each line of the catalog but we are limited to aprpox 35 characters in the footnote --leaving the est as blank --if you CLICK on the e-cat image I was trying to type in "Where does footnote go andhow long dOES IT GO AN GO AND GO...    ( you get the idea )

Sharing helpful tips in Exploris - that is what Good Jobbers do --especially just before Christmas ( or you might get coal in that stocking )

WISH # 6007 - IMPROVED Visibility on Done Deposit Invoices

I have been talking with Bob Miller and he has been explaining why his store likes to use DONE DEPOSITS 

-- it pulls stock 

-- it makes parts fully trackable when the customer calls up whereas F-10 Shelf Source doesn't and we must ask all staff (unprofessional ) 

-- great way to handle cash deliveries where payment  might not happen until the next day)

BUT --there is a DOWN SIDE to using Done Deposits --the invoice prints and to the average staff it looks and feels like a normal CHARGE INVOICE...

We need better ways to identify the invoice for what it is -=  a COD invoice:

- remove the  word CHARGE from the 'Form of Payment box' and replace with C.O.D.

-have a font that will print such a warning on the invoice that is it visible by eye from 10 feet ...  have a BOX and large FONT stating COD would be my preference

The Image above reminds us of the problem with training staff when differences are TOO SMALL - and mistakes happen in the heat of the moment... the rabbits have at least 3 differences --can you spot --- we need to make different types of invoices VERY EASY to SPOT --not like the rabbits

Wish # 6006 - Report for Cash Customers

This started life as call # 1005810 to Jack ( Denver) and he tells me that  it has been pushed to Dave Vogel as enhancement - so lets give this a number -- # 6006 --- wish list -- how to get a report of CASH Customers identified in POS

I just wanted to see how many customers our stores had entered (as some staff seem to resist this for whatever reason).   But - once the system gets mature -- you want to identify some cash customers and do some things ...  such as see how much they buy & return?  ...see if they should be moved to a different billings schedule ... see if we can send them e-mail to announce a special just for them ... or ??

Let the clock start - lets see how long this might take -- and what additional questions should be raised to make sure we have a good foundation on what we might want to do with this info...  How can we  grow our relationship with our cash customers so they know we are driven to give them good value - not just junk e-mail.  This sure sounds like a GREAT opportunity to tag customers that need a preferred card status.

Wish #6004 - visual differences in Model to Individual pricing plans

May I request (and hopefully it was anticipated ) for V50.x that we have the option to compare Model customer to Individual Customer for DIFFERENCES only as an option.

Perhaps is could be similar to this - the MODEL is on the LEFT and the Individual customer is on the right - with all exceptions streaming below. Click a button to remove( mask ) all exceptions that are COMMON to the Individual that are part of the parent Model so only the tur differences show - so we can review the differences can we reviewed and confirmed or modified.

In J-Con we did NOT have an easy way to compare the model to the individual. We would really appreciate such ease in v50.x

The image below is a rough suggested grabbed from google quickly - for visual impact only.

Update - added 7-29-2010 *** this request is withdrawn - the solution on V50 is adequate to the task and improves upon what we had in J-Con ***

Wish # 6003 - more help in collecting AR

I am surprised that EXPLORIS lacks a 'bank' of user defined TAGS that stores can use and customize to help us COLLECT A/R better -- faster - more efficiently

For example in J-Con there where TWO TAGS  MC1 and MC2 that we could use to identify customers associated with various issues.... for us we used MC1 as the clerk who was responsible for collecting that account and used MC2 as the STORE that was the primary store responsible for that account.

We are having a hard time duplicating just this simple option

EXPLORIS needs a bank of toggle switches-tags that we can set to associate with various customers and reporting that filters for these issues.  I have seen other systems tan they do this.  Surprised EXPLORIS is so unfriendly at helping us collect overdue  A/R.   Serious thought needs to be put into MULTI-STORE updates to make A/R a priority.

For example:

-memo's that are tagged for a date & time --and if NOT paid by that time a memo & e-mail are sent to manager

-a rating system for customers - every time a promise is made and kept - a point --every time a promised missed - deduct a point - at some point we must FIRE that customer as we are spending TOO MUCH time in collecting monies and not at selling parts

-many more such examples spring to mind - but these are typical of help we expect from EXPLORIS

Exploris Wish # 6002 - Multi-store - have option for common ALTERNATE FILE

Wish # 6002 - in Multi-store have the option to have a common file for ALTERNATES -- if you have 5 stores -- you really don't want to have maintain 5 separate files ....

KISS - keep it simple sam

Update ....  Alternates -- how little I know .... damm ... any other system we have had that TRULY did alternates ( forget J-con for the time being ) ---you would link Part A with Part B ,.. and it would NOT matter ... you would call up part B and it would remind you that it is linked as an ALTERNATE with part A
NOT EXPLORIS so to get the same effect --you have to DOUBLE LINK ... so if a staff member calls up an X line rotor - he will be reminded that you have stock in the BDR Too Bad the Alternates are NOT true alternates ... maybe in a future release --or -- just the learn to accept it.

WISH LIST #6001 - Price Breaks that work from percentages

Wish list for things we want - or need - or in this case -- HAD on our old J-Con. The PRICE BREAK logic is nice when you set as a PERCENTAGE --- because it handles future price changes. If you set a DOLLAR amount for a price break - you will have to monitor all future price increases OR decreases to see how you may want to change the price break.

With PERCENTAGES this is handled for you --a good lazy way to do something.

