Wish # 6029 - Vastly expanded tools for RETAIL Customer tracking

CARQUEST EXPLORIS Wish #6029 - looking at retail cash customer identification in computer system. Many Jobbers have taken the easy ( lazy ) way out and ignoring the benefits of retail customer data.  Our stores and my partners have EMBRACED this and are actively pushing the resource.

BUT - there always seems to be a BUT - there are no real tools for the jobber to work this the data.  Here is a 'partial' list of what is missing ( call # 1054529  Randy Mikesell )
-no retail customer report of any kind
-no stats of the 'skip' rations by clerk to identify clerks not getting retail data
-no stats on by store ( in multi-store ) how many customers identified
-no stats on retail customer purchases of any sort
-no ability to track retail customers by 'optional' phone # ( we are finding MANY cash customers use their cell phones ads their MAIN phone - it is a youth thing

Want to build our retail sales -
-we need ability to send ( with customer approval ) sales notes & tech tips vis e-mail
-we need ability to send snail mail coupons & flyers - based upon sales data

PLEASE -- make this better for our mutual success.

Limit complexity ?

In our J-Con we found an easy way to export and merge data - so for line like Friction we could put all pads together in base number ( eg all 369 pads ) ... and looked at whether we REALLY needed all these in stock ... Greg Guyitt from Auto Barn store lead this charge to eliminate some metallic where ceramic were  a better option ( but not for trucks ) ...here are some typical numbers ---

BD323

BD497

BD584

BD892

BMD120

BMD149

BMD257

BMD31

BMD340

BMD376

BMD459

BMD466

BMD466A

BMD473

BMD477

BMD497

BMD498

BMD522

BMD591

BMD601

BMD623

BMD641

BMD648

BMD650

BMD652

BMD655A

BMD673

BMD679

BMD699

BMD702

BMD704

BMD711

BMD714

BMD730

BMD730A

BMD770

BMD782

BMD784

BMD785

BMD791

BMD792

BMD819

BMD820

BMD833

BMD841

BMD856

BMD857

see this link on what we are doing .....click here for how to BLOCK forecasting.  There is a report-  for 5 years from now - you can see what you did and see if it still holds up (see Inv Forecast report and click on Forecast Flags for 'Do Not Forecast' and print report .  If you are Multi-store --you still have to do this x times ( hopefully in v50 this will get better )

Wish # 6028 - Identify parts NOT being price updated ( X line )

We need some way to identify ( mainly for X lines ) parts that are not being updated in price.   This is call # 1052614 placed today.   

Situation -- lets take a sample line - like Poulin chain saws - getting 1,000 parts for initial addition.  Then 6 months latter we get 1,010 parts of which 60 are  new and 50 have dropped off their list and are not obsolete and gone  ...   how do we identify parts that are NOT being actively priced ...

Issue --is it better to have NO PRICE than an out of date price?

Many data bases have a date field to show the last date & time the record was modified ... does Exploris have this?   We could use this date as a FILTER to list all part in X line with the date BEFORE  such and such date - then we can figure out what we have to do with these parts - are they superseded to something or missed on pricing or ??

Or a simple report listing all parts in X Line that DID NOT get updated ... as part of a larger report showing the averages or specific part by part price update impact ( especially for those who like to track devaluation in lines )

To accept lines for importing thru the excel template is fine -- but we also need some tools to administer these X lines.

It could also have some use in standard lines - looking for parts that have not had a price change date in over - say -two years - and what we might want to do with these parts.

Wish # 6027 - E-mail invocie re-prints from any store

Wish # 6027 - in Multi-store at present you must be in that store if you want to e-mail a copy of an invoice to a customer. Lets say you have a large customer who buys from a handful of your stores ... and they want 10 copies of missing invoice - your office must figure out what store did the invoice and log into that store then send that invoice. And go the next store and do the same --so on and so on. If you have COMMON A/R -- you are not expecting to have to do this in a TRUE MULTI-STORE environment. You would expect to go to the customer file and identify the invoices and flag for copies to be sent - one job from one ( any ? ) store. We need multi-store a LOT more like what a multi-store system should be. We do NOT need to repeat steps because of a poor design. Help us IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY in all Multi-store CARQUEST stores... please ( call # 1051159 )

Wish # 6026 - Main Part Screen -- look in BOTH files

Wish # 6026 - on the Main Part Entry Screen -- when the jobber types JUST a Part Number ( with NO LINE CODE ) --the system at present just checks the ACTIVE file ( in J-Con we called this the JIF ) --- and the Exploris system at present DOESN'T CHECK the 'non-sku file' ( in J-Con we called this the PARTS SOURCE file)/

This is wrong and awkward -- we need the Exploris to look first in the active file --then look in the non-active file --then if it doesn't find anything - DISPLAY a group of parts that could be close with an option to CREATE a new part # when all else fails.

