Snyder’s of Hanover Rolls Out Ross Mobile Solution to its 1,800 Direct Store Delivery Drivers
The technology partnership of Motorola and O’Neil allows field operations to calculate and print critical customer transactions at store locations.
New York, NY, Jan. 5, 2008 – Ross Computer Systems has announced that Snyder’s of Hanover, one of the largest producers of pretzels and salted snacks in the U.S., has deployed 1,800 Motorola handheld devices to its mobile distribution team to support its direct store delivery (DSD) operations.
Ross Computer Systems provides Snyder’s of Hanover with a seamless mobile solution that allows for integration with its JD Edwards enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. In the past, Snyder’s delivery drivers used MS-DOS-based handheld terminals to keep track of units sold. The terminals had no barcode scanners, which meant that the drivers had to key in all product information and quantities using a keypad. In addition, at the end of each day, the drivers were required to upload the orders via cradles attached to PCs located in Snyder’s warehouses. Snyder’s ERP system did not perform specific route accounting for their direct store delivery needs. After researching several DSD solutions, Snyder’s called Ross Computer Systems and asked for a demo of its integrated software and hardware solution.
Because Snyder’s had its own ERP system, Ross was asked to deliver a complete route accounting direct store delivery solution that would pull and upload data into the JD Edwards ERP system. The Ross solution included middleware with capabilities for order entry, accounts receivable, warehouse inventory, sales analysis and forecasting as well as software to drive the handheld devices. In addition, Ross Computer Systems recommended warehouse-side upgrades for Snyder’s 70 warehouses across the U.S.
In all, Snyder’s now runs 1,800 Motorola handheld terminals running Ross’s route accounting application. Today, a Snyder’s driver can use the mobile device to scan product information rather than manually keying it in. Also, the mobile device communicates via Bluetooth to O’Neil mobile printers to print receipts at customer sites. “The handheld terminals have secure digital (SD) expansion ports, that allow a Snyder’s driver to back up information to removable media,” says Darren Weiss, Manager of Sales and Marketing for Ross Computer Systems. “In the event a terminal fails, the driver can swap the SD card into another terminal without losing the record of the day’s work.” Once a driver goes back to the Snyder’s warehouse to load the truck for the next day, the handheld device can connect to the access points and wirelessly send information to the JD Edwards system, letting Snyder’s know exactly and immediately what products needs to be replenished in the warehouse.
About Ross Computer Systems
Ross Computer Systems is a leading provider of route accounting direct store delivery (DSD) solutions for the food and beverage industries. Headquartered in New York City with offices located throughout the United States, Ross offers a full suite of DSD-specific applications to its customers. Food and beverage companies utilize Ross integrated solutions to solve all of their direct store delivery business needs. For more information, visit www.rossusa.com
