Using Treo smart phones (from Palm.com) that display product images and order entry e-forms, the salesmen struggled at the beginning to pull up the products and enter orders. However, after a few weeks, the salesmen became experts in locating a product out of more than 1,000 in the e-catalog. Now, an order is punched in the minute it is expressed by the customer.
An electronic invoice is generated in seconds and shown to the deli owner for verification on the spot. Also, the customer service representatives who used to enter the orders in the computers are not needed. Instead,
they have been retrained to help locate new customers. The wireless Treo enters the order information directly to the corporate computer system. In addition, the Treo provides instant access to pricing changes and promotions. The salesmen can check, in real time, any customer accounts receivable balance. Finally, real-time inventory availability can be checked at the customer’s site.