>From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 02 15:43:54 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Thu, 02 May 1996 15:43:46 -0400 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Off to the Cotter market I'm heading out to the Cotter market this Saturday, and hope to run into the folks on this list here and there at the show. I know there is a combined Tru Trac/Triad meeting on Sunday afternoon, plus individual user group meetings later that day. I noticed that Ace is now on the Internet... www.acehardware.com. The pages are colorful, although the main page takes a while to load. The listing of retailers is pretty basic... reminds me of the lookup on the Cornell's web site. They also have a history of Ace hardware through the century, as well as listings of sale items. Another neat site is Home Improvement USA, which is a weekly home improvement radio show co-hosted by on of our list members, Dane Sheahen of Mutual True Value in Illinois. Their web address is http://www.srnbrd.com/homeimp/homeimp.htm If you have a browser with Real Audio support, you can listen to the radio show live via the net on Saturday mornings (while the store isn't too busy!). John >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue May 07 23:17:41 1996 Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 20:22:20 -0700 X-Sender: RKnudson@popd.ix.netcom.com From: Robert Knudson Subject: Re: Be Prepared!! At 05:32 PM 4/23/96 CDT, Derek King wrote (in part): >. . . she is one of the owners daughters, and works as a cashier for us. >she also is having a baby and it is due three weeks. > >Well I have to go and study for my Labor Relations class. > What kind of labor? Give her our congratulations. Robert Knudson CMC Builders Supply True Value Colorado City, Arizona >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 08 21:28:38 1996 Date: Thu, 9 May 96 01:24:46 UT From: "MIKE JONES" Subject: RE: for sale information ---------- From: owner-hardlines@cornells.com on behalf of LindseyLum@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 1996 8:13 AM To: Multiple recipients of list hardlines Subject: Re: for sale information In a message dated 96-04-15 22:45:07 EDT, you write: >Am looking for information on hardware stores for sale in the Southeast, >prefer Carolinas and True Value. If anyone has any information, please >e-mail >to: Hardware_Man@msn.com. > > I am in the Carolinas.... I know of one that was for sale in Charleston. Or, I think it was. I can get you a person to e-mail on that if you are interested. Are you planning to move to the town and manage it? Myrtle Beach had one for sale awhile back, but I don't know about now. There was one in Columbia where there was a death in the family, but it was closed. Actually, a start up in some hot area like Myrtle Beach would probably be a success. Traffic there is a considerable downer for traveling to Wal Mart for everything, and I think locals do pretty well due to the retirees who like to piddle. Dale Boozer To: Dale Boozer I would like any information you can give me re: stores for sale. Please reply to Hardware_Man@msn.com Thanks for your help. Mike >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 09 14:08:44 1996 Date: 09 May 96 14:04:43 EDT From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: NCR Printers for Sale. Dear Folks, I have a couple of NCR receipt printers for sale. Best offer takes 'em. Regards, Bill Round, Jr. >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 09 14:10:03 1996 Date: 09 May 96 14:04:44 EDT From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Houston Retail Systems Conference. Has anybody seen the offerings for the June 16th retail systems conference? Anybody going? What is catagory management, and can the principles be applied profitably to our industry? Cheers, Bill Round >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 09 14:08:33 1996 Date: 09 May 96 14:04:46 EDT From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: An RSO replacement Dear Folks, I would like to construct an RQR replacement for the RSO. I would call this the Weekly Floor Manager Report. This report would provide more information that RSO does now. It would bundle some functions which are now (rarely) conducted via other reports or activities, and would be intended to permit lower level staff members perform higher level activities. The Weekly Floor Manager Report would: Select on the following: -New Order Quantities as created by a normal weekly ROP and RSO routine. -Zero Sales for non-seasonal A movers within a 6 to 8 week period. -Zero quantity deleted items for which bin tags should be pulled. -Zero Quantity deleted item for which a substitute is available. -Zero quantity skus with a QOO. -DS only Items which could be purchased from prime vendor (i.e., National Mfg items) -Ship-Later skus for prime vendor which are available from another vendor -Discontinued items which haven't sold in a while which need mark downs. -Large Quantity on Hand not supported by a given function of the last 15 months sales. -Promotional items which current sales units greater than QOH. -Other items which might be useful on the report. -Could you add something? Print the following: -Standard RSO fields. -Dates received and sold. -Committed quantity and identity a sku as a special order. -Action messages "pull bin tag" "discontinued" "On promotion" "DS item" "sub sku # 123456" "upstairs warehouse item" -any more?. This report would allow the person using it to count for the prime vendor order, add skus to that order which might not be coming in from the manufacturer in a timely manner, pull bin tags, identify and markdown discontinued stuff, check on good sellers which haven't sold in a while, check wild QOH counts, get items from another vendor if the prime vendor is out and had not shipped the previous week. I don't know about you,. but I spend too much time checking the handy VDT tube for info which doesn't print on the RSO. If I have people out there working the RSO, I should equip them with enough