Can anything FIX Alternates in Exploris ?

Alternates should be a wonderful tool in Exploris - but - they are NOT. In fact we would want to caution you from doing TOO many alternates .... primarily since there is no easy report ( well --NO report at all ) to list what is in the system.

With that being said -- we want to remind you ... since you see so few Alternates .... when there is MOPRE than one part linked --watch for the up and down arrows to indicate you can see MORE ... if you scroll.

Why they dropped the box from a very early edition - who knows -- but they did - and we have what we have ...

Try this to see ...CFP-11101 gloss black spray paint

Oh - do you want other problems - with alternates - remember if you have 3 stores - you do this work 3 times ....

Scramble to LEARN the new Gen-2 E-cat --- did you know ...

UPDATE - 6-28-2011 **** The image for INVOICE OPTIONS has circled the CATALOGUE DESC ON SCREEN --this is important for the ACTIVANT side of things ...and UNCHECK the third box - CATALOGUE DESC ON INVOICE seems to be hte best setting for the Gen-2 Catalogue ..... stay tuned -- more details may follow .....

A question from Bob at Walker Rd ( Windsor ) - questioning the generic descriptions we get with the new Gen-2 e-cat as used on the invoice ... his question caught me off guard ... both he & I wondered why our stores hadn't spotted the problem ....

DISCLAIMER TIME -- it is summer - we are busier than ...well you know

................................. -- we are getting older and forgetting more than we ever knew

I had sent a copy to Raleigh to find out how such a huge problem can exists .... right then I should have taken a minute and read my standard disclaimer above .... when I asked Ryan why NO other manager replied IF there was a solution ... well -I think he has the same disclaimer ( but he is so much younger )

Anyways --the solution is ..... if you are finally one of many Cdn jobbers scrambling to use and learn the gen-2 e-cat due to a 'threat' ... and your store has the GENERIC parts descriptions .... change the setting as shown in the images attached ... click to enlarge ....

SUMMARY --there are times we feel like RATS in a MAZE with this computer system --we are feed just enough info to identify the smart ones from the stupid ones ... there needs to be a much better way to REMIND us 'semi' smart rats ... of the issues to see if we are up to speed ... where is the constant and continual training? Somehow this system is more complex than we can handle ... how can we get help to smooth out the bumps in the road.... damm ... I just don't know -- but I sure know if I was doing it I would have lots of options....

Not Exactly Exploris - but important anyways

Reminder that Canada uses the REALLY REALLY OLD CQ-LINK ... and that there is a change to see the new moveups listed in Classograms ... you need to click the NEW BOX as shown in the image ( click to enlarge )

Exploris Wish # 1674972 Search for Parts

We must have a better way to be 'prompted' that the part number we are searching for -- ALSO has a match in the NON-SKU table--= the parts that we do not have as ACTIVE PARTS.

This problem causes trouble with staff ... and needs to be a priority fix. Wel - one can dream ...and bitch ....

Customer E-Mail Statements - #1672481 -make them better ??

We recently put a blitz on and have over 70% success rate in converting our customers from 'snail' mail to e-mail statements .... in looking at what the customer sees it is easy to spot a IMPROVEMENT to the experience .. Image #1 is the existing e-mail and image #2 is how it can look if we have access to ADD a paragraph of additional info - including a hyper-link to a web page of specials JUST for our customers who subscribe to e-amil statements ( as a thank you )

Belt measuring

Remember if you a trying to measure A and B series belts they are measured inside. So if you measure the outside of an A belt and it is 75 inches you need to drop 2 inches to get the proper length. A73 would be the belt you need. On B belts it is 3 inches. A 75 inch outside would be a B72 belt.

How to get data out of EXPLORIS ... option B

Well--as mentioned yesterday --we pushed and found a person in Business Intelligence unit that handles Data Warehousing -- and with some push --we now have the data for all out customers the following fields .....

accSendStatements

accSendInvCopy

accpbEmail

along with

accNumber

accCode

accPbBusName

accPbPhone1

This is important --as you can print and SORT in excel to see what customers were missed ...

BOY - it is hard to WAIT for the long awaited universal report writer .... something that should have been basic ....