Automation Topic Presenter Barney Stone Barney Stone Software

Automation Topic Presenter Barney Stone, Barney Stone Software Steve Cisick, Technology Copilot, LLC Comm. Con 2015

Q: How can you compete and still be profitable? A: You have to be more efficient! How? Use automation to reduce personnel costs. Automation Comm. Con 2015

Find your chokepoints: boring, repetitive and error-prone tasks. Find ways to automate them: • Built-in Stone Edge processes • 3 rd party offerings • Custom code Automation Comm. Con 2015

ü Why Automate? ü Barriers to Automation ü Automation Examples ü Do You Have Examples of Your Own? ü Questions Today’s Agenda Comm. Con 2015

�Do things faster and cheaper �Achieve predictable results in your business �Reduce reliance on people for these tasks �Reduce errors due to manual operations �Re-purpose employees to higher value activities �Improve employee job satisfaction �Improve customer satisfaction, grow sales Why Automate? Comm. Con 2015

�Fear (Unknown / or gone horribly wrong in the past) �Recklessness �Too comfortable with manual operations �Assume it can’t be done or cost prohibitive. �Fuzzy processes �Overly complicated processes �Data accessibility issues �Lack of vision Barriers to Automation Comm. Con 2015

Problem � Manual processes always used, but Order Manager has free built in automation Solution � Approval rules to automatically approve imported orders that can be fulfilled immediately. � Auto drop shipping at order import � Multi Order View to batch process orders � Batch fill backorders. � Automated PO Creation � Batch label printing for approved orders. � Integrated packing slips to eliminate collation of packing slips/labels Built in Automation Comm. Con 2015

Problem � Current SEOM is lacking straight forward way to automate some routine activities. Solution � Auto Importer can automate the following: � Order import � Process tracking numbers � Batch printing � Batch send quantity on hand � Product importing � Drop ship tracking number processing � Backorder filling � And more Auto Importer Comm. Con 2015

� Quantity on hand more current on sales channels. � Order changes requested by customer can already be in Stone Edge. � Packing slips ready to process immediately. � Tracking emails get into the hands of the customer sooner. � No need to wait for long imports to finish to start processing orders. � No need to manually import orders at odd hours to prevent massive morning import. � Other mundane tasks can be done off hours instead of needing to tie up system during day. � Can be customized to maximize its benefit. Auto Importer Benefits Comm. Con 2015

Problem � No easy way to get drop ship tracking numbers into Stone Edge � Customers don’t get their tracking numbers in a timely matter (if at all) � Drop ship purchase orders in Stone Edge stay open and are never marked as shipped. Solution � Imports drop ship tracking numbers into Stone Edge directly from supplier tracking emails. ◦ Tracking numbers imported ◦ Purchase orders are closed ◦ Order marked as shipped � For 3 rd party shipping, import tracking numbers directly from UPS ◦ Autoload program automatically downloads Quantum view data. ◦ Automation platform can pick this up and auto process the tracking. Drop Ship Tracking Automation Comm. Con 2015

Problem �Stone Edge doesn’t currently have a way to facilitate real time cycle counting. Solution �Real time quantity updates. �Organizes what gets counted and the timeframe it needs to be counted. �Use with or without scanner. �Single or multi-user capable. �Organizes list to be counted by sales velocity or location. Cycle Count Utility Comm. Con 2015

Problem � Stone Edge doesn’t easily integrate with 3 rd party logistics providers for order fulfillment. Solution � Different methods used depending on the situation. � 3 PL runs Stone Edge � Text file exchange � API integration ◦ 3 PL runs Stone Edge over remote desktop and performs all shipping functions using Stone Edge. ◦ This works well only if the 3 PL is open to it. ◦ Exchange text files (order fulfillment, tracking, and quantity on hand) ◦ Easy but doesn’t offer real time benefits for error detection, etc. ◦ Most complex way of integrating ◦ Near real time, typically the way 3 PLs would rather integrate. Order Fulfillment Automation Comm. Con 2015

Problem �No way to import or export standard purchase orders from / to a text file. Solution �PO Import tool which takes information from text file and imports them as purchase orders �PO Export which enables text file export of purchase orders as a new ‘send method’ PO Import / PO Export Comm. Con 2015

Problem � Stone Edge currently doesn’t support multiple warehouses for the same SKU. Solution � Treat warehouses like drop ship suppliers from main Stone Edge � Auto pick the warehouse to send the item from based on custom business rules. � Main warehouse (who imports orders) sends drop ship requests via text file over drop box. � Secondary warehouse pick up orders file and import and process orders. � Secondary warehouses send tracking back to main warehouse who send out tracking emails. � Secondary warehouse send quantity on hand information back to main warehouse who can display / act on the quantity information. Multi-Warehouse Automation Comm. Con 2015

Problem � Stone Edge doesn’t support drop ship supplier quantity on hand import / export to shopping cart. Solution � Take supplier feeds, automate import of quantities into Stone Edge. ◦ Email ◦ Web Service ◦ Text files � Feeds QOH to shopping cart either inside or outside of Stone Edge. Drop Ship Supplier QOH Automation Comm. Con 2015

Problem �The shared stack sucks Solution �Proactively monitor stack �Set alert levels �Alerts sent until stack levels shrink below alert level Stack Monitor Comm. Con 2015

Problem �There isn’t an easy way for Stone Edge to synchronize content across multiple sales channels. Solution �Created methods to synchronize content from Stone Edge. ◦ Google ◦ My. Buys Content Synchronization Comm. Con 2015

Do You Have Examples Of Your Own? Comm. Con 2015

Q&A Comm. Con 2015