information to make it possible to get the work done properly. They are not doing the work properly in our store! There is too much wasted effort and not enough results. Until such time as we have a hand-held RF device to do shelf and floor work, a better report is necessary. I'd like your comments, especially those that might make me give up the effort altogether. Tom Hanson has put together a rudimentary RQ procedure to answer some of the needs in his store. I think more can be done with it. Regards, Bill Round. PS. I'm running RQ3.0 on the Triad, which would present problems porting this yet-to-be-created procedure over to systems running the current release (level 16) software. Get out there and sell something! >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 09 14:24:05 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 14:23:55 -0400 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Re: NCR Printers for Sale. At 02:04 PM 5/9/96 EDT, Bill Round wrote: >I have a couple of NCR receipt printers for sale. Best offer takes 'em. > Bill's post reminded me to alert anyone thinking of adding electronic credit card capture to their POS systems to make sure they own or plan on owning fast receipt printers. The old NCR's that Triad (and others) sold for years are not up to the demands of printing two recipts in a reasonable amount of time (and complying with local noise ordinance regulations). If you get a quote for EDC, make sure it includes new receipt printers as well, as you will be disappointed if you rely on the old NCR's. John >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 09 14:30:01 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 14:29:52 -0400 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Re: Houston Retail Systems Conference. At 02:04 PM 5/9/96 EDT, Bill Round allegedly wrote: >Has anybody seen the offerings for the June 16th retail systems conference? > If you mean the Retail Systems 96, it's in Dallas June 10-13. Some of you may already know that I'm going... and will be giving a presentation about the World Wide Web. The topics of the presentations range from EDI to multi-store management, Internet retailing to Internet cafe/arcade developments. Vendors represent the major retail systems players, including folks like Symbol and Veriphone. Microsoft and IBM are also major sponsors, and there are numerous other smaller equipment and technology vendors who will exhibit the latest in whiz-bang retail technology. I'd say the average retailer would not be likely to attend, unless they can afford the trip and want to see stuff they ould use if only Cotter, Ace, Triad, and other hardlines folks would move a little quicker. :-) John >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 09 17:47:35 1996 Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 17:47:14 -0400 From: JoeWaytula@aol.com Subject: Re: Houston Retail Systems Conference. I have understood the term category management to mean looking at your inventory at a catagory level which grouped several like sku's together(such as an assortment). One of the retail systems magazines had an article a few months back on this. joe waytula >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri May 10 07:42:43 1996 Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 07:42:39 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: NCR Printers for Sale. Wouldn't they be better as lead sinkers????????????? Rick >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Mon May 13 10:23:56 1996 From: Scott Ellenson Subject: FW: Message rejected by system Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 16:01:15 -0600 From: Scott Ellenson Sent: Thursday, May 09, 1996 3:36 PM To: 'hardlines@cornells.com' Subject: Used Triad Equipment for Sale. I have several pieces of used Triad equipment for sale. The following = is a list of most of the equipment available. Please e-mail me: = sellenson@dimen.com or call me @ 800/755-5911 Ext: 301 if you are = interested. Cole Computers has sold most of what is available. Here is = whats left. Thanks! **America Lumber TVBS **Builtwell TV 2 VDT's 5 VDT's 1 486 eagle 1 dx-10 2 3100's 1 ups 1 3100 2 cash drawers 1 NCR slip 1 drawer ** under Triad support There is potential in the next 30 days to pick up the following = equipment. 15 vdt's 1 386 eagle 1 486 eagle 1 dx-10 5 3100's 3 3320's 1 3321 2 POS stations potentially 5 sierra POS stations If you are interested in any of this equipment let me know. >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Mon May 13 23:08:16 1996 Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 20:06:54 -0700 X-Sender: RKnudson@popd.ix.netcom.com From: Robert Knudson Subject: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect We use our Triad LaserStation extensively--so much so that we considered getting another one for a moment. We also frequently call our Cotter D.C. to check stock, etc. Does that make us a good candidate for the Cotter Network? Do we want to deal directly with Cotter on this? Or buy Triad's Connect software so we can access Cotter from every terminal? We re-read the four messages in the "Connect" subject thread from mid-April. What program does Rick mean when he writes "I still use the PC"? Does it really take 3 minutes to sign on? Thanks in advance . . . Robert Knudson CMC Builders Supply / True Value Colorado City, Arizona >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 15 12:46:20 1996 Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 13:46:01 -0300 (ADT) From: rfarring@ibl.bm Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect AS AN ACTIVE USER OF THE PC BASED COTTER NETWORK SERVICES I HAVE THE FOLLOWING TO OFFER: NAS - SYSTEM - IS THE DIRECT ACCESS SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ACCESS THE COTTER MAIN COMPUTER SYSTEM & OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT PRODUCTS IN YOUR D.C. YOU CAN ALSO RESERVE THE MERCHANDISE FOR YOUR NEXT ORDER IN THE SYSTEM. IF YOU USE PROCOM SOFTWARE THIS SYSTEM IS EASY TO ACCESS & THE HELP DESK HAS SUPPORT