time to re-think what we do and how we do it ?

whats new in Gen-2 E-cat - Wed May 25th edition

There are daily changes and updated-upgrades in the Gen-2 E-cat ... are you spotting these ? Ken sent the attached image - you can select what bulb without going thru a huge list-- give it a try ( for all you activant users )

push for first to market in ECC

like World Pac -- CARQUEST is adding OEM place holder part numbers to track lost sales and hits --and we are extremely pleased to see this happen. Look for p[art numbers like this image show ( click to enlarge image )

The parts in question have the 9.9 movement code.

Gaps in our staff training ... Billing Schedules & Rebates

Got a call from a salesman ... problems with setting up a customer on a 'special' program that is available to us thru CARQUEST ... this really hi lights the problem we have on staff training on this hugely complex problem

1) I have sent in a list of staff names to get Manager access for the CARQUEST-Link. This will allow you to see a c

ouple of key items - like the Competitive Position sheets ... hint ..on the BAT Comp Posit sheet ( my short form ) you will see the details on the battery rebate program ( hint -see page 3 ) --this change my take a while ... remember --click ont he image to enlarge to see the new data

2) your store manager has the Billing Schedule - where we group customers into similar 'pools' for their discounts .. we pride ourselves on trying to be very consistent for discounts to customers in similar capacities .... no special deal for you on this ( and a non-special deal on something else ... if you get my drift )

3) we have EXCEPTIONS to any rule - and this one is no exception ... our exception list is a very complex excel file - you store manager has access to the latest version using dropbox. We urge you to be careful --as you are dealing with the live data - if you trash the file - we have to got to our backup and can loos a couple of days data ... Dropbox is not as easy as google doc's - butt he file is too complex for google doc's - A store manager might print the 20 pages (yep - that large ..damm ) as an option -- watch the date - over 30 days old -the data should be reprinted.

This was meant to be a primer on the MOST COMPLEX subject of discount and exceptions to the discounts ....

Last point --we do NOT want managers making exceptions to discounts in Exploris without FIRST a) telling Greg H &/or b)adding the exception to the excel file --so we know what was done ... we are trying to work with managers to keep them growing in their knowledge of this - but like I said - this is an absolutely amazing complex system .... it took the writer a LONG TIME of actively working on it to get a good grasp ...

There -- clear ? as mud ? Cal Greg H on questions when you have time - important for key staff to better understand .....

Payroll

I will be doing month end payroll on Friday, May 27th. Please make sure that timesheets and vacation/sick days are sent in for THURSDAY afternoon. Payroll will be deposited on Tuesday, May 31st.

Matching Gen-2 to World Pac Speeddial

You will notice multiple parts ( with different suffix's ) in Gen-2 e-cat for WPC items ( on the secondary page - but why they stick it on the secondary page is a political battle we are still fighting )

Anyways -- Gen-2 will list all part numbers ..in the example we have shown --

N1000 124854 BRE

N1000 124854 PBR for a 2000 Chev Cavalier .....

But go to Speeddial and they will only list the PBR as that is what they have in stock ....

Hope you continue to learn the ways of WPC. Remember you can click on images to enlarge

Gen 2 Interchanges

There is a lot happening in Gen 2 e-cat during the past few days -- and you will see more INTERCHANGE data be added ... now we have to find the the lines that need to be corrected for CANADA ... see image --remember you can click to make the image bigger

bad lines awaiting updating

BAT - use the Cdn part # ( not the easier to understand USA part # - bit I digress )

CLP - not our line of Calipers - we use CAL and set CLP for something else

Some interesting problems in lines like GSK and SLS ... not sure what is going on --

Problems are easy to spot --look for parts that say NIF ( not in file ) and therefore do not price

Decoder Ring - where is my decoder ring ?

the new RSK line of econo stuts are soon to be shipped .... these seem to be based upon the Monroe part number ( and the Raybestos who also copied them ) -- plagiarism is the most sincere form of flattery ....

So where is my decoder - I had it 50 years ago - where did I put it ? ( smile )

Gilmour flyer for May & JUne - once it stops raining

the IMPORTANCE of THINKING ......

Read a good quote from Gen. Patton -when everyone thinks the same - some one is not thinking ... here is kind of a case like this ....

this note went to Raleigh & Toronto & Auto Barn:

01-05 Dodge Caravan --when I hear that I want to ADD EVERYTHING available ..... found this from sining a cheque for a buy-out ( to which I saw no mention of any PRS being done by the way -- Jason & Greg Guyitt )

1) ECC sensors are 8.5 --- move to whatever level will get then to the super store stock ... but wait ....skip this step and

2) acknowledge the IMPORTANCE of GOOD VALUE .... so long as DOR is so much less -- move that from 8.9 to stocking at the superstores

3) why not run comparisons on additional DOR to see how many more are like this -- and either have a talk with Wells - or better yet -- do what WPC does and source from Dorman

4) bonus question .... ask DOR to remove unrequited data line ( see yellow in image ) -- and weed out further example ...the image tells the storey .....and thanks to Ed R -we had images on all

Come on guys --we need your help -- these kins of problems should be eliminated long ago .....

We continue to need your thinking and you action to make this place better .... thank you.

Volunteers Needed

As a follow up to last night's meeting, I am looking for volunteers to help with statements for June, July and August.

June 1st is a Wednesday

July can be either Friday the 1st(Canada Day Holiday) or Saturday the 2nd

August can be either Monday the 1st(Civic Holiday) or Tuesday the 2nd

If anyone is interested please let me know ASAP

Thanks

May Mid Month

The May mid months will be deposited on Friday, May 13th.

want to shorten your LOG-IN password for Exploris ?

Jason at Auto Barn mentioned he would like to shorten his password for Exploris ...easy to do ... if you want your log-in password shortened -- see your store manager

Sorry if the cartoon offends anyone - it is late in the day

US Exchange

All US money is be exchanged at 90 cents on the dollar. Any questions please call me.

E-Cat changes for week of 5-4-11

A few changes to note or remind you of in E-Cat

-FRI Red pads ( now replaced by RPD ) have been PULLED from Primary Page and put on Secondary Page .... this cleans up the Friction listing ... they left in Secondary as we continue to de-bug RDP data ... want to see a problem ... 2000 Buick Century front pads --popular 699 series ... no RDP listed ... in activant ...but is listed in Gen-2 ( I have been calling it Nex-Gen --I should correct myself to the more correct name ) - spotted by Greg at Auto Barn

-in Activant we pulled the Worldpac listing on secondary page... as it uses the 'OTHER' part number - remember that WPC is correct in Gen-2 e-cat on the secondary page

-added XRB in secondary pages - for Raybestos brakes from Auto Sense - just in case --a reminder that these (well- 5000 of these anyways - most popular )_ are in system as a backup

If you are using Activant - you MUST get some eyeball time on Gen-2 e-cat ... if you don't you will be sorry ... - not a threat - just facts .....

What is your favourite VIEW of Plaxo ?

Hey --did you even know there were different options on Plaxo ? I personally like the OLD VIEW - but then I am an OLD GUY ...

What view do you like ---

CLICK this link for the Old View

URL to bookmark ......

CLICK this link for the NE

W VIEW URL to bookmark .....

If you do NOT handle your bookmarks --who will ???? Gee ...where is MOM when you need her

Does any

one have any additional options on Plaxo for a 3rd ( or 4th ) view on how our data looks ... ??

Remember we are using Plaxo until we can find a better Multi-store address book ... suggestions welcomed ....