Stepping into the Modern World: Laser Printer ROI

On your way to the office this morning you probably passed a billboard advertising an Android (phone), saw someone reading their morning paper on an iPad, and heard the radio personality going on about the benefits of “the (computer) cloud.” It’s like we’re living in some futuristic, techno-crazed, more complicated adaptation of the world we once knew.

Then, you arrive at work; and, on the way to your desk you grab a cup of coffee from the counter area. You stop to peruse the carbon copy tickets from yesterday that are piled up and waiting to be filed. Looks like sales are starting to pick up. Good deal! You go along your merry way. Sccrrreeeeeeeccchhhh. Hold the phone. Wait a second here. Carbon copy tickets? Didn’t those go out with the Yugo?! Or the French roll? How could we live in such a technologically savvy, “green” 2010; but, yet still need file cabinets full of duplicate and triplicate pieces of colored paper to run our operation? How can we be able to read a book, send an email, and listen to music all from the same device at the same time, yet we can’t figure out a better way to print invoices and keep proof of delivery? It probably sounds pretty silly when you think about it that way, but most wholesalers believe they have an incredibly valid reason: MONEY.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s quite possible you’re wrong. Okay, well you’re not completely wrong. It’s not free to switch your warehouse to laser printers and digital signatures. But, you often can get your money back in as little as 12 months; and, by 24 months, you usually can be SAVING thousands of dollars per year.

Want to know more? I thought you might. Eclipse is set up to handle laser printers. That’s no secret. But many of our customers think that the process and value of converting is a bit of a mystery. As such, we developed an ROI tool to prove it’s worth it. And, we want to share it with you. If you spend a few minutes to complete this simple form, we’ll email you a customized report showing what YOUR company’s return would be on converting to laser printers.

The report will take your yearly spend on carbon copy paper, an estimated cost of new equipment, and the cost of ongoing maintenance into account to determine how long it will take you to break-even. It will also tell you how your cost per ticket will change, and how much you’ll save each year.

Most of the time, the cost per carbon copy ticket is from .03 to .09 per ticket.  Laser printers can bring that cost down to .01. Meanwhile, you’ll be saving the time it takes to file paper tickets as well as storage space, and you’ll have an electronic proof of delivery. Not to mention that you’ll be released from the Stone Age!

As for the implementation part, it’s pretty simple. It goes something like this:

1. Acquire the printers.
2. Set up the print queues.
3. Set up the correct control files for Open Order Statuses.
4. Review the billing process and billing control files.
5. Define your new paper flow for counter sales orders.  (This is important since you will most likely have 2 tickets now.)
6. Train your personnel.
7. Flip the switch.

The process usually requires a little help from someone like us to get it done; but, our ROI estimates INCLUDE that cost. And you can still save up to eight cents per ticket!

Get your FREE, no obligation report now (offer expires May 31) and consider becoming a better, greener, and more modern version of yourself!

Where We’re Speeding Off to This Month

In April, we welcomed SAFECO in California to our list of E.Z. Support customers. We also recently began working with Peninsular Electric Distributors in West Palm Beach, Florida. We’ll be spending time with both of them this month, as well as teaching UFO classes, and taking GVH Millenium Distribution in Amarillo, Texas live on RF. We look forward to working with everyone!

Fix Those Darn Decimals, Would Ya?

Some Eclipse systems are set to have 3 decimals for pricing on customer receipts. While this is helpful for certain functions, it can seem like overkill for others. It’s particularly inconvenient when some of your customers’ systems can’t handle ship tickets with 3 decimals. Without changing your forms, you can make this a little more tolerable. You can set the system to round the number, and always make the 3rd digit zero. (Ex. Before: $10.345, After: $10.350) Go to Customer Maintenance, Pricing, Additional. In the spot that says “# of Decimal Places for Pricing” change the number to “2”.

All Aboard for Chi-Town

You may have heard about the regional roundtables that the Eclipse Users Group is doing. Now it’s time for these Pricing and Sales Management workshops to descend on the Windy City … NEXT WEEK! If you’re in the area, or within driving distance, get signed up!

We’re partnered with the UFO to offer you an opportunity to learn best practices from each other, while also getting feedback from an Eclipse expert. The Zerion instructor will stimulate conversation based on an outline; and users will be able to hear from their peers about what is or isn’t working for them, as well as ask questions of each other and the instructor.

Pricing topics will include authorizations, rounding rules, settings to help in a down economy, and increasing margins, just to name a few; while Sales Management topics will include commissions, human resources and top 5 screens for a manager.

And don’t forget, the UFO is always offering cost-effective online training options with Zerion instructors. May’s schedule includes classes on Receiving, Shipping and Warehouse Management. To register for the roundtables or webinars, visit the UFO’s web site.

News: Recovery for Distribution, Strategic Pricing, Infor

What’s happening with distribution, software and technology? You can always find out in Zerion’s online newsroom. Some stories we found interesting this month include Adam Fein declaring the recovery is here for distribution, a conversation on a topic we’re passionate about: strategic pricing, and a report on Infor’s focus on mid-market distributors. GET MORE news…