KNOWLEDGE FOR PROCOM. CIS - SYSTEM - IS THE SYSTEM THAT OFFERS YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DOWNLOAD THE FOLLOWING INTO A PC COMPUTER: 1. THE ENTIRE COTTER INVENTORY 2. WEEKLY STOCK UPDATES (QUANTITIES,PRICING) 3. PROMOTIONAL FILES 4. DIRECT MAIL FILES 5. WEEKLY COPY A'S YOU CAN ALSO SEND COTTER YOUR WEEKLY ORDERS & RELAYS THROUGH THIS SYSTEM. THE CIS SYSTEM IS THE SAVIOR FOR THE STORES WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE EXPENSIVE COSTS OF A TRIAD SYSTEM AND THE NEVER ENDING EXPENSIVE MONTHLY SUPPORT. WITH THE CIS SYSTEM AND A PROGRESSIVE THIRD PARTY PC POINT OF SALE & INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM A STORE CAN HAVE ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF A HIGH COST SYSTEM AT A FRACTION OF THE COST. THE CIS SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS COTTER HAS EVER DEVELOPED!!!! I HOPE THIS INFORMATION IS OF HELP. ROD FARRINGTON GORHAM'S TRUE VALUE HOME CENTRE HAMILITON, BERMUDA rfarring@ibl.bm >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 01:58:38 1996 Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 22:54:17 -0700 From: Jay Will & Linda Farr Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect I have used the Cotter Network on and off for a year or so. Actually, I saw a demo of the system at the last Chicago Market, that was much more powerful than what they have let us have. I have been very disappointed that nothing seems to be happening in the way of making it better. Be that as it may, the system will allow you to look up current stock on hand info for your warehouse, and reserve or ship Ups, an item you want (except for some unknown logic that escapes me, you cannot do this with promotional items, which seem to be the only items I've been excited about using this for). The real problems are that it is a very user unfriendly system, that I hesitate to show to any of my non-computer literate employees. And, you can do all of the same things during business hours faster by calling your warehouse, and talking to a person who sits at a terminal like what we're supposed to be emulating. Jay Farr jwlfarr@mail.coos.or.us >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 07:51:03 1996 Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 07:47:41 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect HI Yup you would make a good Candidate to go on with Network System. However, I would suggest using it through the Laser Station's Modem and not through TRIAD Connect Program, yet. TRIAD has to rework the program. Another solution in reducing calling the RDC for Inventory is the CIS program. Unfortunately, they have not released 2.2 so Laser Program is more slick. The CIS program can give you up-to-date inventory, pricing and promotion info (more so then the Network). The CIS is not as friendly as the Laser, but the newer version is better (maybe in June) - I accidently saw a Beta Test on it - oh well. The drawback on the CIS is that it requires 500mg of hard space and cost $1000 per year, however time is more expense (especially the calling times to the RDC). I have only used the CIS for about 3 weeks and see a lot benefits as mention above and getting better sku info. Also, the CIS gives out new SKU's on discontinued SKU's --> another call saved. The graphics is better on Laser, however. Give CIS - Vince Doherty - at 1-800 562 3796. Need more info - E-Mail. Have fun, Rick >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 11:59:47 1996 Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 12:00:32 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender: rmaed@unix.worldpath.net From: BOB AIKEN Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect The comments about the Cotter Network being "user unfriendly" are an understatement. I have been shown how to use it a number of times, because unless you do it frequently, you can forget the steps. Sure hope someone trys to improve it soon. I tried to reserve a item last week and the computer told me to forget it because it was a promotional item, and could not be reserved. Is this possible, and if so, why? Bob Aiken At 10:54 PM 5/15/96 -0700, you wrote: >I have used the Cotter Network on and off for a year or so. Actually, I >saw a demo of the system at the last Chicago Market, that was much more >powerful than what they have let us have. I have been very disappointed >that nothing seems to be happening in the way of making it better. >Be that as it may, the system will allow you to look up current stock on >hand info for your warehouse, and reserve or ship Ups, an item you want >(except for some unknown logic that escapes me, you cannot do this with >promotional items, which seem to be the only items I've been excited >about using this for). The real problems are that it is a very user >unfriendly system, that I hesitate to show to any of my non-computer >literate employees. And, you can do all of the same things during >business hours faster by calling your warehouse, and talking to a person >who sits at a terminal like what we're supposed to be emulating. > >Jay Farr >jwlfarr@mail.coos.or.us > >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. > > Address articles you wish to send to list members to: > > hardlines@cornells.com > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 16:33:46 1996 Date: Thu, 16 May 96 14:56:31 CDT From: Derek King Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect Well to solve your problem it is very simple!!!! Get A TRU TRAC Computer System!!! Then all you have to do is call up the person at the main warehouse and tell them what you want!!! I say that as a joke. I love our TRU TRAC computer and would take nothing for it. I too would like to be able to call up the local Warehouse and see if they have what I need in stock. Well until you have a question about a TRU TRAC See Ya!!! Selling Hardware, Derek King Argo True Value Argo, Alabama. >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 16:51:40 1996 Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 