For Immediate Release
Harbor Wholesale To Deploy iPad Solution For Sales Force
Solution from Ai2 Will Help Distributor Track Rebates
CHICAGO - July 11, 2011 - Ai2, a software developer serving the convenience industry, announced today that Harbor Wholesale Foods of Lacey, Washington will be replacing paper-based sales data tracking with a version of Ai2's ProSel, a new application running on the iPad. Harbor is a member of WAM, a group of distributors that spans the United States.
This modification of the mobile application ProSel was developed in a joint effort between Ai2 and WAM, a private company that acts as an agent for distributors in the convenience store industry. WAM's main focus is the administration of the monthly programs that manufacturers sponsor to promote certain product lines. Rewards are available for distributors and retailers who purchase the required amount of product in a certain period of time. Distributors and retailers need to track their compliance with each program they enter, a procedure that was paper-based until now.
WAM is currently using a Scantron sheet that has to be manually fed into a machine, similar to the grading of tests in schools. The new approach gives the distributors' outside salespeople the ability to remotely access any retailer's program status. This will help distributors monitor their progress in these programs and increase retailer compliance.
"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," Katich added.
Harbor Wholesale Foods is a family-owned and operated business that has called the Northwest home since 1923. They provide full-service grocery distribution to more than 2,000 customers including convenience stores, grocery stores, restaurants and drug store chains. Their distribution map extends throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Northern California. For more about Harbor 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
(800) 835-3200