terno times monthly
issue 007
june 2004
USER GROUP:
Coming soon!
SOURCE CODES: Do you really know?
WAREHOUSING: Simple tips
TERNO TIP: Email newsletter management
TCL TIP
HOLIDAY HOURS
The early bird registration deadline is nearing for the 2004 Terno User Group Meeting. This year’s meeting is sure to be a great success! This meeting serves as an excellent opportunity to learn more about your system, new options available, and news in your industry!
The topics include system administration, web site analysis, accounting options, server and operating system discussions, Open DataBase Connectivity (ODBC), Terminal Control Language (TCL), and database marketing.
Registrations can be completed online or by faxing back the forms that were previously sent. For more information about the meeting, please feel free to contact Pasquale LaRocca at 330.629.7004 or plarocca@terno.com
SOURCE CODES: Do you really know?
Most savvy catalogers know source code tracking is very important. Trying to determine if a list rental was effective or how to budget a circulation is often based on the results of a source code. The system catalogers have been using for many years is in need of a change thanks to the multi-channel revolution where the internet is gaining more clout by the day.
Trying to find the proper way to allocate web orders is not an easy task. The easiest answer is to place a source code box in your shopping cart for customers to enter. However, this can be ineffective because the customer does not have any incentive to enter it. Adding a promotion to the web site to capture source codes may be a good way to get proper tracking but this effects profitability.
Another suggestion is to simply have a drop down box asking the customer what brought them to the web site including an option for catalog, referral web sites, search engines, or other specific methods. Each of these methods can act as a specific source code to be analyzed.
Furthermore, if the customer selected "catalog" as their source code, a small modification can be added to your system to add the last mailed source code to the order. This allows your company to truly track the performance of a specific source code that has been mailed. Otherwise, mailed source code results may be very misleading without factoring web orders. An option would need to exist to indicate the number of days between a mailing and a web order to count towards the source code.
Many simple changes can be made to allow web orders to be properly attributed to an original source code. With web orders increasing steadily, it will become more important for multi-channel marketers to know the true results of their particular source codes.
WAREHOUSING: Simple tips to improve efficiency
- High volume single line orders can be printed separately reducing the time it takes for these orders to be picked over and over again in a batch.
- Reduce travel time to pick items. Do not hesitate to rearrange bins to move slower moving merchandise further away.
- Develop a cross-dock area for receiving backordered items that can be filled immediately rather than putting these skus in their standard bin location.
- Identify and measure productivity ratios. Reports are available or can be added to your system to show boxes picked or shipped per hour.
- If you are not utilizing packing verification, it may be a good time to start if your mis-picks are rising.
- Cycle counts can eliminate the once a year burden of physical inventory counting.
- If possible, try to get verification, packing, and shipping in a straight line to the carrier’s truck. Study your operation and leave the optimal amount of space between the stations to avoid wasted productivity.
TERNO TIP: Email newsletter management
Does your company have an email newsletter? It may easier than you think to offer this special service to your customers by utilizing your TernoVelocity or Q\OP system. In user mail preferences, add a new item for "Newsletter opt-in." Later you can generate your email list with the Mailing List Management tool and export your email addresses for the e-newsletters.
To find orders than have been printed but not shipped:
Q\OP users:
>SORT PIC WITH 10 EQ "P" 9
>SORT BKR WITH 10 EQ "P" 9
TernoVelocity users:
>SORT ORDER.DAT WITH 10 EQ "P" 9 PRINT.DATE
Terno will be closed Monday, July 5, in observance of Independence day. We will reopen on Tuesday, July 6, 2004. Holiday rates will apply if service is needed.
Do you have an idea for terno times monthly or Terno Times print newsletter? Email us and let us know what you would like to see!
To unsubscribe,
reply to this message with REMOVE in the subject line.
For information, contact plarocca@terno.com.
If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, please enroll for your free
subscription at www.terno.com/Newsletter%20Signup.htm