16:51:36 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect User-Unfriendly? The program is a prototype as explained to me once. Someday, they will rewrite it, maybe if demand calls for it. CIS does most of what the Network does except the lookups on Outstanding Relay orders, S/L's orders and reserving non-promo merchandise. (CIS is user friendly) The question regarding Why Not Promo Merchandise might be extended to the question "Did ChicagoLand learn Retailing yet?". Look at the way the treat Relay orders -->every 4th week an avalanche and then nothings. Oh well, some year. Have fun. Rick >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 16:55:25 1996 Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 16:55:19 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect Hi; Jay have you ever looked at the DC 's Computer??? -->> It gives a lot more info then you will get from the Network. I suggest next time you are in the DC look at the program -->it is neat. Rick >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 17:26:11 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 17:26:02 -0400 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect At 02:56 PM 5/16/96 CDT, Derek King wrote: >Well to solve your problem it is very simple!!!! > Get A TRU TRAC Computer System!!! Then all you have to do is call up the >person at the main warehouse and tell them what you want!!! > >I say that as a joke. I love our TRU TRAC computer and would take nothing >for it. I too would like to be able to call up the local Warehouse and >see if they have what I need in stock. > Derek, The dial-up for Cotter Network is part of the Tru Trac system. I'm not sure where the function is located (Joe Waytula or some other Tru Trac expert can chime in here with details), but I know it's there. Essentially, Cotter Network allows any computer with a modem to dial-in and check stock and reserve quantities. You just need to sign up with Cotter, and tell them what kind of system you want to use for dial-in. From my experience, if you have access to a PC with ProComm, use that method. It's the easiest to configure, easiest to use, and nicest screen resolution. Tru Trac is not too much worse. The Triad Connect is the most difficult to use, mostly because you need to refer to key cross-reference sheets and make sure you're using the right kind of terminal. Also, the Triad use the CPU modem, which seems to take a while to connect compared to a PC. I agree with some of the other comments here regarding Cotter Network... First, the user interface is not real intuitive and the screens are full of extra data that means nothing to a store manager. Second, you can't reserve promo or pinpoint items, which means 90% of the stuff you really want to reserve CAN'T be reserved. Since you can call and reserve the same items, I don't know why Cotter won't let you do the same thing via a computer. It seems to me that by letting you dial-in and reserve that Cotter saves money by not having someone at a terminal answer the phone and key your order in manually. But, even with the problems it is useful during peak demand times... we used it during the snow crisis to reserve snow shovels and snow throwers, and I know for a fact that we got ten snow throwers that would have been gone the next day if I had waited for the warehouse to open to phone the order in. John >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 16 18:52:40 1996 X-Sender: jswift@mail.up.net Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 18:52:39 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect At 12:00 PM EST 5/16/96 -0400, you wrote: >I tried to reserve a item last week and the computer told me to forget it >because it was a promotional item, and could not be reserved. Is this >possible, and if so, why? > >Bob Aiken there were several parameters set when the system was designed (i think i disagreed with most of them) which attempted to prevent misuse of the reservation portion. reserving promotionals was one no-no and another involved how high a percentage of the available stock a dealer could reserve. you must remember that cotter still believes in a father/son relationship with the dealers where "father knows best" and the sons will commit misdeeds if left unchecked...... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri May 17 02:42:45 1996 Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 23:10:30 -0700 From: Jay Will & Linda Farr Subject: [Fwd: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect] I'm sending this to Fred because I do not know of any other Cotter person with an e-mail address. I hope Fred that you'll send our comments on to the appropriate people (person). Bob Aiken has noted the same thing I have. Why shouldn't we be able to reserve an item that happens to be on promo? We can do it verbally. If the object is to wean us of tying up people and doing things electronically, it has to work, and it has to be simple and fast. So far, the products that Cotter has produced are none of the above! Jay Farr jwlfarr@mail.coos.or.us 541-267-2137 fax 269-5430 Status: O Received: from www.cornells.com by mail.coos.or.us; (5.65v3.2/1.1.8.2/22Sep95-1113AM) id AA13623; Thu, 16 May 1996 09:13:46 -0700 Received: by www.cornells.com from localhost (router,SLmail95 V1.2,beta 1); Thu, 16 May 1996 11:59:47 EDT Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 12:00:32 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199605161600.MAA12796@unix.worldpath.net> X-Sender: rmaed@unix.worldpath.net X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" From: BOB AIKEN Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect X-Mozilla-Status: 0011 The comments about the Cotter Network being "user unfriendly" are an understatement. I have been shown how to use it a number of times, because unless you do it frequently, you can forget the steps. Sure hope someone trys to improve it soon. I tried to reserve a item last week and the computer told me to forget it because it was a promotional item, and could not be reserved. Is