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Tip #1507 – Using the dynaMACS Sample Database to Experiment with dynaMACS Software without Using Your Live Data

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The following tip will show you how to switch to the dynaMACS Sample Database so that you can explore and perform agency activities on a sample database which will not affect your live data.

Switching to the Sample Database

  1.  From the dynaMACS main menu select File>Preferences.

Main Screen

2.   Select Sample from the drop down list in field 1 Database (Main/Sample).

3.   Select the Save button.

User Preferences

You will now have the ability to experiment with all aspects of your dynaMACS software using the sample database while not disturbing your live data.

4.  To return to your main database select File>Preferences from the main dynaMACS screen.

Main Screen

5.  Select Main from the drop down list in field 1 Database (Main/Sample).

6.   Select the Save button.

User Preferences 2

 

Case Study: Don Green Sales Co., Inc.

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“dynaMACS’ commission reconciliation module saves us thousands of dollars each year.   We would be lost without it.”

Kelly Hodges, VP of Finance / Marketing Coordinator
Don Green Sales Co., Inc.

DonGreen_ImageClient Challenge

When Don Green Sales Co. Inc., compares “the old days” of manually tracking sales and commissions to today with dynaMACS software, Marketing Director / VP, Finance Kelly Hodges says, “It’s like going from the Flintstones to the Jetsons.”

This busy agency doesn’t have time to waste on manual processes for entering data, tracking sales, reconciling invoices and paying commissions. Instead, it requires software that is automated, easy-to-use and reliable.

DonGreen_Statistics

dynaMACS Solution

“dynaMACS has simplified our lives drastically, even with the thousands and thousands of invoices we receive each month,” Hodges stated.

Don Green Sales has partnered with MACS Software, creator of dynaMACS, nearly 20 years, and along the way has seen the software keep pace with the needs of manufacturers’ sales agencies and reps.

However, the agency did its research and looked at other Windows-based softwares before deciding to make the switch from MACS to dynaMACS. In the end, the agency selected dynaMACS. “The conversion was effortless, the Windows-based interface was simple and we didn’t have to learn another software,” Hodges said. She went on to say that by identifying unpaid manufacturers’ invoices, commission reconciliation has more than paid for the software’s cost.

The agency also uses dynaMACS Mobile so, “our salesmen are as current as the office is. Invoices are entered right away. The field knows about new sales so they can manage their territories effectively.”

*This case study was completed in 2006

Tip #1506 – Using the dynaMACS Manufacturer X-Reference File “Source Code ” to Classify Groups

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The Source Code field in the Manufacturer X-Reference file provides dynaMACS users with a powerful reporting tool.  As an example, all customers that buy that “line” through a buying group could be identified using the “Source Code”.  This tip will explain how to accomplish this.

Updating the Manufacturer/Customer Cross-Reference with a Source Code.

  1. From the Manufacturer Viewer screen, highlight the manufacturer.  In this example we have selected the manufacturer Lee Jacob Mfg.
  2. Select the X-Reference tab.
  3. Highlight the Customer.  In this case the customer is Adel’s Dist/Cinci.  If the X-Reference for a particular customer is not set up, you can do so by selecting the Add button.
  4. Select the Edit button.Mfg Viewer
  5. From the Manufacturer/Customer Cross-Reference Maintenance screen select the Binocular button to the right of the Source field.
  6. From the Customer Viewer screen select the Customer.  In the following example we will use the ABC Buying Group.  Double click on this customer.Customer Viewer
  7. You will be back in the Manufacturer/Customer Cross-Reference Maintenance screen and the Source Code field will be populated with the selected Source Code.
  8. Select the Save button and then select the Exit button.Mfg-Cust X-ref

Filtering on an X-Ref Source Code to Include in the Sales IQ Screen

  1. From the Sales IQ screen select the manufacturer.
  2. Select the Customers tab.
  3. Select the Filter button.Sale IQ
  4. In the X-Reference section at the bottom of the screen make sure “Starts With” is selected and enter the Source code for source “ABCB00” in both fields to the right.  This is the Source that was used for this example.
  5. Select “Include This Range”.
  6. Select the Apply button.Filters
  7. The Filters screen will close bringing you back to the Sales IQ screen which will refresh displaying the filtered data.  As you can see in the example below, only the customers for the manufacturer Lee Jacob Mfg that are in the buying group will be displayed in the list. Sale IQ 2

Case Study: Big East Sales Team

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 “dynaMACS is designed specifically for sales agencies, so it has all the features I need to manage my business more effectively. There’s nothing like it in the industry.”

