For Immediate Release
City Wholesale To Track Rebates Via iPad
Alabama Distributor Modernizes Operation, Reduces Paperwork
CHICAGO – July 11, 2011 – Software development company Ai2 announced that City Wholesale of Birmingham, Alabama will automate the rebate tracking process for its salespeople and retailers. City is a member of WAM, an organization that helps manufacturers work with distributors on volume discount buying programs. The solution is a version of AI2's ProSel, and will run on the Apple iPad.
Manufacturers of candy and snack products offer incentives for distributors and retailers to purchase a certain amount of product in a given time. WAM administers these programs for its 23 distributor members, almost all of whom will deploy the solution within the next year. This variation on ProSel was developed to replace the paper-based collection and compilation of data related to hundreds of these manufacturer-sponsored rebate programs. A mobile salesperson will now have instant access to compliance data for every retailer and every program.
The current procedure for tracking over 400 salespeople and 20,000 retailers involves Scantron, generating a massive amount of paperwork. The ability to share data with distrbutors and disseminate it to the mobile sales force via the iPad will save thousands of hours annually for WAM and its members. The new process will also help retailers track how close they are to their next reward.
"I'm honored that WAM chose us to help their members with this app," said Douglas Katich, CEO for Ai2. "When salespeople can help their retailers by sorting through a mountain of data in a few seconds, they provide tremendous value and encourage customer loyalty."
Since 1926, when they began as a co-op, City Wholesale has strived to bring retailers quality products at fair prices. Almost 80 years later they remain proud of their tradition and their quest for improvement. In the past eight decades, City has grown from a tobacco & candy distributor to a company that supplies convenience style items to over 1,100 locations. As the wholesale business has changed, they have changed with it - delivering pre-made frozen pizza, toys for kids, 37 different types of Hershey products, tea in a plastic bottle and thousands more items. City also has a training team to demonstrate cooking methods. For more, visit the company's website.
WAM is a private company based in Saginaw, MI. It is engaged in the structuring and implementation of programs designed to increase the sales of manufacturers, distributors and retailers who contract for WAM's services WAM decides which Convenience Products Distributors and which Manufacturers will be offered the opportunity to contract for its services. WAM is not structured as a buying group. Rather, WAM acts as an agent for distributors and the retailers they service with "preferred" suppliers. WAM retains a percentage of the revenue generated from suppliers for the distributor's sales and merchandising efforts. WAM pays each participating distributor its respective share on an annual basis. For more about WAM, visit the company's website.
Ai2 (formerly Access International) was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in downtown Chicago. Their applications are used by over 75,000 users each day to capture over 75 billion dollars in sales each year. Ai2 improves the order entry process for some of the nation’s largest distributors in foodservice, convenience store, grocery, beverage, hardware, medical, beauty and industrial supply. For more information about Ai2, visit www.ai2.com.
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Ai2 Media Contact
Ray Walsh
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