Intervolve fields new distribution suite - Computer Systems Update - Brief Article

Modern Brewery Age, Jan 28, 2002

Intervolve, Inc., a software provider of integrated web-based and wireless/mobile applications for the food & beverage distribution market, launched its new DistributionSuite software package for beer wholesalers last year. "Intervolve leverages the superior economics of its unique delivery method to deliver its software and maximize the return on investment for its clients," says Intervolve's Eric Patow.

"Our DistributionSuite is a powerful, user-friendly, web-based software package designed with industry input to enable beer distributors to increase revenues and lower operating expenses," Patow says,. "This unique, modular application integrates with distributors' existing route accounting software packages, helps identify sales trends, improves communication, and tracks customer service issues and promotional assets."

Patow notes that Intervolve's DistributionSuite consists of the following ten modules; eight web-based and two mobile device-based:

* Today--Designed to increase productivity through effective communication and planning. Can organize daily activities and assign tasks to a team with a calendar and action items. Keep employees informed by posting company news, alerts and messages.

* Sales Analysis--Can help increase Sales by identifying customer trends and evaluating sales team effectiveness. Run a custom sales analysis report by brand, route, account, region, and date, and get an immediate visual of selected sales data report.

* Account Calls--Helps increase Sales and build customer relationships with scheduled sales calls. Can schedule and set objectives for account calls in an organized and standardized manner. Can run account call summary and exception reports to verify goal achievement and promote accountability.

* Customer Service--Can help improve customer satisfaction with up-to-date tracking and management of customer issues. Log in a new customer service call quickly and efficiently, and identify problem accounts and service representatives by analyzing reports of customer service call-in activity.

* Point of Sale--Can help reduce costs by effectively tracking promotional assets. Maintains an inventory of all POS items, and get a snapshot of items by account and routes. can measure effectiveness of promotional items with "sales-to-displays" ratios at an account, and track maintenance of POS items.

* Customer Interface--Can increase sales by achieving a web presence and allowing retailers access to their sales trends. Can allow retailers to order over the Internet, via a branded distributor web site, and view sales reports, POS items and service-call-ins.

* Human Resources--Can help increase productivity by effectively managing employee information. Can ensure workers' availability and competence by documenting CDLs, performance evaluations, and other personal information. Enhance the work atmosphere by giving your employees immediate access to their personal profiles.

* Loads Management--Can help increase profitability by improving sales-to-load" ratios and optimize truck loads. Expedite truck loading by printing route and date specific load sheets for warehouse loading crews. Forecast loads based on historical sales, and compare "loads-out" to actual sales in order to optimize loads.

* Retail Reports--Can help increase Sales by justifying first position while at the account. Display detailed sales reports and graphs on laptop and PDA at the account, and justify claims for first position.

* Retail Surveys--Increase Market Share by measuring marketing effectiveness through accurate competitive intelligence. Update your handheld with required sales and marketing information and assess marketing effectiveness relative to your competition.

Intervolve's headquarters office is located in Raleigh, NC with an office in Atlanta, GA.