Descartes Sales and Merchandiser Management solution (alternative name Sales and Territory Planner) is a key product in the Descartes Management Suite™

Top line growth is the number one objective for consumer oriented manufacturers and distributors. Being able to manage the sales representative and merchandiser activity end-to end is one of the keys to driving top line growth.

It starts with planning that maximises the amount of time that these critical resources have in their customer’s stores and delivery synchronisation that helps ensure that product is there when the merchandiser arrives. Real-time tracking and communications ensures that disruption with deliveries has minimal impact on merchandiser productivity and actual in-store time. Sequencing and tracking help to reduce rising mileage reimbursement costs. Automated data capture and reporting allows better performance tracking of individual sales reps and merchandisers and that data can be readily integrated with corporate payroll systems reducing paperwork and processing costs.

Drives Operational Efficiencies

• Automated route planning can optimise and coordinate daily delivery routes and merchandiser routes in real time.
• Eliminate inefficiencies found in fixed delivery routes.
• Reduce unnecessary overtime hours by creating a coordinated plan that ensures merchandisers arrive within a narrow time window following a delivery of goods.
• Track performance of both delivery vehicles and merchandisers throughout the day.
• Measure performance results against historical data to optimise resource allocation.
• Reduce back-office processing of timecards by using a mobile phone to capture date and time stamps for a merchandiser’s arrival/departure at each customer site.
• Be more efficient and productive in deploying resources in the field.

 Streamline the Mobile Workforce

• Field data capture provides improved tracking of field activity.
• Territory managers gain visibility into their mobile workforce, and can identify at a glance which merchandisers are assigned to each delivery.
• Mobile workers achieve real-time visibility into delivery status with accurate and updated E.T.A.s that take into account traffic and other delays.
• Merchandisers gain access to their own routes on the fly through call outs or via their mobile phones.
• Merchandisers can improve customer service through more accurate arrival scheduling.

Improves Customer Service

• Ensure the optimal use of the sales rep and merchandiser’s time with the customer.
• Reduce on shelf out of stocks.
• Improve the effectiveness of promotions and increase the sales of highly seasonal products.
• Minimise retail store back room space demands when delivery and merchandiser routes are synchronized.
• Efficient service may be rewarded with more shelf space.
• Provides Immediate ROI
• Realize a clear, measurable and immediate payback on your investment.
• Service can be up and running within days.

The Descartes Sales & Merchandiser Management Solution Includes:

• Weekly activity planning.
• Stop sequencing.
• Product delivery synchronization.
• Schedule & in-store activity communication via GPS-enabled phones.
• Real-time tracking of product deliveries.
• Real-time tracking of merchandisers and sales representatives.
• Real-time delivery status visibility for merchandisers and sales representatives.
• Actual kilometres driven and in-store time calculation.
• Consolidated performance reporting for management and the merchandiser and sales representatives.
• Performance data available for up-loading to corporate payroll and expense reporting systems.
• Standard integration with Descartes’ delivery route planning solutions.