Laddawn.com : Experimental scenarios

Intro questions

What was/is the benefit of having two different request types for price and stock checks (070, 080)?  What is/was the benefit of having a request type (030) different from price and stock checks?The only ones I can think of have to do with a) reducing steps in Avante - i.e., if all  the customer wants to do is see a price, let's give CE a simpler screen than that which is required for a full blown sales order -- or b) providing statistics on CE activities. The former doesn't seem to apply going forward (given our awesome new web interface), so what other benefits still apply going forward? Can we get similar stats some other way?

I suppose it could it be more efficient (fewer clicks) for CE, to preserve some separation, but only if the initial conversation reveals certain details like "I want to reorder something I've ordered before" (in which case, you could have a new sales order request type like "reorder" that bypasses Shop and goes directly to past orders), or "I want to order something my salesman quoted" (in which case you could have another new sales order request type that bypasses shop, and goes directly to saved items)?

Rather than saving those clicks, it seems more beneficial for training and other reasons to have one request type covering all three (sales order/price check/stock check) that brings the CE rep to the Shop tab . And since we're eliminating the distinction between custom quoting and searching for stock on the web, it seems this should be mirrored in Avante CE request types by rolling "create custom quote" (110) up to this new consolidated request type. And while we're at it, if we can, let's eliminate "convert quote" (130), which is a sales order for MOD.

Calls

Calls are currently accounting for approximately 40% of CE requests.  A recent breakdown of calls is as follows:

Calls initiated as price checks (16%) or stock checks (% is part of "all other types" above)

Sandy calls Laddawn for a price check on item 2874.  Michael answers.

• 1. Michael has workflow and C/E requests open in Avante. He clicks "new" to create new request. Leaves req source as phone. Enters customer name (Acme) in customer number field and searches by name. Enters contact (Sandy). Selects request type -'Check pricing, inventory' (###) New request type that combines 070, 080, 110, 030).
     Note - if this is one of those customers in the binder - the conversation runs like this "What Acme location are you ordering on behalf of..."
     
  2. The prior step logs Michael into web as the contact, with special CE permissions. Start page is Shop page.
  3. Michael types item number into banner. Need to decide what CE reps do as far as zip - request it or just type anything in? Although not needed for stock pricing, using the correct zip will yield more accurate availability and YMAC/MTO results. It will also provide better experience downstream should customer save, buy, etc. Michael clicks Find. Search yields exact stock match with YMAC alternatives.
  4. Michael relays unit pricing for item #### to Sandy. There are at least 4 paths this can take (concerning pricing ):

Variation - Sandy can describe the item, but she does NOT know the item number. Michael doesn't know offhand either. He doesn't even know if it is stock or MOD.

Does Michael look the item up in the catalog or type the parameters in? Does it matter in terms of efficiency or the end result? All else above should probably be the same.

Variation - Sandy is really calling about availability.

Michael carries out steps 1, 2 and 3 above. In step 4, Michael asks Sandy what quantity she would like to check on and enters it into the quantity field for the exact match. After the search result refreshes, Michael relays the availability date; it is today's date. When there is same day availability, CE reps do not click on availability, unless the customer asks what warehouse the items are shipping from. The starting assumption is that the warehouse of origin does not matter to the customer, unless he or she says it does. There are at least 4 paths this could take; the first three are identical to 5A, B and C above, if you substitute "availability" for "pricing." Additional path that this can take (concerning availability):

Variation - Sandy requests a special volume discount on item ####.  Michael needs to conduct advanced research on availability in Avante.

Tina and Meme said this is not really what happens currently. The majority of CE staff are too inexperienced to evaluate the info or make partial judgment calls.  They just route these volume discount requests to managers w/out doing the research. If it is done today, it is done by CR staff.  Even so, do we need to account for how advanced users who have the authority, like Tina, Meme, or Sandy, would carry this out? Is the advanced availability inquiry done in Avante outside of the CE request system? -sp, 6/27/13

This could have started out any number of ways. If it started out as a price or availability inquiry, let's pick up where Michael left off, logged into the web as Sandy, in the results screen, with the desired quantity entered for the desired item. From there is it:

• Use existing request type (070) or create new one (07X)?
• An automated process? Michael clicks a special link or button somewhere within the availability shadow box (and only visible to CE) that automatically creates an 070/07X request (advanced availability inquiry) in Avante, and prepopulates it with the data (item no., etc.) needed to get to the advanced availability screens/info.  
• A manual process? Michael flips back to Avante, gets to the new/duplicate/edit on hold screen - selects "Duplicate," selects request type, 070/07X. Michael has to reenter some info (item number, and...?) to get to the availability information.
• Whether automated or manual, from those screens, Michael gets enough information to make a judgment call:
  • Laddawn should not offer a discount. He gives Sandy the bad news.
    
    • This is followed by some type of repeat of columns 5A, B or C depending on Sandy's response. (Perhaps the MTO option will appeal if lead time is not a concern?)
  • Maybe Laddawn should offer a discount (with supervisor approval).
    • Michael captures the key availability metrics to pass off to Tina, Meme, or? How does this hand off occur today - via email, Avante/workflow or some other means? Could Michael use "Share item" to accomplish this? (We don't want to him to do it logged in as Sandy though, so how does he do this efficiently? Should CE simply always have another browser window where they are logged in as themselves, and with an item number, with a few clicks he could accomplish this. This might be dicey. )
      
    • Michael says whatever CE says in these cases to Sandy, and lets her know that he'll get back to her ASAP.  Michael closes request 070/07X, and flips back over to the still open web screen.
  • • Michael carries out the steps under column 5B.

Calls initiated as sales order

Sandy calls Laddawn to place an order for stock item ####

Sandy calls Laddawn to place an order for an item that Dennis, the salesman, quoted recently

Classifying this as a "sales order" assumes "convert quote" is going away, and there is no distinction between "ordering" stock or MOD - at least as far as CE reps and distributors are concerned. (Note - Dennis's "quote" could simply be a saved stock item.)

Sandy calls Laddawn to quote or price an item and order it right away

This assumes "convert quote" is going away, and there is no distinction between "ordering" stock or MOD.  What does CE do today? For stock, I gather that they do not open price check (080) but instead go straight to 030; if it does start out as 080, Tim T. told me some reps just go back to the req type field and change it to 030; other reps may close the 080 and open a new "duplicate" req as 030. But for MOD they go to 110 (custom quote entry). CE cannot convert right then and there; customer has to fax or email request to order, so there is a paper trail. So, CE has to close the 110, and the later whoever gets the order in the queue has to open a 130 (convert quote).

COMING SOON: Fax scenarios

Faxes and emails account for about 56% of CE requests (faxes - 21%, emails, 36%).  Anecdotally, the majority of faxes and emails are stock and custom orders, and requests for custom quotes.