Millwork distributor uses technoloqy to improue seruice

I)TELLEHER Corp.. a San Rafael. Acu.-bur"d manufacturer and distributor of lumber and moulding products, knew it had to replace its manual inventory tracking and order fulfillment system to succeed in a competitive marketplace and better serve its customers.

The solution was an innovative mobile system-a Treo 650 smartphone, an attachable barcode scanner from Socket, and customized software from 3G Touch Solutions-that cuts order fulfillment time by more than 807o, offers real-time inventory tracking and order placement from anywhere, and trims about 30 minutes from the typical two-hour site visit.

"This technology allows us to connect with all our customers like never before, helping us rapidly deliver orders of any type and quantity from our product line," said Paul Herzog, Kelleher's v.p. of marketing. "At the end of the day, our ability to give customers quality products as quickly and effortlessly as possible is what keeps them satisfied and loyal."

Kelleher's quest for a better system began in 2003, when its old manual system was no longer adequate for serving one of its larger customersHome Depot. Orders were phoned or faxed in, forcing employees to tediously rvrite down UPC order numbers onto order forms. Fulfillment of orders often took a week or more.

Using scanners provided by Symbol Corp., Kelleher entered the world of wireless. ln 2004, when personal digital assistants (PDAs) became affordable and wireless communications improved, Kelleher made the switch to Palm's Treo for the salespeople serving Home Depot. Soon after, the company's entire outside sales force received Treos and began using the new system.

Onsite, the attachable scanner allows Kelleher's salespeople to scan bar codes-which contain key product, inventory. or customer information-directly into the Treo 650 smartphone. Besides dramatically increasing the accuracy ofdata collection during order placement. using the scanner also decreases the time needed to place and process an order. As a result. the efficiency and productivity of salespeople greatly increases.

Once scanned into the smartphone, data is instantly uploaded to Kelleher's central database for immediate processing. Most orders are now filled the next day.

"ln the mobile age. service enterprises are expected to function and deliver in real time." said Peter Phillips, v.p. of marketing at Socket. "The combined mobile hardware and software solution has enabled Kelleher's sales representatives to fulfill sales orders with speed and accuracy."

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U.S., Canada Strike DealOn Tariffs

The U.S. has reached a tenative agreement with Canada to settle the long-running battle over tariffs on imports of softwood lumber.

Under the proposed "marketbased" arrangement, the U.S. would return 78Vo of the $4.3 billion in duties collected so far, and Canada would limit its exports to 34Vo of the U.S. lumber market.

The countries struck a similar agreement in 2003, but it collapsed after several Canadian provinces balked. With the new deal, Ontario is already complaining that it would be shortchanged, since it would have to reduce its exports, while British Columbia would be allowed to increase its shipments.

U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said the compromise would end "years of litigation, acrimony and market uncertainty" over softwood lumber.

The U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports supports the proposal.

AF&PA Realigns Toward Public Policy

For the past l0 months, American Forest & Paper Association president and c.e.o. W. Henson Moore has been leading a strategic review of AF&PA's operations prior to his August I retirement.

"The last review and reorganization of AF&PA was done in 1995, and since that time there have been many changes in our industry," he said. "Our mission is to successfully influence public policy to benefit the U.S. paper and forest products industry, and we are realigning to become more effective and efficient to accomplish that mission. As our companies are changing to meet global competition, so must their trade association."

The first phase of the reorganization will place all policy development and advocacy into one department instead of the current five, effective this month.

The new Policy and Government Affairs Department will be led by Donna Harman as senior vice president. Patrick Rita will head up the new Government Affairs Group, which will include federal. state. local and international advocacy.

The second phase of the realignment will be announced in late June.

Moore said, "I am confident that this new operating model will make AF&PA even more effective and efficient at public policy while also increasing member value."

CVBS Opens Ag Supply Yard

Central Valley Builders Supply, St. Helena, Ca., which has been shipping agricultural products to local growers and wineries for 15 years, opened an 10,000-sq. ft. agricultural supplies store with an acre of yard space May I in Healdsburg, Ca.

Unlike the company's three other locations in St. Helena, Napa and Woodland, the new store won't be a lumberyard. Instead, it will offer agricultural supplies to local growers and wineries. such as lumber for trellises. irrigation hardware and supplies, and products for pruning, erosion control and harvesting.

"We have to be in the geographical area to service our customers." said Jack Nelson, v.p. of sales for the agncultural division. "They want to see and touch the products."