this possible, and if so, why? Bob Aiken At 10:54 PM 5/15/96 -0700, you wrote: >I have used the Cotter Network on and off for a year or so. Actually, I >saw a demo of the system at the last Chicago Market, that was much more >powerful than what they have let us have. I have been very disappointed >that nothing seems to be happening in the way of making it better. >Be that as it may, the system will allow you to look up current stock on >hand info for your warehouse, and reserve or ship Ups, an item you want >(except for some unknown logic that escapes me, you cannot do this with >promotional items, which seem to be the only items I've been excited >about using this for). The real problems are that it is a very user >unfriendly system, that I hesitate to show to any of my non-computer >literate employees. And, you can do all of the same things during >business hours faster by calling your warehouse, and talking to a person >who sits at a terminal like what we're supposed to be emulating. > >Jay Farr >jwlfarr@mail.coos.or.us > >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. > > Address articles you wish to send to list members to: > > hardlines@cornells.com > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri May 17 02:43:29 1996 Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 23:30:00 -0700 From: Jay Will & Linda Farr Subject: [Fwd: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect] And why shouldn't I be able to do what a DC'S TERMINAL can do? Retail oriented and all that?! Jay Status: O Received: from www.cornells.com by mail.coos.or.us; (5.65v3.2/1.1.8.2/22Sep95-1113AM) id AA18721; Thu, 16 May 1996 14:07:20 -0700 Received: by www.cornells.com from localhost (router,SLmail95 V1.2,beta 1); Thu, 16 May 1996 16:55:25 EDT Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 16:55:19 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Message-Id: <960516165510_536673731@emout16.mail.aol.com> Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect X-Mozilla-Status: 0011 Hi; Jay have you ever looked at the DC 's Computer??? -->> It gives a lot more info then you will get from the Network. I suggest next time you are in the DC look at the program -->it is neat. Rick >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri May 17 17:13:28 1996 Posted-Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 14:13:16 -0700 Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 14:12:17 +0000 From: "Peter J. Cailotto" Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect The Network system on your Tru Trac should've been set up as 65 on the master menu. You can call the help line and ask for network services and they will hook you up. The network system is not real difficult if your computer -->menu driven IBM literate. I use it and it works great! I've tried to teach my brother and my father how to use it but its too hard for their computer illiterate minds. As the system is set up now, the common person can not conceptualize it. When they first came out with the system, they promised a variety of things to go along with the item reserve, a-copy lookup. They've added relay a-copy, got rid of E-mail (it wasn't friendly anyway), had put on listment functions (although it never did anything), and then took listment functions off. I also heard at the show that they are going to farm this service out and the service will no longer be FREE. I hope that they can improve the user friendliness of the system and add the functions that they promised a year ago. (Personally, I prefer a Mac --> but Windows95 is very good when its loaded and IFF you don't have any problems --A BIG IFF--. Hope they make it easy enough so that my brother can use it. Although, he claims effectively that he can call it in on the weekdays faster than I can dial-in and reserve the item. Its kind of nice too to talk to a real person without VOICE MAIL! >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri May 17 15:11:18 1996 Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 15:11:10 -0400 From: CHank1@aol.com Subject: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Triad Connect Currently we use Connect on our Triad system. It does have the ability to connect from any terminal on the system. It does take somewhere in the neighborohood of 3 min. to make the connection and then once you are in you are in the Cotter system and can look at a variety of items from item status, a copy information relay information, and so on. You can also reserve items as long as they are not on promotion. We use it to check discontinued items and get a substitute number and to check the cost of an item mostly. We have reserved items which may be why we have gotten item and you have gotten S/L. (just kidding). We like it but the front end it hard to use but once you get used to the quirks and keystrokes its ok. Like anything, it is another tool to help you have better information and hopefully be more efficient and timely. Chuck >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri May 17 19:49:10 1996 Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 19:49:07 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Hot Buy Book Hi Make sure you Cotter Dealers look at the Hot Buy lines 561 ->570 Nice! Rick >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat May 18 09:38:47 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Sat, 18 May 1996 09:38:38 -0400 From: EZSL50A@prodigy.com (MR MATTHEW A NOONAN III) (by way of John Fix 3rd ) Subject: Re: Re: Need advice on Cotter Network / Tria John & Derek, The dial-up for Cotter is on the Main Menu of Tru-Trac. By using the Call Cotter function you dial into the Cotter Mainframe in Chicago. This allows you to view 1. Item stock status 2. Item reservation 3. S/L listing for your store 4. Warehouse A-copy status 5. Relay A-copy status 6. Relay order open The Tru-Trac point person is Merriam Berry. She has helped this turkey get this feature up and running. The only problem I have is the speed into the Mainframe. Apparently they have not gotten into high speed