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Tip #1303 – dynaMACS Software Help Resources

From within dynaMACS you can select the Help option and a complete list of resources is displayed. Some of these resources are documents that you can print and keep for quick reference. Others, such as our live demos, will take you directly to our website where you can view videos and FAQ’s. There are also some interactive resources such as checking for software updates and registering your dynaMACS software.Below is an outline of the resources available and how to access them.

To Access the Help Menu

  1. From the dynaMACS main screen select the Help option from the menu bar.Main Screen

List of Help Topics

Help Topic

What it Does

What’s New . . . Displays a .PDF file containing all of the enhancements and corrections for the latest version of dynaMACS.
Live Demos on our Website Opens the dynaMACS website displaying the webpage for viewing online demo videos.
Getting Started Opens a .PDF file with instructions on getting started with dynaMACS.
dynaHELP Opens a .PDF file of dynaHELP which contains help on all of the dynaMACS features.
Remote Support You may be asked to select this feature by a dynaCARE support rep which will enable them to direct connect to your computer via Team Viewer in order to trouble shoot any problems you are having.
Previous Release Notes Opens a .PDF file containing all of the enhancements and corrections from previous versions of dynaMACS.
FAQ’s on the web Opens the dynaMACS website displaying the webpage for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s).
Show Tips Opens the dynaMACS website displaying the webpage for the dynaMACS Support Tips library.
Register dynaMACS Opens a dialog box which will send an email to dynaMACS to register your dynaMACS software program.
Check for software updates Opens a TrueUpdate dialog box to check for available software updates.
About dynaMACS Opens a dialog box displaying information about your dynaMACS software such as serial number, software version, etc.

 

Case Study: Wes Coast Marketing

“Access to sales & commission data is instant. No waiting. dynaMACS eliminates the time lapse.”

Chris Mitchell
Operations Manager, Wes-Coast Marketing

Wes_Coast_Marketing_LogoClient Challenge

Like most agencies back in 1998, Wes-Coast Marketing was using Excel spreadsheets for sales and commission data. The agency “got by” with it, but reporting and analysis capabilities were bare-bones. A few years after launching, Wes-Coast experienced exponential growth in a relatively short period of time. Spreadsheets no longer filled the bill. The agency needed a powerful, technologically sophisticated software solution to manage and track sales and commission data, Operations Manager Chris Mitchell explains.

Wes_Coast_Marketing_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

Wes-Coast chose dynaMACS software and was immediately impressed with the instant on-screen access to all sales information. For the first time, the agency was able to combine and analyze sales for all manufacturers in one database and provide sales reps with up-to-date sales reports. Principal Jim Marino remembers the pre-dynaMACS days. “It was an antiquated, paper-driven process that resulted in lengthy delays in getting information.”

Since switching to dynaMACS, Wes-Coast realizes the value of powerful agency software and takes advantage of the newest features as they are released.

First, the agency’s field salespeople and principal were equipped with dynaMACS Mobile on their laptops, so they had access to sales and commission information from anywhere as soon as the agency distributed it electronically. “Before dynaMACS Mobile, once a month we would mail out reports. By the time the reps saw the data, it was a month-and-a-half to 2-months old,” says Marino.

Next, the agency became an early adopter of the latest dynaMACS advancement: cloud processing. The team sees real-time data. They have the most recent figures, can get high-level sales information, drill down to detailed information, and send reports to reps – even email up-to-date reports to customers.

“Everything is instant. No printing stacks of paper. No waiting. The time lapse is eliminated,” says Mitchell.

Tip #1302 – Using SalesRep/ZipCode Maintenance to make adding customers even quicker and easier!

A new feature has been added which allows you to assign sales reps by zip code ranges. This feature will automatically assign the sales rep when adding a customer if the zip code has been assigned to a sales rep in the Sales Rep/Zip Code Maintenance screen.

Example

Jim Black is responsible for all customers in Kentucky (zip codes 40000-42999).  Let’s look at how simple it is to set up this zip code territory for him.

  1. Select Edit and Sales Rep Zip Codes from the dynaMACS main screen menu options to get to the SalesRep/ZipCode Maintenance screen.dynaMACS Main Screen
  2. Enter the Zipcode Start i.e. 40000 and select the <tab> key
  3. Enter the Zipcode End i.e. 42999 and select the <tab> key
  4. Enter the Description i.e. Kentucky and select the <tab> key
  5. Enter the Sales Rep code OR search for it by selecting the Binoculars button then enter the <tab> key
  6. Select the Save button.Zip Code Maint Screen  Note
  7. To review the records set up in SalesRep/ZipCode Maintenance you can select the arrow buttons in the lower left hand corner of the screen.
    • First_Record_dynaMACS    = Brings you to the first SalesRep/ZipCode record.
    • Last_Record_dynaMACS   = Brings you to the last SalesRep/ZipCode record.
    • Previous_Record_dynaMACS   = Brings you to the previous SalesRep/ZipCode record.
    • Next_Record_dynaMACS   = Brings you to the next SalesRep/ZipCode record

Auto Sales Rep assignment in Customer Maintenance

Once the zip codes and sales rep assignments have been entered into SalesRep/Zipcode Maintenance the sales rep will be automatically assigned when entering new customers in Customer Maintenance.

