Whether we like it or not, the marketplace in which many of us have made our livings for nearly two decades is changing. In fact, like most other parts of our lives, it is speeding up, with less tolerance for errors and an increased sense of urgency on having much more information at our fingertips. Whether we run a large Independent Sales Organization or work alone, we are all faced with finding ways to manage information better and work more efficiently.
The Green Sheet, Inc., is always in search of new ways for ISOs to make money, as well as new tools for control of workflow. In the latter case, we recently found a handheld computer that we feel will appeal to some of you who work alone, and even more so to larger organizations. The device is called a Dolphin and it is available from Artaban Solutions, Inc.
Artaban has partnered with other professionals in our industry to market the wireless handheld unit for the purpose of tracking documents and hardware. The Dolphin can increase efficiency within an organization through sales and marketing. As you know, sales professionals must carry a bundle of paperwork to the merchant location to be completed before the sale is final. The Dolphin allows you to enter all pertinent information needed by your bank partner or your own legacy system into the handheld device. The Dolphin can then download the application to just about any hardware whether it is a PC-based system, a mid-range system or others. The Dolphin even has the ability to capture a signature. Based on bank requirements, the device can print the merchant application, via an infrared port, to a wireless printer, and allow the merchant to sign the application on the spot. This eliminates the need for a large amount of paperwork and can be integrated with an ISOís or bankís merchant services data entry department, to eliminate the need for a second keying to a database.
Additionally, by implementing a standard bar code on merchant applications, the application can be tracked from the time it arrives until the time the terminal is shipped. If anyone in your organization needs to know the status of the merchant application, they could be told, in real time, where the application is. Another way that the Dolphin can increase efficiency within an organization is through terminal inventory and deployment. The majority of smaller banks and ISOs do this process manually. An employee goes into the terminal inventory room, writes down the serial numbers on a piece of paper, and manually enters them into a spreadsheet. Again, this is time consuming and cumbersome. The Dolphin would allow an employee to count the inventory by simply pointing the infrared reader at the equipment to read the barcode and, in some instances, update the computer system through radio frequency. The use of the Dolphin can be customized to track shipping detail and/or request a terminal deployment order.
The Dolphin is compatible with most systems that your organization already has in place, eliminating the need for customized applications. Who knows? This may be a better investment than buying that laptop that you thought might also double as a GameBoy for your kids at home. For more information, contact Artaban Solutions, Inc., at (888) 278-2226 or visit their Web site at www.artaban.com.