PLEASE - CARQUEST IT guys - make this system easier for us to use.  Call # 1050946

Wish # 6025 - Make posting payments MUCH FASTER into A/R

Wish #6025 - to speed up the process of applying payments ( mostly for open Item accounts ).  The Exploris system is MUCH MORE labor intensive than the J-Con system that CARQUEST had used previously.

Issues:
1) make a ONE STEP posting process for the Back Office.   Keep the current two step process for any cheques taken the counter staff - but allow us a Simplified ( like J-Con ) one step process for the back office - this will speed up the process
2) require the software to be optimized for speed --when applying invoices the system takes TOO LONG on a large customer - delays of several minutes are not uncommon - while this is happening the staff member must idly wait - losing productivity.
3) have a toggle switch that allows us to NOT have the system apply payments to CURRENT CREDITS.  If some stores want this --fine -- but we have three stores and one Office Manager who definitely doesn't want this and it makes more time for us to reverse the changes.

LOOK at the process - we want faster and easier - not slower & more cumbersome.  For everything.

Wish #6024 - ability to CONFIRM the SOURCING Option on a QUOTE

Wish # 6024 - ability to confirm that a sourcing option is available for charge customers and hold that quote.  At present the second you SOURCE something you must finish or KILL the invoice - we want an option that allows us to TEST to see if sourcing is  available and if so -- HOLD the part on a normal quote.  We need a way to BACK OUT of a source check and NOT flag the part as a BO ( for buy out ).

Example - Joe's Garage calls and asks if we can get that Widget Solenoid ... we look and tell him we can and price it - he then says -- hold on - I will get back to you - and he then goes to his customer to sell the  job.

At present he calls back and the other staff can see NO record of his request for that part ... we need a way to HOLD that request even if he have 'tested' the  sourcing option.   At present all we can do is KILL the quote item to clear from the screen.  Not a very elegant  way to handle the process.  Thanks to Greg & Jason at Auto Barn and Ryan at D&T for their input and help.

Call # 1051220 - Randy says don't hold your breath on this request ( not quite his words - paraphrased by writer ).  But this is an essential part of the parts business - to find a part and wait for the customer to confirm - we need this as a FIX

Wish # 6023 - Identify STORES in Multi-Store systems

I have been told that you can NOT change stores from within the Main Part Entry Screen for the upcoming v50.

Until that happens - stores with multiple locations will need to access MULTIPLE Parts Screens and may want top keep them up when doing the changes.

Wish =#6023 - identify what screen ( see image ) is for what store.

I sure hope that future releases allow us to go to ONE screen and access all stores from within that screen.  And to make changes to one store and click a button and apply to ALL stores as well. (sub-wishes ?)

Wish # 6022 - CONSOLIDATED Sales by Line in Multi-Store

this note sent to Dane & Normand

Require a CONSOLIDATE report for multi-stores on sales by LINE.  See attached example that we were able to get from J-Con (upper image).  Can you tell me if this has been added to the pending v50 release?  Or if NOT - is it in the pipeline?  Appreciate a reply

I have looked at the existing REPORTS-Financial-Line Sales - and with just 3 stores it is a tedious job to space out the missing lines that any one store didn't sell ( also see image ) ... one easy fix might be to add a penny to all lines codes at the first of the year for a return ( or some such column ) - by adding a penny it forces the line to show on the report.   Or do what J-Con did --and have an option to PRINT ALL LINES ( even if no activity )

Once all lines match up - it is a simple matter for multi-store jobbers to join together the reports and 'play' with the data.

On the other hand  - if you might be so kind to CONSOLIDATE the data into one EXPORTABLE report - then you save us one repetitive step every month.

The benefits of looking at what ONE STORE sells yet another doesn't helps us look for holes and mis-information and boost sales overall.   Lower Image is first cut at Exploris data.   

