E-Commerce, EDI and XML: they're all the latest buzz words that promise to reduce your cost of doing business. As a distributor, the first question is, will they reduce my cost of doing business on a day-to-day basis? The answer: yes, absolutely. One problem, though, is that the opportunities to reduce your costs are finite. The distributor's second question: will these technologies actively increase my sales year over year? The answer: no.

Software lacks one important attribute: the ability to sell. Only your sales force possesses that talent. Now, how do we use software to build a better salesperson? As we all know, salespeople and technology go together like oil and water. VPN, AS400 and UNIX are foreign languages to the best sellers that I know.

How do you make them change their ways to get the full potential of that pricey distribution package you purchased? Well, sorry, but you can't. Instead of threatening your sales force to figure it out or else, you have to implement a system that is inherently easy for them to use. I know of two devices that almost every salesperson uses on a daily basis: a Web browser and a cell phone.

Case in point: Binkelman Corp. of Toledo, Ohio, is celebrating its 60-year anniversary this year, but you would not know they are in their golden years by looking at their IT systems. For an independent distributor, Binkelman is on the bleeding edge of software technology. It has not only implemented the standard ERP distribution system, but has taken its data to the next level.

The company runs an additional system that transforms ERP data into a Web-based information portal with features such as business intelligence, customer profitability reports, cost-savings documentation, electronic expense reports, and mobile phone/PDA access to all information.

The Binkelman sales force is heavily equipped with information. If they do not have access to their office computer, they can use any computer with Internet access. If they are out on the road, they use a single device for e-mail, SMS, contacts, scheduling, order and quote alerts, stock searches, account detail, sales performance, and more. In addition to information, they have tools such as expense report creators, cost savings documentation and sign-out applications. These tools tie directly back into sales information to get a more accurate picture of the salesperson's most profitable customers.

It doesn't sound easy, but it is. The information is laid out on a Web page or sent to their mobile phone.

The customer service department also has multiple tools to enable them to elevate the level of service they deliver to the customer. While they do not need to mobilize like the outside sales force, they do need information on their accounts—easily and quickly. With their own customer screen that shows quotes past the review date, orders past the ship date, orders that are available to ship early, and more, they become proactive, instead of reactive.

They also have business intelligence tools that will e-mail vendors with all purchase orders past the due date and request an update. When it is received and entered, it will e-mail the customer the latest information.

Not only does the sales force and customer service department have access to this information, but management has an overview of the company performance, which can drill from total company sales down to a single line item on an order. Alerts on orders, quotes, and receivables are constantly being sent to mobile devices to ensure all company activity is being communicated at all times. Information from Web tools is collecting data daily about customers and vendors.

"This application has become a great managerial tool because of its inherent ability to 'knock out the crutches,'" says Brad Fitzgerald, vice president of operations. "Too many times I heard how our systems were too cumbersome for the user and that the information was too scattered. By migrating this information to a Web browser, we have been able to eliminate most of these complaints."

When Binkelman Corp. ranks their customers, they don't just use sales or gross profit dollars, they use expenses and time spent by salespersons at each account. This enables them to make the best decision on which customers deserve the most time and resources dedicated to them.

Will enabling your sales force, customer service department, and management with information increase sales year over year? Yes, absolutely. With data being pushed from all directions, good decisions are made quicker.

Giving your sellers the tools to sell better is going to become the newest technology push since e-commerce. Whether it is giving your customer the ability to view your documented cost savings on your Web site, or following up on quotes quicker and with more accuracy, it is the information that will help you increase your business.