Plano Molding connects with its reps

Sales methods used by Plano Molding had changed little since the company was founded more than 55 years ago. IT consultant Braxton-Reed helped change that with an interactive Web site that allows manufacturer’s representatives to browse the company’s offerings—without compromising security—and place orders electronically.

The growth of national and international business has allowed countless small to mid-size firms to expand exponentially, without leaving their home area. But information systems have not always kept pace with this expansion, creating bottlenecks and missed sales opportunities.

Plano Molding Company, which started business over 55 years ago as a manufacturer of plastic fishing tackle boxes, found itself in this situation. Over the years, the company has expanded into many different lines of storage systems and organizers for outdoor and indoor applications, including cosmetics, hardware and custom molding. With several divisions, 700 employees and four manufacturing facilities in the U.S., the Plano, Illinois-based company does business through many different channels. In addition to directly supplying major mass market retailers such as Kmart, Wal-Mart and Target, it does business through distributors and has agreements with dozens of manufacturer's representatives.

While Plano Molding's product line was innovative and up to date, its system for providing information about its products and placing orders was not. This system consisted of printed catalogs, phone calls and follow-up written orders, a procedure largely unchanged for 55 years. The company had thought about creating a new automated, interactive system in-house, but realized that its information technology (IT) staff had neither the time nor the technical expertise to do the job expeditiously.

As a result, Plano Molding contracted with Braxton-Reed to design and implement an interactive Web site using information from Plano's IBM AS400 database. Braxton-Reed is an information technology and business consulting company based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. The company's technology and business expertise, its familiarity with Web technology, and its local presence made it the best choice for this application.

The goal for Plano Molding's new site was to allow sales reps to browse detailed information on all the company's offerings-many of which are in discrete industry-related sections of the database. For example, reps familiar only with Plano's hardware products could also examine sporting goods and other lines. With this product information, reps could generate computer-based customer sell sheets and other materials. These electronic documents could then be routed to internal Plano account managers for modification and approval.

The new Web site, which was developed in the spring and summer of 2000, accesses a considerable amount of data from the IBM mainframe computer. Plano was concerned about providing unlimited access to sensitive internal information. To allay these fears, Braxton-Reed designed a sophisticated security access protocol that allows access to basic product information without compromising internal security. Braxton-Reed also used an Internet tool, net.data, to access the AS400 data and write application code.

In addition to providing a comprehensive listing of Plano Molding's products, the new system is a "sales aid" for manufacturer's reps, allowing them to customize presentations to new clients by creating spreadsheets to dramatize potential sales opportunities. The site's interactive aspects allow reps to create sales agreements, propose discounting programs and deal with other issues. Sales representatives now work from detailed customer profiles that help them identify the most likely prospects for new sales from a unified database of wholesalers and retailers.

Plano Molding describes the Web site project as a learning process on both sides, but with a successful outcome that provides access to all the data its representatives need.

The new Web site, which went live in late summer 2000, is expected to save considerable time and money currently spent taking down and processing orders, while offering sales reps an abundance of opportunities to find new clients. In addition, the new system allows Plano Molding staffers to focus less on routine accounting procedures, and more on high-value added business activities. By forging a tighter connection with its sales representatives, Plano Molding is "closing the loop" on its order system, and ultimately providing better service to its end customers.