It all started with a sales call to Hallmark Cards.
Stuart Blades, president of Field Performance Group along with his partner Tom Bradshaw, vice-president of technology, went to show Hallmark executives how to better manage their data by using INFOLink, a custom solution based on the Microsoft’s CE.Net platform.
It is this innovation that garnered the Georgetown, Ont., VAR the top prize for Best Enterprise Solution.
“The big key driver for them was increasing productivity,” said Bradshaw. And once Hallmark saw the before and after picture, Bradshaw said it realized it was going to gain at least 10 per cent in productivity by using the technology, which translated into less manpower and cost savings.
A Microsoft certified partner, Field Performance Group developed the INFOLink software to run on handheld devices. The application gives retailers access to electronic reordering, real-time inventory information, delivery updates and store display charts that help maintain merchandise displays and two-way messaging.
INFOLink was created to replace and expand a Hallmark system running on aging Telxon units. The new software includes the capability for time reporting, ordering, shipment tracking, inventory audits, seasonal credits and a closed loop messaging system.
With a merchandising force of 10,000 users, deploying this new application was no easy task.
FPG also provides the application hosting to manage the system around the clock, a help desk to support the field users and asset management services to coordinate unit repairs.
Formed in 1997 by Stuart Blades and Tom Bradshaw, FPG is a mobile-business system provider using Microsoft technologies including CE.Net, SQL Server and Visual Studio.
“We always recognized being a business service provider was very important, and offer a complete service to our clients,” said Bradshaw.
Second, Third Place
Recognized with second prize in Best Enterprise Solution for its work with Grand & Toy was Brodie Computes Inc. from Guelph, Ont.
“For such a small company, we’re very honoured to have been rewarded,” said Karen Brodie, president and founder. With more than 2,700 employees in 90 locations across the country, Brodie Computes implemented close to 600 seats of Maximizer Enterprise. The result raised Grand & Toy’s productivity levels and increased the company’s return on investment. Taking third place was BrantTel Networks for the IP-telephony based solution it provided to Wurth Canada. To link 250 employees in offices located in Alberta and Ontario, BrantTel deployed Avaya IP Office, an all-in-one converged voice and data solution designed for SMBs.