Also note in the J-Con data we took the opportunity to group LINES by a product type so we could consolidate the data further down to the basics

Wish #6021 - use ALTERNATE methods to communicate known problems

Sorry - this is a little disjointed -- written during a known problem today ( Monday Jan 11 at 9:50 am )

One of my first encounters with John Chachere (at the time J-Con help desk manager) was to request e-mail as an option for help problems.  Soon after that it Was Joe Zucchero and Rick Young for the use of Message Boards for help desk problems ....

Take this example of 'what in the hell just happened' ...  some stores including my 3 stores - and three other local CQ jobbers all had issues with the master computer not hooking up -- so of course the help line is FLOODED ... and no 'recorded message to help ....

LOOK --we need to have ALL of the following as an option

1) in times of trouble - send any store on file a quick e-mail to inform them of the trouble - use broadcast e-mail.

2) get a message board - post the known problem on the message board and keep the data up to date

3) look at the NEW ways I never mentioned previously --as they where not yet invented --TWITTER the damm problems.  Or text message on phones so equiped.

Our stores are loosing much valuable time trying to Figure out where the problem lay - and without the help desk we are in the dark ... lets use better communication tools to tell us WHAT IS HAPPENING

Note every store will have the knowledge to use some of the above tools - but enough will - and these are the stores that PRODUCE the sales ... the slower to learn stores will pick it up quick enough when they see the benefits of knowing.

Lets do REVIEWS of known problems and see how we can improve the fix and the communication during the problem -- BUILD our confidence in the process

as a PS --when we have a known problem with our master computer --we need to make an assessment of the issue and notify our best electronic WEB-LINK customers - since their orders will not process - a huge issue in our battle to give them the best customer service we can.  See this link here

a follow up PS -- here is link on how to help this problem the NEXT TIME ....solve this problem the easier way next time - click here

Additional Points for CHECK LIST - need a list of KNOWN PROBLEMS

Before we went live - we asked the help desk manager for a list of KNOWN PROBLEMS in Exploris - and got a weak reply - the normal party line - no list was made available.  As a result we are EXPERIENCING EVERY (well almost every) KNOWN BUG for ourselves - and taking the TIME and EFFORT to figure out why and how.

Example - if you but from other stores ( not from your related stores ) - these stores are in a different data base -- more often than not you can see this problem - it happens more than 50% of the time - order something that has a BUY RULE - like in our case some Dorman wheel studs ... we order 10 and our system receipts 100.  We testes a case of oil - it came thru OK --but another of our stores spotted a similar problem in Forman with 170 studs receipted.

It is a KNOWN PROBLEM -- but it wasn't to the help desk person nor was it to us ... so hours of time are wasted by people trying to see why the how and where ... you get the idea.

Oh --you want the fix for this ?   All 'other stores' you buy from start with a ZED ( ok a ZEE for the USA guys ) ... the image attached shows the Windsor super store as Z01 ( go to VENDOR >>Vendor/Supplier >>SUPPLIER ORDER screen -- and uncheck the USE BUY QTY RULE as shown.  Call #1023833

Keep the buy qty rule for DC purchases.

If a list of known issues were made available - how much time would it save ?  TONS !!

Wish # 6020 - make a check list - standardize repetitive decisions

My partners are sick of hearing me preach on 'STANDARDIZE REPETITIVE DECISIONS' - which means --lets find the best way to do something - and keep doing it that way ( until something better comes along )

I also like various authors ( Tom Peters, etc ) and enjoy watching Charlie Rose for the quality of his guests (most of the time)

I just happened to watch this interview .... make a check list  and really liked the part of the B17 bomber test flight story

CHARLIE ROSE:  You told me that story.  Tell me about the B-17 story,  about the checklist.  

 ATUL GAWANDE:  Well, this was part of what I get to think about by  being this mixed role.  I had a project for the World Health Organization  where they asked me to lead a team trying to come up with ways to reduce  deaths in surgery.  

 And what we looked to is we weren’t finding answers in our part of the  world, so we looked to the aviation world.  And there was a moment where  aviation changed.  There was a request by the army for a new long-range  bomber in 1935, and Boeing came up with a plan to put four engines on the  plane.  

