The document discusses the transformation of a sales and merchandising process through mobile technology, highlighting current challenges like static scheduling and labor accountability. It outlines a strategy that includes automation for scheduling, task management, and real-time adjustments to enhance productivity and reporting. The proposed solution aims to optimize resource coverage, improve compliance, and boost customer satisfaction while reducing labor costs and inefficiencies.

1. Sales Force & Merchandiser
Enablement Through Mobility

2. Introduction
John Bastock
• Former Director of Sales Operations at PepsiAmericas
• 10 years in the Field - Finance / Mfg / Sales (Retail & OP)
• 10 years at corporate working on cost reduction & productivity
improvement initiatives:
– Presell conversion
– Channelized sales structure
– Demand planning / Centralize dispatch / Voice-pick in warehouse
– Merchandising
– KPI development / reporting

3. Background
• Merchandisers are hourly EE’s who manage inventory in store
– Stock shelves
– Build Displays
– Manage backroom
• DSD system
• Sales in 13 states
• Thousands of merchandisers
• Paper-based process
• 3 Person system (salesman / driver / merchandiser)

4. Agenda
• Current State / Issues
• Strategy
• Future State / Solution
• Benefits

5. Current State / Issues
• Labor & Ops Cost Increases
• Productivity Decreases
– Increased # of SKU’s and points
of distribution in store
– Shift of volume to supercenters
– Store demands for service
– Lack of permanent displays
– Static / manual scheduling
Hourly manufacturing labor rate trend comparison
(U.S. dollars for manufacturing workers 1975-2006)
Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor, VentureOutsource.com,
February 2008

6. Challenges Faced
• Static / Manual Scheduling
– Stores assigned by geography
– Stores assigned by account type and volume
– Routes generally don’t vary to keep consistency in stores
– No historical information available for future schedules
– Peaks and Valleys due to Ads
• Workload Balancing
– Overtime
– Under-utilization of labor

7. Challenges Faced
• Clock in / Out
– Honor system for majority of field-based
merchandisers
– Clock-in at depot adds commuting hours
– Lack of management to validate accuracy
– Administrative time to do weekly payroll
– Was the merchandiser actually in the store
and if so, how long?
• Mileage Re-imbursement
– Audit system?
– In most cases pay what’s submitted

8. Making the Case
• Generate the idea – Sell into senior
management
• Get executive sponsorship for capital &
resources
• Partner with IT, HR , PMO, Field Sales
• Vendor selection
• Configure & integrate solution
Entire process took > 1 year
Process
Technology
People
Focus on People, Process & Technology

9. Key requirements for automation:
• Schedule people based on in-store service requirements (i.e. ad
schedule changes & day of week)
• Full accountability for paid time & mileage reimbursement
o Remove “Honor System” and feed info to backend systems
• Provide merchandisers with “task list” at each account
• Simplify schedule changes with real-time re-assignments
• Increase historic knowledge of service time & understand cost to serve
• Better KPI reporting capabilities
• Solution that can grow/adapt to changing business needs
Strategy – What is needed?

10. Solution

11. Effective route
plans & resource
coverage
Out-of-the-box
surveys & forms
Improved
compliance &
field execution
Track visits &
deploy actions in
real-time
Full access to
customers &
planograms
On-line analysis
of patterns &
market insights
Promotions-
based activity
management
Spring Wireless Merchandising Solution
to Address Entire Cycle

12. Spring Wireless mSeries™
Solution Features
Master Data
Management
Planning Execution Tracking Intelligence
Centralized
Mobile Data
Source
Resource &
Activity
Planning
Productivity &
Intelligence
Real-time
Tracking
Analyze &
Respond

13. Master Data Management
Central data source for all mobile apps
Org.
Structure
Plan-o-
grams
Visits &
Surveys
Customer
& Product
Data
Employee
• Off-line access to key
business info
• History of visits & activities
• Data dynamically
synchronized & updated
• Integration engine allows
constant and consistent
master data updates

14. Planning
Plan Field Execution
• Routes built based on target
service time
• Visit schedules based on
calendar recurrence, marketing
cycles & ad types
• Dynamic assignment of
activities based on visit type
• Flexible route views (list or
agenda-style, visit type, status)
• Real-time assignments & route
adjustments

15. Execution
Productivity & Intelligence in the Field
• Out-of-the-box surveys + forms:
 Out-of-stocks
 Shelf space
 Price survey
 Competitor
actions
• Consistent field execution
• Agile response to market
demands & competitive actions
• Improve customer knowledge
and satisfaction

16. Tracking
Track Activities, Location & Results
• Track field execution to
improve planning and assure
visit quality
• Real-time info of field
execution & business results
• Location tracking
• Breadcrumb trails of routes
• Reports & alerts for speeding
violations, total mileage,
number of stops, time per
stops etc.
001
015
006
User: Chris Grimes
Worked time: 4:20 hours
Shift time: 8 hours
Event: Break
Reason: Lunch

17. • Built-in business intelligence:
− Dashboard: field results at a glance
− Reports: out-of-box business info
− Analytics: get tailored info through
ad-hoc analysis
• Prebuilt KPIs: working days, visit
coverage, out of stock issues,
executed surveys, …
Intelligence
Measure, Analyze & Improve Field Process

18. • Productivity gains 4-6% + labor reduction
• Reduce overtime by 10-20%
• Eliminate under-utilized time
• New reporting metrics
• Reduce Out of Stocks
• Consistent processes = Consistent service
Expected Results

19. Appendix