Every conversation I have had with a new customer around automation always seems to include some discussion of reducing paper. Many customers have been extremely successful in reducing the paper that is generated internally. Some technologies that are specifically using direct store delivery software include DEX and/or EDI to limit or eliminate customer-side paper. This works very well for large customers. With that said, it is amazing how often these electronic transactions are supported by a printed form. It’s a bit crazy if you really think about why these systems were developed in the first place. Most convenience stores, gas stations and restaurants are still operated by local owner operators and these technologies are not readily accessible to them. They are stuck with, wait for it … more paper.
Let’s take a new millennium look at what customer-facing paperless could mean in the route accounting systems world. Most people today are getting used to receiving their bank statements and various types of bills in electronic format. When I rent a car, I almost instantly receive an email with a PDF electronic version of my final invoice. Strangely, the demand for this in mobile delivery, sales, and service has not been strong, but I believe it is coming. In the wireless environment, we can capture orders, convert them to invoices, take and apply payments and then capture a signature. This is all transmitted back to the host in real time. Imagine the owner of the store or the accountant receiving that invoice electronically just as fast. There is no chance that the sixteen year old working the counter at the time loses that document, and it provides an electronic delivery trail.
Sometimes we over-think these things. Simple solutions often yield the biggest impact. A toaster isn’t complex but it is a lot easier than lighting a fire to make the bread crunchy.
Photo via Flicr user luxomedia.
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