I looked into this years ago, at request of some managers, provided them
with multiple alternative solutions, all were rejected because management
did not want to spend the money, or did not think we needed this stuff.
Since then, solutions alternatives may have improved. We now have approx 2
and a half full time employees keying in customer orders which arrive via an
infinity of different ways, and sometimes we have a backlog getting the
orders into our system. There are other areas with significant clerical
personnel input. There have also been changes in management personnel. In
the future, company preferences may evolve.
Check out FOX TROT from Enable Software company.
http://www.enablesoft.com/support/Utilizations.aspx
http://www.enablesoft.com/what/index.aspx
This is a CLIENT product (installed on PC). A human being transcribes ONE
customer order from an on-line FAX or EXCEL or REPORT or customer on-line
site, or wherever, into BPCS. Fox Trot records where the mouse, from what
source document, data where into ORD500 screen however, and now you have a
template which can do that automatically for thousands of orders coming in
the same way. You also have a script which you can modify.
FOX TROT can automate any area where you now have heavy duty clerical input,
such as labor tickets, receiving, payable invoices, provided the data
involved is first into the computer system.
The data first has to be loaded to the PC, the 400, or other computer
network system, before Fox Trot can access it. There are an abundance of
software products which can arrange for FAXes, and other source documents,
to go direct to the 400, a network location, individual PC, and also send
data in the other direction.
Of all the solutions I suggested to former management, I thought FOX TROT
was the most powerful, relative to our needs. We are also on 405 CD.
Depending on the nature of your customer business, you may need to factor in
customer orders where there are lead time violations, pricing violations,
open purchase orders with multiple later added lines. In other words,
orders where it is impractical or unwise to just enter verbatim what the
customer ordered.
-
Al Mac
-----Original Message-----
From: bpcs-l-bounces+macwheel99=wowway.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bpcs-l-bounces+macwheel99=wowway.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ardi
Batmanghelidj
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 11:24 AM
To: bpcs-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [BPCS-L] Receive FAX - convert to BPCS customer order
Hello Everyone,
We have a BPCS shop (405CD) that receives hundreds of orders by fax and
types each one as a BPCS order. We are looking at developing the capability
to read the faxes by OCR and convert into an interim set of tables. The
converted data will be reviewed by the customer service reps, and upon
approval, will be fed into an existing electronic order creation module.
We have looked at options around EDI and do have an eCommerce site, but the
nature of their customers dictates this low tech approach.
Does anyone have this implemented and can you share some wisdom?
Vendor calls welcome.
Cheers
Ardi
Ardi Batmanghelidj
President
Innovatum, Inc.
ardibatman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <blocked::blocked::mailto:ardibatman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Fax & Direct: 678 528 7922
Main Office: 877 277 3016
midrange.com
