Products

Software

In addition to the custom software services we perform, we also provide certain industries with "packaged software" we have developed. Packaged simply means the software is standardized and stable and can fit many companies in the same industry. Because we own this software, we can modify it to meet special needs and we are in charge of the updates and associated release schedules to meet our clients' needs.

We currently serve four industries with packaged software: retailers, manufacture reps, wholesale distributors and continuity program sales. Each is briefly described below.

Margins™
Our retail software, Margins™, is specifically designed for a retailer who must carry and track sized merchandise. This includes clothing; footwear; fishhooks; surfboards; many hardware items; and other items that come in various sizes, materials, and colors. The software stores inventory in an array by size which allows for quick receiving plus easy replenishment calculations and reorder recommendations. The system handles case packs, price variability by size, service charges, layaways, and more. It includes purchasing and receiving, POS and back office sales entry, physical inventory support, sales reporting, and numerous analysis reports. Bar coded tickets and tags, purchase orders and transfer orders all make merchandise sales, inventory, transfer and receiving fast and convenient. Margins™ will support all types of soft goods retailers and a surprising number of hard goods retailers. Margins™ can work with IBM or Dell registers. It also supports multi-company and multi-store operations, plus warehousing.

RepWare™
Our manufacturer's rep software was developed to handle sized merchandise and accept customer orders on an inexpensive laptop computer. Using the internet or a modem, sales can be transmitted to the home office for processing as frequently as desired. RepWare™ has no "back office" component --- it is simply a field and inside sales tool. (The software will run on desktops for inside sales.) RepWare™ output can be customized to fit any back office system and to import inventory or catalog data.

Channels™
Wholesale distributors have unique and complex processes to support. They may buy in one measure and sell in another. They have case and spool prices plus unit prices for the same merchandise. And their customer pricing schemes can be first cousins to the fabled Gordian Knot. Channels™ provides for all this and much more. Backorders, consignment inventory, drop shipping, fabrication charges, multiple ship to locations for one bill to customer, manufacturer part number changes, and complex commission plans all conspire to make this a difficult market to understand. But, we have paid our dues, first selling another developer's distribution package, then developing and selling our own. The system includes payables and general ledger and will work with the major payroll services. Supporting multi-company, multi-branch, and multi-warehouse operations; Channels™ is true enterprise software.

Continuum™
If you need a continuity system, you know what it is. Continuum™ provides the means to sell and ship a series of products to one customer. The pricing can vary, the initial offer can vary, and the timing of shipments can vary. The system also handles sets (as in multi-volume books) and will ship each item in the set in sequence according to the interval indicated. Continuum™ also has Inventory Intelligence™, always trying to ship the items in an optimum sequence, but the user can also specify the sequence. The software handles sales, billing, receivables, and inventory functions. It provides output for accounting which can be imported into a variety of software. There are promotion (offer) statistics, several special marketing features, plus feature to ease pick and pack or allow for off site fulfillment.

eMargins™
We recently joined the Microsoft Empower program with the goal of completing a Microsoft Visual Studio .Net/ SQL Server version of Margins™ and to add ecommerce capability. We are partnering with Microsoft on this project. While we will do the programming, Microsoft is providing development tools, training and technical expertise. When the software is completed, it will be jointly marketed through Microsoft channels.

The principal changes to the present package will be to provide the software as a hosted or client-server enterprise application. We will incorporate new features to allow selected items to be sold on an eCommerce site in addition to the physical store(s). Technically, the challenge will be to dynamically configure the items on web pages that have a variety of formats, pricing structures and photo formats. For examples, there could be one photo for several items, several items per page, one item per page, etc. We also want to integrate features from our other packages, perhaps streamlining our offering to one or two software application packages. We will publish a features list and some screen shots late this year. Bookmark this page so you can check out our progress.