New handheld PCs were outfitted with a signature-capture capability and a small thermal printer. With the new system, the customer provides an electronic signature upon delivery, and the printer provides a simple receipt. This part of the new system is pretty straightforward, but the heavy lifting takes place back in New Orleans. Now the upload of customer invoicing data is followed by the upload of the signature images. However, Standard prefers the signature embedded within each invoice document.
Electronic documents help keep an organization from experiencing paper explosions.
When a customer has questions about an invoice or requires proof of delivery, the invoice is retrieved and viewed. This new electronic billing system has had an additional major benefit. Using available space on the optical disk, Standard decided to distribute sales reports electronically. Previously, more than 200 different sales reports were printed, then mailed on a weekly basis to field management. This saves time and mailing costs.