Example

  1. In the following example a new customer is being added in Customer Maintenance using the zip code 45222.Cust Main Screen 1
  2. After entering the zip code and selecting the <Tab> key or the <Enter> key, you will see that the Sales Rep field is automatically populated with Jim Black (JB) because he is assigned in the SalesRep/Zipcode Maintenance table. Cust Main Screen 2

Case Study: High Performance Tooling

“Time is money. When we need technical support, dynaMACS response time is immediate. They solve our problem quickly so we can get back to selling.”

Pierce Ellis, Co-Owner
High Performance Tool

 

High_Performance_Tooling_LogoClient Challenge

High Performance Tooling is always in sales mode. The agency needs information on manufacturers and customers instantly. The fast-paced agency needed faster access to more in-depth information than RPMS software could deliver. Even more frustrating was trying to get technical support. “When we called, we always got voicemail. They called you back when they got a chance. It could be hours; it could be the next day,” says Pierce Ellis, co-owner of High Performance Group. “Time is money. We don’t have time to wait for a call-back for technical support.”

High_Performance_Tooling_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

Ellis came across dynaMACS at a trade show, and was impressed with the level of in-depth information the software provided. Data could be accessed instantly, and he could drill down to in-depth information with just a few mouse clicks. So the agency purchased dynaMACS, and the challenge of getting lightning-fast access to valuable information was solved.

But could dynaMACS live up to the agency’s need for fast technical support? Ellis says the dynaMACS support team has exceeded his expectations. “The dynaMACS response time is immediate. The support team solves our problem quickly so we can get back to selling. “We know we can call dynaMACS, talk to friendly and helpful support staff, get the issue resolved and continue with our day efficiently without waiting around.”

High Performance Group partners have dynaMACS Mobile, so they can take sales and commission data with them wherever they go – and still quickly call for technical support.

Ellis gives dynaMACS the highest recommendation: “We will never switch to different software. We love working with dynaMACS.”

Tip #1301 – Power of eSi Mapping

If you receive sales information from manufacturers electronically, you can replace hours of data entry by importing that information directly into dynaMACS using the optional Electronic Sales Input (eSi) module. eSi includes the Reformat Utility which translates the information from your manufacturer into a file that dynaMACS recognizes. Once you have shown dynaMACS how to translate a manufacturer’s file the first time, dynaMACS remembers the translation, or map, for any future sales information files received from that manufacturer. Below are just a couple of eSi features that show the power of eSi mapping.

Auto Duplicate Feature

The Advanced feature #11 says Auto Duplicate any fields in the import file if the row is blank. This will apply to all dynaMACS fields in Column 3 that have an “*” next to them.

Electronic Sales Information Mapping with the auto duplication field checked for importing manufacturer commission statements into dynaMACS Software

The spreadsheet example shown below is a primary example of where this can be used. Notice the first entry for each invoice has the permanent information but each subsequent row is left blank. By selecting the Auto Field Duplication option, the blank fields will be populated with the preceding data. This eliminates the need to manually modify the spreadsheet prior to processing it in dynaMACS.

 

Append Feature

With the Append feature you can combine two fields from your import file to map to a dynaMACS field. This is useful in identifying multiple Ship-to locations for a customer where the Ship-to location is in a different field from the Sold-to customer code. In the following example we will append the Code field with the Zip Code field.

  1. First highlight a field in box (2) Selected.
  2. Next highlight a field in box (1) Fields from the source file which will be appended to the field selected in step 1 and select the Append button.
  3. The field Code is now appended with the field Zip Code. The combined field is “mapped” to the Mfg’s Customer Code used to identify the correct customer.Electronic Sales Information Mapping with the results of appending 2 fields together for the importing manufacturer commission statements into dynaMACS Software

If you are interested in the dynaMACS eSi module and you currently do not have access to it, please contact the dynaMACS sales office @ 800-321-1788 to learn more.

Case Study: Head Contract Solutions, Inc.

“We used our old software for a year and realized we had made a mistake. dynaMACS is much easier to use, and relevant information is easily accessible.”

Liz Head, Owner and Manager
Head Contract Solutions, LLC

Head_Contract_Solutions_LogoClient Challenge

Head Contract Solutions was expanding, hiring new sales reps, and trying to use Excel for sales and commission data. The agency needed deeper information than Excel could provide. So a hunt for new software commenced. Although hindsight is 20/20, the agency based its software decision mostly on price. It turned out to be a case of “you get you pay for.” Liz Head, owner and manager of Head Contract Solutions, described the software as “grueling.” It was not easy to learn or to use and the agency still wasn’t getting the in-depth data they sought. Using the software was making the agency less productive, instead of more.




Head_Contract_Solutions_StatisticsdynaMACS Solution

And so a second software search began. This time, Head Contract asked colleagues at other sales agencies what software they used. One name came up time and again: dynaMACS.

Head said what the agency saw in dynaMACS was, “a fast, flexible and reliable way to manage all of our sales and commission data.”

Head says dynaMACS makes it easier to pay sales reps, and she finds being able to access a 5-year sales history with a few mouse clicks extremely useful.

One of the biggest benefits for Head is the ability to import manufacturer sales and commission reports without manual entry. “We’ve pretty much eliminated data entry. We receive manufacturers’ sales invoices and commission statements electronically. It literally saves hours. For just one manufacturer a month, there are up to 400 lines items to cover each brand and every dealer. Before dynaMACS, stacks of paper would arrive and all the information had to be inputted by hand.”

Head says dynaMACS lives up to its reputation of a powerful performance analysis tool. “Our productivity and accuracy has grown exponentially, and we have only scratched the surface of what dynaMACS can do.”