 This was a massive breakthrough.  That plane could fly higher,  farther, faster.  It was clearly the answer for the military.  They did a  test run, they actually had a flight competition, and the plane crashed,  killing the crew onboard.

 And the investigation showed nothing wrong mechanically with the  plane.  The pilot had forgotten to release the elevator controls, and so  the plane could climb and climb but couldn’t level out, and so it just lost  air and crashed to the ground.  

 And the reason he forgot was that putting four engines on the plane  increased the complexity of how many things he had to remember so much that  the army deemed it too much airplane for one man to fly.  

 What did they do to try to solve that problem?  When Boeing built the  first production models and the pilot said "I think we can fly this," they  did not make a three-year specialty fellowship in flying the B-17 airplane.   They did not throw more and more technology into it.

 They just made a checklist.  A, before takeoff a few checks on one  page, and following those basic checks they were able to fly that plane  over almost two million miles without a single mishap and ended up having  13,000 of these planes in World War II.  It was the backbone of our air  superiority.  

 And what I realized following that story was that not only in surgery  but all across medicine, we’ve hit our B-17 moment.  Medicine has become  more complex than one person can remember for themselves, too much airplane  for one person to fly.    

so -- where am I going with this story ??  Wish # 6020 - all further installs need a check list --and update that check list after every install to see what was missed so  you finally make the last install a PERFECT install.  We tried very hard to make our install a PERFECT install- but with 3 stores and the lack of advance training - we can say we had a good install - but we certainly in hindsight could have done better.

Wish #6019 - more options in Non-stocked Sku file

I have written some points on this previous ( e.g.  http://carquest-exploris.blogspot.com/2009/05/should-exploris-have-slush-file.html  )

Lets look at options:

1) could we have multiple or customizable non-stocking sku file ( my slush file  or the J-Con term Parts Source File ).  In the file at present are all sku's from ADIS ... but we could do better

- I sent an e-mail to Steve a while back showing him a company that is working with various players like Snap-On -they have access to most OEM numbers

- lines like LandnSea or A&I Farm products (Peter McNally tied to make this work similar to Keystone )

- WHI could offer a premium data file to include many additional aftermarket sku's

- that company I pointed out to Steve - we could have their search function for the lowest cost OEM part (set up where dealers bid for sales ) as premium service

2)  Why - if we have CLEAN part numbers - then we can data mine the sales and get results that can be acted upon - with the present case - the error rate on added parts is too high.  This was mentioned as a serious problem in meeting I attended at Raleigh in 2005!

3) how to maintain pricing ? for data ....  yeh - a real problem - then I am thinking what would happen if we had NO PRICES ...  We fear adding parts that we do not properly maintain in our X lines and in many cases NO pricing is better than BAD ( incorrect ) pricing.

HOWEVER - we could set up options that streamline the NO priced parts.  If we just required an accurate COST price at time of sale - we could have parameters set up that calculate a variable selling margin based upon a criteria set in the customer file ( keeping it simple - have codes of 1,2 or 3 as pricing plans for 'non-priced' parts 1=retail 2=small garage 3=large garage )  and a matrix so the more expensive the item the smaller the expected margin

The more I think of this NON-PRICED sku data - the more I like it - as it covers all the key parts

- do NOT have staff calculate a selling price - it is pre set

- clean data for data warehousing and ability to find trends and react to gettingt he CARQUEST part into the system on a MUCH FASTER basis.

Wish #6018 - new ways to train staff in EXPLORIS

We need some excitement -we need some support staff with a sense of humour and some pizzazz that help guide the thousands of staff towards a gaol of being better at the system

We need constant Exploris training

We need both of the above

Why can't we have a QUESTION of the day to aid in our training of staff on EXPLORIS -- there is such a knowledge gap and we need QUICK - fun to do - chance at a prize - type learning.

a good example might be like  this .....

CLICK HERE for sample

Who is driving innovation in Exploris?   We need more 'training' case studies to show real life issues.

===============================================

ps - here are answers

since the order creates an ASN BUT the credit doesn't - you will have it add to your no hand inventory

1) cancel the PO before the ASN posts ( if you do it that quickly )

2) manually adjust the on hand count

3) if you had billed to customer - credit it back and tag as 'vendor didn't have'

4) buy outside of CARQUEST and do NOT receipt on 2nd order

Wish #6017 - EXEMPT parts from Fast Pay discount

Another jobber raised this question on the CARQUEST Message Board - please add this as wish # 6017 - ability to select parts to EXEMPT for fast pay discounts. Please read thru the ORIGINAL request from Dec 20 2004.

