Posts

Tip #1311 – How to Display Quarterly Numbers in Sales IQ

/in /by

This tip is superseded by Tip #1508

In dynaMACS Sales IQ you can modify the display of data by changing the As-of and Year End dates to create a display of sales information for a specified period of time. The following examples explain how to achieve these results.

Example 1:

To create a Sales IQ list view displaying sales data for the 3rd quarter of the year 2012:

  1. From the Sales IQ Home screen select any tab. In this example we have selected the Manufacturers tab.
  2. Change the As-of date to the last month of the quarter you are reporting. In this case it will be September which is the last month of the 3rd quarter.Then select the year that applies.In this example we are selecting 2012.
  3. Change the Year End to the month prior to the start of the period you are reporting on. In this case it will be June since our quarter begins with July.
  4. Notice that these columns have changed to Jul-Sep12 and Jul-Sep 11 representing 3rd quarter data for 2012 and 2011.

SIQ Home Screen #1

Example 2:

To create a Sales IQ list view displaying sales data for the first half of the year 2012:

  1. From the Sales IQ Home screen select any tab.In this example we have selected the Manufacturers tab.
  2. Change the As-of date to the last month of the half you are reporting.In this case it will be June which is the last month of the 1st half of the year. Then select the year that applies.In this example we are selecting the year 2012.
  3. Change the Year End to the month prior to the start of the period you are reporting on.In this case it will be December since our first half begins with January.
  4. Notice that these columns have changed to Jan-Jun 12 and Jan-Jun 11 representing 2nd half data for 2012 and 2011.

SIQ Home Screen #2

Quick Reference Guide

The following is a quick reference guide to use for obtaining quarterly and semi-annual data.

Reference_Graph

Tip #1310 – Transferring history from one sales rep to another sales rep

/in /by

In our Tip #1309 we talked about using the Global Update feature to update customer information. When using that feature to change sales reps, history records are not updated. This allows for multiple sales reps to have history under a single customer. However, many agencies DO want to have all prior sales history assigned to the new sales rep. By using the Update History to Current Rep feature, you can easily move the history from the old rep to the new rep. The following steps outline this process.

  1. To access the Update History to Current Rep feature, select File>File Transfer/Combine>Update History to Current Rep.Main Screen
  2. If you have not created a restore point prior to selecting the Update History to Current Rep <feature, you will be prompted to do so.SnapshotStep2_Warning
  3. After the Restore Point process is complete the Update History dialog box will appear. Enter the OLD sales rep code where the history resides.
  4. Select the Update button.Step3_Warning
  5. Select the Yes button on the Caution dialog box to continue.Caution
  6. The Update History dialog box will appear while the records are being updated. This dialog box will close when the update is complete.Update History Screen 2

Case Study: Ralph E. Russell Co., Inc.

/in /by

“Once we used dynaMACS we were hooked. We wouldn’t use any other software for tracking sales and commissions.”

Cathy Pierstorff
Ralph E. Russell Co., Inc.

Ralph_E_Rusell_LogoClient Challenge

Back in 2002, Ralph E Russell, a sales agency in the automotive hardware, industrial and agriculture industry, had had it with their old software. “It was a custom-written program, and there were so many glitches. Nothing was easy and we spent too much time fixing mistakes,” says office manager and operator Cathy Pierstorff.

Ralph_E_Russell_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

All that changed after Ralph E. Russell Co. saw a demo of dynaMACS. Once the agency made the switch, tracking sales and commissions was never the same. “Once we used dynaMACS, we were hooked. We wouldn’t use any other software program for tracking sales and commissions,” Pierstorff says.

She was impressed that dynaMACS seamlessly transferred a year’s worth of sales and commission numbers from the old software. The agency didn’t lose any information, and Pierstorff says the software was so user friendly, the agency was up and running with no downtime.

“dynaMACS has made sales and commission processes more organized and less time consuming,” Pierstorff, a long-time dynaMACS user, says.

With dynaMACS, the Ralph E. Russell team has instant on-screen access to all sales and commission information. The agency can analyze sales trends, choose how they want to view information, calculate commissions and customize reporting.

dynaMACS gives us the ability to access sales information, sales trends and profitability accurately throughout the year. It’s a very valuable tool for our company, said R.E. (Butch) Russell.

When the team at Ralph E. Russell agency found dynaMACS, they found an efficient and easy way to analyze sales, pay reps and track commissions.

Case Study: Atlantic Marketing Company

/in /by

“We’re more efficient, better at planning and better at allocating resources to the areas where we’re earning the most income.”

Brandon Flack, President
Atlantic Marketing Company

Atlantic_Marketing_LogoClient Challenge

While Atlantic Marketing Company thrives on efficiency, the sales agency identified two areas that needed improvement. First, reduce the amount of time it took to manually enter sales and commission data. Second, communicate key sales data faster and easier to reps, regional offices and management.