Ron Remer, Partner
Big East Sales Team

BigEast_LogoClient Challenge

When Ron Remer founded IdeaRep (which now does business as Big East Sales Team, with Dan Pigott of DP Marketing) it was back in the 1990s: the start of the computer age. At the time, this forward-looking agency realized the computer’s potential for managing a business, but could find no software that was designed for multi-line reps. “When making a sales call, I had to manually compile some sort of numbers to review with the customer,” Remer explains. “It took too much time and didn’t look very professional.” Then, he was introduced to dynaMACS’ predecessor: MACS software. Suddenly, the agency had a clear picture of what their suppliers and distributors were doing – where sales were up and where they were down. When dynaMACS, an easy-to-use Windows based version, was introduced a few years later, the agency was on-board immediately.

Big_East_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

“dynaMACS is not only easy-to-use, with access to any data I want in a few mouse clicks, but it’s also designed specifically for sales agencies, so it has all the features I need to manage my business more effectively,” Remer says.

Remer can run reports in a variety of ways: by supplier, distributor or sales territory. For example, he can look at any individual supplier and who their best customers are. He can sort by state, by zip code and much more. Then, he can see numbers for any individual distributor. He even brings those reports to sales meetings. “The reports really impress my customers. It’s a competitive advantage for me,” he says. “And sometimes, those reports serve as an eye opener for distributors. They may think they’re giving me lots of business, but their individual report may show the opposite. The facts are undeniable, and I’m able to turn that into a growth opportunity.”

Remer is so impressed with the software, that he’s become a proponent. “I recommend dynaMACS to my peers all the time. There’s nothing like it in the industry.”

Tip #1505 – Using dynaMACS Manufacturer X-Reference File Type Code

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The following tip explains how to categorize certain manufacturer’s customers so that you can include them or exclude them from the Sales IQ screen by using the Filter option.

Adding a Type Code and Updating the Manufacturer/Customer Cross-Reference Maintenance

  1. From the Manufacturer Viewer screen, highlight the manufacturer.  In this example we have selected the manufacturer Lee Jacob Mfg.
  2. Select the X-Reference tab.
  3. Highlight the Customer.  In this case the customer is Adel’s Dist/Cinci.
  4. Select the Edit button.Mfg Viewer
  5. From the Manufacturer/Customer Cross-Reference Maintenance screen select the Binocular button to the right of the Type field.
  6. From the Query X-Ref Type box select the Folders button.
  7. From the X-Reference Type box enter the code you wish to use for this type code and <Tab>. In the following example we used “K” for “Key Account”.
  8. Enter the Description for the X-Ref Type.
  9. Select the Save button to add the new X-Ref Type and then the Exit button.    You will be returned to the Query X-Ref Type box. X-Ref 1
  10. From the Query X-Ref Type box, highlight and double click the newly added X-Ref Type.Query X Ref TypeNote
  11. You will be back in the Manufacturer/Customer Cross-Reference Maintenance screen and the   Type Code field will be populated with the newly added Type Code.
  12. Select the Save button and then select the Exit button.X-Ref 2

Filtering on an X-Ref Code to Include in the Sales IQ Screen

  1. From the Sales IQ screen select the manufacturer.
  2. Select the Customers tab.
  3. Select the Filter button.Sales IQ
  4. In the X-Reference section at the bottom of the screen make sure “Starts With” is selected and enter the Type code for “Key Account” in both fields to the right.
  5. Select “Include This Range”.
  6. Select the Apply button.Filters
  7. The Filters screen will close bringing you back to the Sales IQ screen which will refresh displaying the filtered data.  As you can see in the example below, only the customers for the manufacturer Lee Jacob Mfg that have an X-Reference Type of “Key Account” are displayed in the list.Sales IQ 2

Case Study: Singer Carpet Corp.

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 “dynaMACS makes my life easier. I always know
how the business is performing year-over-year.”

Mark Singer, President
Singer Carpet Corporation

Singer_Carpet_LogoClient Challenge

When Singer Carpet Corp. was founded in the late ‘70s, the concept of sales agency software was foreign to most sales agencies. They made due with paper records and rudimentary reports. Singer knew there must be a better way.

Singer_Carpet_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

When Mark Singer, President of Singer Carpet, learned of a software solution built specifically for manufacturers’ sales agencies, he knew he wanted in and became an early adopter.

Today as a user of dynaMACS, he has a tool for analyzing agency sales, tracking commissions and paying reps. Whereas in the past the only data available was stacks of paper commission statements, today the agency has easily accessible, organized information that can be sorted and filtered for detailed information. With valuable insight into how the agency is performing, Singer says he is able to see the business in ways that without sophisticated software simply weren’t possible.

“dynaMACS makes my life easier. I always know how the business is performing year-over-year,” Singer explains.

To know exactly how the business is doing compared to previous years, Singer can select data for any point in time and view sales history for up to five years. He can view sales by customer – or with a few mouse clicks, track commissions by customer, manufacturer or sales rep. If he has a question on anything, he clicks to get more details. “dynaMACS gives me the information I need for my business, so I know where I stand company-wise and customer-wise.”

Singer sometimes brings reports with him when he visits customers, so he can share real numbers that enable him to have strategic and productive discussions with customers.