If-when jobbers allow customers to take a 2% fast pay discount --there should be a way to FLAG parts as NON-DISCOUNTABLE to omit these parts from any further discount. Parts as Anti-FREEZE or SOURCED OEM parts could fit --and this flag is set in the part number data base and/or the PN Code set-up

Your comments are appreciated --- this is a fairly obvious suggestion - and you can see that ALL the heavy weights - like Chandler were CC's - all to be forgotten and or ignored... mayeb it is time we LOOKED at the process of innovation in Exploris.

PS -this original request pre-dated my use of Wish #'s ( wish # in 2005 thru 2008 started with a 5 - wish #'s in 2009-2010 start with a 6 )

=============================================================
Begin forwarded message:

From: Greg Henderson <>
Date: December 20, 2004 7:58:11 PM GMT-05:00
To:  Terri Ballard
Cc: ,Rick Young, Chandler Ellis, Roy Hedges
Subject: Calculating fast pay discounts - more questions

Hello Terri

Rick mentioned he was forwarding a previous question I sent today -- part of my e-mail had to do with fast pay discounts and the somewhat 'clunky' way they forced the counterman to re-calculate them so a payment could be entered ... Hmm ...more questions on the whole idea of fast pay discounts ...

On an older system we had ( Uni-Select-Progeciels-Sim--aka some derivative from Tennessee 1984-1996 ) we had an option to make that sale as "Discountable" or "Non-Discountable" --so things like :
Bulk Oil
Anti-freeze
any Buy-Out or
Special Quoted Equipment like hoists could be made NET of any further
fast pay discounts

Perhaps we could take that one step further (well - I do like to push until things break or tempers flair.. ... And set a code in the product file as discountable/ non-discountable and pre-select unique items like Anti-freeze
or 10-30 oil or ... As NON-DISCOUNTABLE. Then how could we set Buy-outs as non-discountable ( XBO line code ?? )
 On the statement these sales needs to be flagged - we had a column with an asterisk for any sale as Non Discountable?
 The POS Invoice would need a confirmation to keep as Non_Discountable?
 Might this idea have any merit? 

Wish # 6016 - better details & stats on price over strikes

Finished our first month --looking at LISA reports on a variety of things - surprised on price over-strikes ( price over rides ) and the  LACK of details and LACK of review on impact of these changes.  Hey - we want a computer that helps us look at issues and SEE thru the clutter to see the underlying problems.  We need much more CREATIVITY in programing on EXPLORIS.

Wish #  6016 - price over-strikes
-track the final price - vs the 'normal' price - was it an increase or decrease
-have pop-up box with pre-set questions on WHY this is being changed - allow us to track by these conditions in LISA ... questions could include - to match competition (name them?) - special deal (ass clerk) - our price needs to be changes (  and why ) etc etc
-in end of day/end of month reports &/or in LISA have summary of IMPACT on price over rides.

Lets us the EXPLORIS  computer to make us smarter and to help us give the customer better service.  This was called is as #1027422 on 1-4-2010.  If we have a problem --lets fix it in the billing schedules - lets not use price stirkes - lets standardize the process.

#1026709 - No Fast Pay discounts on Cdn Stmts ??

As we are NEW to Exploris in running store  -- our first run of statements - we are surprised that the FAST PAY discounts has been pulled from Exploris in Canada ... we are attempting to find out why and more importantly --WHEN ( as no ETA is given for this to be returned )

This is unacceptable to all --to not state what the customer can deduct for fast pay on the statement.  This is another example of the differences in Exploris for the independent  jobber --as the JV stores pull data and process in Oracle.  Who is sticking up for Cdn Independent Jobbers in CARQUEST ?

Call # 1026709 if you want to follow up.  Have forwarded e-mail to Normand & Dane for their reply.

Multiple Cash Drawers - Random Problem in reports

Rhonda at D&T/Petes/Auto Barn has spotted a RANDOM problem in cash drawer reporting where the names will DUPLICATE on the current report - but show properly on a historical report.  Have fun balancing your cash with multiple drawers.  EXPLORIS Call # 1023538 if you want to check on progress to solve -

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