Atlantic_Marketing_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

One solution solved both challenges: dynaMACS. Brandon Flack, President of Atlantic Marketing, says of the software: “We’re more efficient, better at planning and better at allocating resources to the areas where we’re earning the most income.” dynaMACS also identifies regions that are underperforming and helps uncover trends that could be causing a territory to fall behind.

Atlantic Marketing uses dynaMACS on the cloud, so data is processed and always accessible. Flack logs in and sees the most recent information. Flack says he uses dynaMACS to:

    “Whether it’s good or bad, I can understand why.”

    Compare historical data. “I can select data for any point in time and see sales history for up to 5 years.”

    Communication tool: “I conduct conference calls with manufacturers to review and discuss performance.” 

    “I view monthly reports by sales rep.”

The agency uses eSi to process electronic files (like excel spreadsheets) provided by manufacturers. From a time-saving perspective, Office Manager Kristen Townsend, says “I’m able to maximize my time. With eSi, I don’t need to do data entry. I no longer need physical invoices for commission reconciliation. Once a manufacturer is set up in eSi, I receive an attachment, hit upload and I’m done. I can’t even calculate the amount of time I save. The difference is amazing.”

The bottom line: dynaMACS is a powerful and user friendly tool that makes it easy to receive, distribute, view, analyze and share data. What could be more efficient than that?

Case Study: Dan Beaudet Co.

/in /by

“With my old software, the reporting format was less intuitive and more cumbersome. dynaMACS flows easily and has already resulted in more profitability.”

Dan Beaudet, President
Dan Beaudet Co.

Dan_Beaudet_LogoClient Challenge

With Dan Beaudet’s old sales agency software, RPMS, getting timely data was an issue. Printed reports provided by the data entry person at month-end was the only access Beaudet had to sales data. During the month, he often felt he was in the dark.

Furthermore, Beaudet says, “There was no way to manipulate the data, no way to review the information in different ways, such as looking at a particular customer’s sales figures. With my old software, the reporting format was less intuitive and cumbersome. dynaMACS flows easily and has already resulted in more profitability.”

Dan_Beaudet_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

When the agency switched to dynaMACS, Beaudet saw an immediate difference. “dynaMACS’ Sales IQ tells me everything I need to know quickly. It cross-references everything, so no matter what screen I’m on, I can click and filter the data in many different ways. It is so easy to get the information you want.”

Because Beaudet purchased eSi, a feature that enables him to import sales and commission information that his manufacturers send electronically, data entry is a thing of the past – as is waiting for month-end to see sales figures.

Beaudet now spends less time managing invoices and commission statements and more time with his customers. In fact, his sales information enhances his meeting with customers.

“It’s very impressive to a customer when you can pull up sales information at his desk, on your laptop. I bring up data on the lines I represent, and show how each did year-to-date this year versus last. Then with a mouse click, I show a graph illustrating that data. The response is always a “wow.” They know that I am on top of what’s happening and that’s very reassuring to them.”

When asked to rate his old software with dynaMACS, Beaudet says, “It doesn’t compare.”

Case Study: Gulf Atlantic Marketing, Inc.

/in /by

dynaMACS has made a world of difference in how efficiently our agency operates.

Jim Warner, Sales Manager
Gulf Atlantic Marketing, Inc.

Gulf_Atlantic_LogoClient Challenge

Gulf Atlantic Marketing battled with a custom software program for years. “Getting information was always a chore; the reports were clumsy and hard to format. Every week, we ran into things the system couldn’t do,” says Sales Manager Jim Warner. Another big frustration: the many hours spent manually keying in thousands of sales invoices from factories. “With paper invoices, we always had a stack that was a foot high waiting to be entered.”








Gulf_Atlantic_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

dynaMACS changed all that. “When it comes to getting factories’ sales information into the computer with no manual keying, nothing beats eSi,” Warner says. “It’s quick and easy and there are no errors.” The agency receives the information electronically on the same day that the manufacturer sends it and can process the information immediately – taking just minutes and requiring no manual entry.

Warner says the transition to dynaMACS couldn’t have been easier. “dynaMACS moved five years worth of data with no errors and no problems. We had a very useable tool instantly.” The agency has comprehensive sales and commission data at their fingertips – no more struggling with formatting reports. “Everything we need is right there on the screen. We can instantly find the answers we need.” Warner says he is quickly able to answer day-to-day questions and is that come up, such as “where can a prospect buy in Tennessee; did a customer purchase from a certain factory last year; or what invoices haven’t been paid and how old are they?”

Warner goes on to say, “Today, we operate in a proactive mode, whereas before, everything was reactive. dynaMACS has made a world of difference in how efficiently our sales agency operates.”