modems I have had this up just a short while but can see the potential. This is an area where the alliance of Triad & Tru-Trac could benefit all computerized members. MATT NOONAN III >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat May 18 19:56:49 1996 Date: 18 May 96 19:53:45 EDT From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Hot Buy Book To: Users of Fredware/Cotter Members. Everybody has their market relays done, right? If you haven't done your hot buy book, I have a file somewhere with Cotter Sku and an index number which I place in the purchase conversion faction field. I used an RQ report which printed in this index sequence. The Triad report then matched the Cotter paper work and the Hot Buy book was done in one sitting. Interested? I'll upload the file. Cheers, Bill Round. >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 22 10:33:00 1996 Posted-Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 07:33:23 -0700 Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 07:33:31 +0000 From: "Peter J. Cailotto" Subject: Re: Need advice on price ticketing We've been on Tru trac almost since it began, and we started with price stickers, and I finally said to my father : "why are we wasting our time putting on all these stickers!" We only use the bin location tickets and that seems to work fine. An order that used to take us 2 days to put away now is done in 3 to 4 hours. You should however follow some guidelines: 1) Do your price updates weekly, and make sure they are done concisely. 2) If you have price stickers on items either take them off or make sure that your bin location ticket matches the price. 3) Don't allow cashiers to update additional UPC's. 4) If a customer finds a wrong price on your computer and complains, thank him for pointing this out to you (provided its correct and 99.99% of the time he/she is wrong, so check the item sku and compare it to the bin location ticket), and give she/he the lower price + and additional 10% off. There will still ber items that you need to put price stickers on. We indicate those by putting a "-" next to the item. For those items that need a bin location ticket, we denote that on the order with a "*". Good luck! >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 22 09:45:16 1996 Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 09:45:13 -0400 From: LoggyF@aol.com Subject: Need advice on price ticketing We have been on Tru-Trac for a couple of years now and are now considering dropping the price ticketing on the scannable type items as one way to help cut man hours and increase productivity. I would interested in hearing from stores who have done this. What types of problems can we expect? Any problems with customer exceptance? Has it increased productivity? Does it enable you to do a better job of price changing? How did you go about implementing... one Department at a time or everything at once. Do you feel it has helped to cut costs ie: has the savings been worth the investment in new peg hooks etc. for price type bin tags? Anything you can share would be appreciated. Thank you, LoggyF (Fred Logsdon) Nevada True Value Hardware Nevada, Iowa >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 22 10:01:38 1996 X-Sender: jswift@mail.up.net Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 10:01:35 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Need advice on price ticketing good thing you aren't in Michigan -- we have an item pricing law which requires us to price-tag most items individually. i understand that michigan isn't the only one, but don't know who else is in the same boat. however, this is not all bad -- the marts have to tag everything, too! At 09:45 AM EST 5/22/96 -0400, you wrote: >We have been on Tru-Trac for a couple of years now and are now considering >dropping the price ticketing on the scannable type items as one way to help >cut man hours and increase productivity. > >Thank you, >LoggyF (Fred Logsdon) >Nevada True Value Hardware >Nevada, Iowa > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! Keweenaw Peninsula Chapter American Red Cross CIO/Treasurer Ham It Up! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 22 11:20:18 1996 Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 11:20:11 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: Need advice on price ticketing Hi: On price ticketing -->check your state codes first. Massass demands 100% ticketing. This is being contested, but....... Productivity would increase due the time saving on pricing and doing price change reports. Just look at the hours now spent!! Thanks Rick >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 23 03:23:39 1996 Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 23:28:20 +0000 From: Annie Kincheloe/Craig Good Organization: A sign of Design Subject: Re: price tagging Hello: We haven't been price stickering for several years now with great results. Converting was easy and took little time. This is how we did it. First, I set up a movable terminal with a scanner (we're on a Triad). I put the terminal in POS with barcode capture on (this is the only time!). I then "sold" a section as a save order. Any items needing their bar code captured was found and captured at this time. Next I exported the save order sale using request to our label software. Easy - one small section at a time printed out in the same order as scanned or by location. Don't forget to delete the save order. We maintain our bin labels with a dummy future purchase order. When someone needs a new bin lable they just add the sku and quantity of labels needed to the "BINL" PO. Once a week or whenever needed, I just export the data once again using request to our label software. We are receiving our POs with Triad's IST. On level 17 you can use it in conjunction with ERP for better average costing. I would like to just roll the merchandise out onto the floor without manually receiving it at all as Bill Round noted - " We do not find enough errors in our receiving to justify the manpower used to receive." However, the