Have yet to HEAR if / when we will get price break by PERCENTAGES - we can only hope.

Update  - been told this can be set on a customer level - but we want it also as an option for a Store (MASTER) or even better on an GROUP of Stores (ENTERPRISE) setting - to keep things real simple.

Carquest Sponsors #5

Carquest cut it's sponsorship of the #5 but did sign on till 2011

Handy PDF program to know

Click here for link on handy PDF program to know

Alternates

Well-- been a while since anyone posted here - lets bring this back to life

Alternates --HOW MANY can you list -- well - at first glance it would seem you can only post ONE part -- but if you post more in alternates --you will see a SCROLL BAR appear and you can scroll down to see the extra's -- better than nothing

Now - how do you handle multi-store alternates - so you don;t have to type in duplicate info...

guess how many sku;s you have in your file ?

Mike Washington told me they where floored when they had well in excess of TWO MILLION sku;s in their Exploris. They found this out when they where moving the data to their new Eagle system

I was just told by Bob Miller that he tried to dump all sku;s with just the mvt code data ...so I could have a look. After 24 hours it jammed at 730,000 and was only 1/3 of the way thru .... OMG .... the issue of only having one data base without a slush file to hold the rest of the sku;s ( Like J-Con does with their Part Source file ) has to be an issue that has to addressed at some point (sooner please )

How many sku's ( part numbers ) do you have in your exploris ?

Should EXPLORIS have a SLUSH FILE ??

What is a slush file --- well in J-Con it was called the Parts Source file that we got a copy of monthly. A SLUSH FILE is a big file of all parts available that on MIGHT sell - so you have pricing and the counter staff find it seamless to sell - they don't recognize the data is not in the normal system.

EXPLORIS has no such slush file -- that means a couple of things -- your active files will become HUGE. When the Washington's moved from EXPLORIS to EAGLE they found out they had more than 2,000,000 - yeh -- two million parts in their file in Exploris. And since we are asking how you DELETE parts from Exploris -- we have an interesting situation that will become messy in a few years.

Ian from Alliston wants to point out that if you see a part that is NOT in your system - your Exploris will NOT go negative ...so when your incoming paperwork arrives --you system will ADD ONE once it adds the part number and you count will be wrong ... ouch. On top of that Ian feels the tracking is not up to J-Con standards to make things simple to see where an error occurred.

Some computer systems allow users to MODIFY their slush files ( we have experience with ACS computer ) -- so you could add X lines to your slush file --want to add FRAM filters -- why would you want to add every part number to your active files --add to the slush file and pull out IF and WHEN you have a sale. This is very handy for secondary lines - so in the example of Fram - you stock CARQUEST but that once in a while you need fram * for whatever reason) - you have all the data in your system and the staff make an easy sale without having to know prices and markup logic. Of course you have to maintain the data -- so you have to know how to use Excel and apply markup logic to their price updates ... but having first hand experience doing this for many secondary lines from 1996 thru 2003 - it can be done - easier if you have a couple of stores or large sales volume (to cost justify the job).

Tip from Brandon - selling Cores to fellow Jobbers

This was posted on the CARQUEST Jobbers message board *** click here for forum main page - you must REGISTER to see this post ***

Brandon let us copy for other CQ Jobbers to share on Exploris .... thanks Brandon

Backstory...
Here in my area we have a few friendly CQ stores that we deal with when we're out of stock or looking for a item that we wouldn't think of stocking, but they may have a niche market for.

It was brought to my attention after a few months of running exploris that we had been charging a mark up on our cores (only lines DSA, CAL, and REB). I found this surprising since it was explained to our BT that installed our Exploris system that we trade items back and forth between these stores and we do not want any markup on the items. I was feeling lazy last night so I decided to use the BT help line, talked to a tech, he said he'd get back to me about how to find a solution to the core mark up. I got bored of waiting so I proceeded to try to find a solution to the problem myself. Needless to say it took a good 2 hours for him to get back to me, by that time the solution was already discovered by myself, the tech fixed it remotely (and wrong might I add) so I had to fix it again.

At any rate, if you have a friendly store that you trade back and forth you should check the billing of your cores, to do this it's quite simple (Not needing 2 hours to figure out the problem). Go to your F4 screen, type in the customer, on the bottom left hand corner there is a button named PRICE PLANS click on that. On the left side of the screen, fourth item down, there is a heading CHARGE CORE, on the drop down menu this should read CORE COST. Ours was set to the default of CORE PRICE which is incorrect (mark up), the BT line set it to NO CHARGE, which means we'd be losing money. Take a look to see if it's set correctly. And if it's not, have fun crediting back your days profits for cores sold in the last year or so.

Brandon

how to dump pricing plans to Excel ...

On a recent Ontario Jobber change group conference call it was mentioned that you CAN NOT dump your pricing plans to get the data... then a day latter I was talking with Mike Washington from Ohio ( Mike is a smart guy who tinkers to see how everything works to try to make it better ) and he mentioned in an unrelated point how you CAN dump the data .... hmmm .... do Cdn jobbers not try things ... ??

Anyways = see image - her are the steps
1) click Customer Pricing button
2) pricing mode -- to GROUP
3) group plan --to the one you want ....
Mike comments that when you export thru Crystal Reports to Excel -to make sure you sue 'excel data' as option ...this is something that you have to work with and get better

Here is link to the Exploris message board - there you can ask & answer questions on this thread topic

This does not answer WHY --just that fact that you can do it ... This applies to non-JV stores only