Date post: | 20-Jan-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | emery-lawrence |
View: | 223 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Automation
Topic PresenterBarney Stone, Barney Stone SoftwareSteve Cisick, Technology Copilot, LLC
CommCon 2015
Automation
Q: How can you compete and still be profitable?
A: You have to be more efficient!
How?
Use automation to reduce personnel costs.
CommCon 2015
Automation
Find your chokepoints: boring, repetitive and error-prone tasks.
Find ways to automate them:• Built-in Stone Edge processes• 3rd party offerings• Custom code
CommCon 2015
Today’s Agenda
Why Automate?
Barriers to Automation
Automation Examples
Do You Have Examples of Your Own?
Questions
CommCon 2015
Why Automate?
Do things faster and cheaperAchieve predictable results in your
businessReduce reliance on people for these tasksReduce errors due to manual operationsRe-purpose employees to higher value
activitiesImprove employee job satisfactionImprove customer satisfaction, grow sales
CommCon 2015
Barriers to Automation
Fear (Unknown / or gone horribly wrong in the past)
RecklessnessToo comfortable with manual operationsAssume it can’t be done or cost
prohibitive.Fuzzy processesOverly complicated processesData accessibility issuesLack of vision
CommCon 2015
Built in Automation
Problem Manual processes always used, but Order Manager has
free built in automation
Solution Approval rules to automatically approve imported orders
that can be fulfilled immediately. Auto drop shipping at order import Multi Order View to batch process orders Batch fill backorders. Automated PO Creation Batch label printing for approved orders. Integrated packing slips to eliminate collation of packing
slips/labels
CommCon 2015
Auto Importer
Problem Current SEOM is lacking straight forward way to automate
some routine activities.
Solution Auto Importer can automate the following: Order import Process tracking numbers Batch printing Batch send quantity on hand Product importing Drop ship tracking number processing Backorder filling And more
CommCon 2015
Auto Importer Benefits
Quantity on hand more current on sales channels. Order changes requested by customer can already be
in Stone Edge. Packing slips ready to process immediately. Tracking emails get into the hands of the customer
sooner. No need to wait for long imports to finish to start
processing orders. No need to manually import orders at odd hours to
prevent massive morning import. Other mundane tasks can be done off hours instead of
needing to tie up system during day. Can be customized to maximize its benefit.
CommCon 2015
Drop Ship Tracking Automation
Problem No easy way to get drop ship tracking numbers into Stone Edge Customers don’t get their tracking numbers in a timely matter (if at all) Drop ship purchase orders in Stone Edge stay open and are never marked
as shipped.
Solution Imports drop ship tracking numbers into Stone Edge directly from supplier
tracking emails.◦ Tracking numbers imported◦ Purchase orders are closed◦ Order marked as shipped
For 3rd party shipping, import tracking numbers directly from UPS◦ Autoload program automatically downloads Quantum view data.◦ Automation platform can pick this up and auto process the tracking.
CommCon 2015
Cycle Count Utility
ProblemStone Edge doesn’t currently have a way to
facilitate real time cycle counting.
SolutionReal time quantity updates.Organizes what gets counted and the timeframe it
needs to be counted.Use with or without scanner.Single or multi-user capable.Organizes list to be counted by sales velocity or
location.
CommCon 2015
Order Fulfillment Automation
Problem Stone Edge doesn’t easily integrate with 3rd party logistics providers for
order fulfillment.
Solution Different methods used depending on the situation.
3PL runs Stone Edge◦ 3PL runs Stone Edge over remote desktop and performs all shipping functions using
Stone Edge.◦ This works well only if the 3PL is open to it.
Text file exchange◦ Exchange text files (order fulfillment, tracking, and quantity on hand)◦ Easy but doesn’t offer real time benefits for error detection, etc.
API integration◦ Most complex way of integrating◦ Near real time, typically the way 3PLs would rather integrate.
CommCon 2015
PO Import / PO Export
ProblemNo way to import or export standard purchase
orders from / to a text file.
SolutionPO Import tool which takes information from
text file and imports them as purchase ordersPO Export which enables text file export of
purchase orders as a new ‘send method’
CommCon 2015
Multi-Warehouse Automation
Problem Stone Edge currently doesn’t support multiple warehouses for the
same SKU.
Solution Treat warehouses like drop ship suppliers from main Stone Edge Auto pick the warehouse to send the item from based on custom
business rules. Main warehouse (who imports orders) sends drop ship requests via
text file over drop box. Secondary warehouse pick up orders file and import and process
orders. Secondary warehouses send tracking back to main warehouse who
send out tracking emails. Secondary warehouse send quantity on hand information back to
main warehouse who can display / act on the quantity information.
CommCon 2015
Drop Ship Supplier QOH Automation
Problem Stone Edge doesn’t support drop ship supplier quantity on
hand import / export to shopping cart.
Solution Take supplier feeds, automate import of quantities into Stone
Edge.◦ Email◦ Web Service◦ Text files
Feeds QOH to shopping cart either inside or outside of Stone Edge.
CommCon 2015
Stack Monitor
ProblemThe shared stack sucks
SolutionProactively monitor stackSet alert levelsAlerts sent until stack levels shrink below
alert level
CommCon 2015
Content Synchronization
ProblemThere isn’t an easy way for Stone Edge to
synchronize content across multiple sales channels.
SolutionCreated methods to synchronize content from
Stone Edge.◦Google◦MyBuys
CommCon 2015
Do You Have Examples Of Your Own?
CommCon 2015
Q & ACommCon 2015