IST captures all new barcodes that are part of the PO - and there are always a few. When going to a strickly bin label system, do it right. Make the descriptions and label easy for the customer to read. And keep them up to date so that we don't all end up in the same boat as Massachusetts. Also, re: Bill Round's comment on variable pricing. I've got a fineline variable pricing system set up off our Triad. When we add items to our system, we adjust our margin based on the fineline. When we get electronic price changes, I export price change data to a basic program that recalculates our fineline variable pricing margin. The cost and margin is then imported back into the Triad with EZ Software's ez-fil and merged back into the price change file. My program also looks at how we're pricing skus and adjusts Cotter's pricing to match how we sell (breaks down box prices to each prices etc.) Exceptions can be handled with a user code field. Craig Good * Lyle's True Value Hardware * Juneau Alaska >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 22 19:51:46 1996 Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 19:52:34 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender: rmaed@unix.worldpath.net (Unverified) From: BOB AIKEN Subject: Re: Need advice on price ticketing Fred, We've been without item pricing for a couple of years on scannable items. I was hard to convince to try it, but the benefits outweigh the problems in my opinion. What are the problems? First, non-pegged, particularly larger shelf items that don't have fence dividers. Someone doesn't put them back in the right slot, customer sees a lower shelf ticket price, and now you have a problem. Next, large items that tend to get placed in available display space, then moved. These must be priced or you will forever be looking up a price, or just not selling it because customers don't like to ask how much it sells for. Another problem. A staff member forgets to put out a bin label or peg price ticket, and customers can't tell the price, and often won't purchase it. The advantages? Tremendous time saved in pricing. Customers can't remember what they paid for an item after they leave the store, and are more likely not to compare your price with someone else. When you have a price change, no more ripping of labels and repricing. I expected customer resistance, but there wasn't even a comment (except when there was no identifying bin ticket). Customers have been trained by grocery stores for some time. Go for it! Bob Aiken rmaed@worldpath.net At 09:45 AM 5/22/96 -0400, you wrote: >We have been on Tru-Trac for a couple of years now and are now considering >dropping the price ticketing on the scannable type items as one way to help >cut man hours and increase productivity. > >I would interested in hearing from stores who have done this. >What types of problems can we expect? >Any problems with customer exceptance? >Has it increased productivity? >Does it enable you to do a better job of price changing? >How did you go about implementing... one Department at a time or everything >at once. >Do you feel it has helped to cut costs ie: has the savings been worth the >investment in new peg hooks etc. for price type bin tags? > >Anything you can share would be appreciated. > >Thank you, >LoggyF (Fred Logsdon) >Nevada True Value Hardware >Nevada, Iowa >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. > > Address articles you wish to send to list members to: > > hardlines@cornells.com > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Wed May 22 21:23:38 1996 Date: 22 May 96 21:21:14 EDT From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: price tagging Folks, I've intended to go off item pricing for a long time. It's one of those things I've never been able to get around to. Here are some considerations I've made. 1. Rick Schwartz is right about the item pricing law in Massachusetts. Everything must be priced. I believe things sell better when they're priced on larger items. Smaller items in bins or on hooks, I'm for it despite the law. I see big-time corporations doing it all the time. 2. For those who must tag. Do a complete bin tag presentation and go to a one-line marking gun. These are ten times faster than a 2-line gun. rely on the bar-code to carry your sku info, etc. to the system at POS. This will also put you in a position where you can "de-tag" gradually. 3. What do you do when the lights go out or the system goes down? You Tru-Trac guys are o'k, but those of us on Triads with "dumb" POS terminals ought to get an "intelligent" POS terminal. It is a nightmare in our store when the system goes down... which is about once per year. 4. "Signs are the silent salesmen, always selling and never on the payroll" Woolworths used to teach its store managers. I agree. Our signage is poor. A good sign printer is a must. 5. A hand-held bin label printer is a must. I have been printing scan tags on a laser printer for years, and I've never been good at it. I hate sending paperwork to the floor in great stacks requiring time and concentration to process. It will not get done. I think putting a staff member on flipping through stacks of bin labels for the "right one" is one of the most expensive things we can do. Doing batches of downloads and PC printing is just a pain. 6. My proposed strategy for getting the floor under control: a. designate a location for the fineline. b. place merchandise. c. scan all merchandise in place. d. update location in system. e. run report for fineline to see what's not there which should be. It's amazing how things "disappear." f. make space for the stuff which should be there, correct those counts, and order them. g. use the fineline report to select "x" movers and duplicates for deletion. It's a good time to get rid of those Cotter promotional items which have crept into our inventories by the thousands. How many 1 gal plastic gas cans do I need? h. adjust pricing if needed. i. print bin labels. j. go onto the next section. k. I might even review the Cotter fineline listing for possible new addtions to the catagory. 