Profit's up, paper's down for wholesaler

Jan. 1, 2020
Once upon a time, CSK Auto's wholesale arm, CSK Proshop, produced invoices the same way everyone else did: A multi-part order form was taken to the customer's doorstep, the customer signed and got one copy of the form and the other copies were filed

Once upon a time, CSK Auto's wholesale arm, CSK Proshop, produced invoices the same way everyone else did: A multi-part order form was taken to the customer's doorstep, the customer signed and got one copy of the form and the other copies were filed at the CSK store level and at the corporate office in Phoenix. A fourth copy was even sent off for an optical scan.

This system was serviceable, as long as no one dwelled on the costs of paper, postage and labor involved with filing and sorting each form. Also, with an estimated six million forms going through the centers each year, delivery disputes were inevitable.

Data delivery

CSK Proshop's wholesale and IT departments teamed with Direct Source (now known as Fiserv Direct Source) to create a custom program that captures customer signatures on a digital invoice. They decided to use a Dolphin brand handheld portable data collector, which is "smaller than what you see the UPS drivers using, but slightly larger than a cell phone," says Bryan Keever, CSK Proshop's divisional sales director based in Tustin, Calif.

Now, an invoice is created when an order is placed, the part is pulled and the invoice's unique bar code is "pre-scanned" by the Dolphin. The CSK Proshop driver delivers the product to the customer, who signs the invoice. The Dolphin scans the customer's signature. At the end of the delivery run, the driver reviews a checklist on-screen to ensure the list of pre-scanned invoices match with all the signed versions.

Back at the store, the driver then uploads the day's deliveries to the store's computer through the Dolphin's docking station. At the end of the day, the data is transmitted to the CSK corporate office.

"At the store, the signature files are linked to the transaction data, to create a reproduction of the signed invoice," Keever explains. "That's one of the things that's unique about this program: It captures an actual picture of the invoice and the handwritten signature."

Better yet, the information is available to the customer through CSK Proshop's secure website, thus minimizing disputes.

"Before, when a bill wasn't paid, we had to call the customer's corporate office, which inevitably said, 'Send us a copy of the signed invoice,'" Keever explains, adding that the process could take a couple days and extra phone calls. "Now, they can just go to our website and pull that information up under their account. This allows the customer to view and print a second copy of a signed invoice."

Another benefit is that store managers can track driver productivity. It logs the time of invoice creation, the time of pre-scanning prior to leaving the store and the time of customer signature. Managers can create incentives for employees with the best average delivery time. "We can track a delivery down to an actual invoice," Keever says. "We can pull up the information, whether they want to know the average delivery time of the past month or what the exact time was on yesterday's delivery."

A handful of Phoenix-area CSK Proshops participated in a pilot program six months before the companywide rollout, which happened within three months after the pilot program was deemed a success.

"The rollout required store wiring, installation of a laser printer in each store and conversions of our store system," he says, adding that driver instruction usually took less than 10 minutes to complete.

Keever says customers love the simplified approach. "I think they see this as a tool designed to improve their ability to quickly and efficiently get parts from CSK."

About the Author

Heather Gooch

Heather Gooch - former Managing Editor of Pest Control. In August 2005, after nearly nine years with the magazine, Gooch left the staff to establish her own company, Gooch & Gooch. She remains a valued contributor and friend.

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