7. Weaknesses in my "strategic plan." a. My system uses the old Cotter variable price fineline. It is obsolete. It has no link for file maintenance. It is bad. b. I want to use the "new" Cotter fineline system. There is still no electronic link. The Triad numeric is troublesome, but I may have to go to it for that file maintenance link. c. There are not enough hours in the day for a store owner to maintain his or her inventory file without the bulk of it being done by the co-op. Cotter has improved greatly with such innovations as almost understandable abbreviations, some actual english wording, and lower case characters. They still have a way to go. d. The Triad hand-held devise is still uncompetitively-priced. They must get their act together on this one. RF (radio frequency) is just around the corner for stores like ours. e. Triad's "smart" POS is somewhere between 5 and 7 grand depending on how much software you have to buy. Ouch! 8. It's been mentioned in someone's message, but we need more discussion on receiving here. I think receiving can be improved greatly by removing the pricing function from the process. This is one of the greatest advantages. We do not find enough errors in our receiving to justify the manpower used to receive. We still get errors! We create our own errors! The time would be better spent on the floor merchandising. There is no better argument for remerchandising than that it improves sales. Catching a receiving error rarely improves sales. 9. Good housekeeping improves sales. The hand-held will aid that. I've got to run! Regards, Bill Round Round's True Value Mad House and Dog Pound, Where the children must work.... or STARVE! >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Thu May 23 08:10:41 1996 Date: Thu, 23 May 1996 08:10:37 -0400 From: LoggyF@aol.com Subject: Cotter dial-up Cyber-hardliners, I have been following the recent discusion about the dial-up feature for the Cotter mainframe with great interest. I saw several things there that could help with some problems that we have been having. We have been on Tru-Trac for over 2 years now, and I knew that we did not have this feature so I took Matt Noonan's advice and called Merriam Berry. She told us that we needed to fill out some paper work and faxed them to us. I filled them out and faxed them right back to her. All well and good, right? Wrong!!!! 2 days later we learned that, not only us, but all of the dealers that they signed up at the market are all being put on hold for at least 90 days while they rewrite the program. Oh well, it was a good idea... it's just to bad that we won't be able to use it to help us out during our busiest time of the year. LoggyF (Fred Logsdon) Nevada True Value Hardware Nevada, Iowa >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Fri May 24 13:59:45 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 13:59:35 -0400 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Masback bites the dust? Has anyone else (notably Triad or Cotter folks who might have a closer ear to the ground on wholesaler news) heard that Masback has folded? They're a Sentry wholesaler in the northeast (based in NJ) who've been in business for 100 years or so. For the last year or two they've been struggling, especially with the growth of Home Depot in the region and the closings of lots of smaller stores who weren't buying from the co-ops. They tried to restructure in February, but according to our salesman they've folded as of the last few days. He's now off to work for Emery Waterhouse. John >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Sat May 25 13:45:24 1996 Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 13:45:19 -0400 From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: Masback bites the dust? Masback closed their doors on Friday May 24, 1996 and now in Chapter 11 for liquidation They lost too many of their salesforce to continue (Salesforce was jumping ship and being eaten up by Emery Waterhouse......). Unfortunately, the handwritting was on wall even before their letter back in January. Any suggestions?? Need a good secondary source to Cotter's. (Don't tell Chicagoland, then again.......) Have fun, Rick P.S. -->now for the onslaught of the other houses. >From owner-hardlines@cornells.com Tue May 28 17:39:47 1996 X-Sender: "John Fix 3rd" Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 17:39:38 -0400 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Re: Masback bites the dust? At 01:45 PM 5/25/96 -0400, Rick Schwartz wrote: >Masback closed their doors on Friday May 24, 1996 and now in Chapter 11 for >liquidation >They lost too many of their salesforce to continue (Salesforce was jumping >ship and being eaten up by Emery Waterhouse......). >Unfortunately, the handwritting was on wall even before their letter back in >January. > This must be a big blow to Sentry, as well as the smaller independent dealers who've relied on Masback to ship them supplies without getting invloved in co-op promotional programs, stock investments, etc. Of course, these types of stores are dropping like flies as well, but I'm sure there are numerous small guys who've been slowly dying as Masback's stock dried up over the past year leading to missing items and lost sales. >Any suggestions?? Need a good secondary source to Cotter's. (Don't tell >Chicagoland, then again.......) > For what kind of stuff? We rely on Interstate for a good selection of pain sundries at decent prices. Libner Corp in Norwalk, CT has a good supply of gardening supplies. Samar Distributing has an excelent selection of housewares, with Rubbermaid prices that are better than most of Cotter's warehouse costs (with a better selection as well). Interstate and Samar are in NJ, so they might not cover as far as the bay state. > >P.S. -->now for the onslaught of the other houses. > Has anyone dealt with Emery Waterhouse? What's their pricing and selection like? I anticipate our ex-Masback salesman arriving any day now to show us the E-W price book. John