Symbol Technologies Provides Critical Route Accounting Solutions To Unilever Mobile Sales Force In Turkey

Onsite Data Collection and Transactions Speed Orders, Processing and Market Data Analysis

Symbol Technologies, , the world leader in rugged mobile and wireless computing has announced a contract with Unilever Algida, a household brand name in European ice cream products. The contract, to automate the mobile sales team and provide an advanced route accounting solution, includes the roll out of over 650 of Symbol's handheld computers with colour display and Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 functionality to the Algida sales force throughout Turkey.

Carried out by Exim A.S., a Symbol business partner, the solution allows the sales team to complete an array of customer transactions onsite. These include order taking, offering discounts and promotions, compiling customer profile information, producing and dispatching invoices in a mobile environment.

Ahmet Bicimli, Unilever's IT implementation manager commented, "We launched the Mobile Sales Force Automation Project to strengthen our sales team for 2002, updating and developing technology solutions to replace those we have been using for over ten years. We completed an exhaustive search for the most suitable solution and selected Symbol as their handheld terminals currently have the highest specification on the market - as well as being the most ergonomic and lightest in weight."

According to Marco Landi, Senior Director Vertical Markets, Symbol Technologies EMEA, "In the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, customers' expectations in terms of hot-sales and order-taking have changed. They are looking for speedier transactions with less paperwork. Therefore the need for collecting data onsite is critical to a successful customer relationship. Symbol's highly functional handheld computers feature new capabilities for users to deploy the most secure, reliable and robust mobile solutions with superior communications and connectivity - to wirelessly view and manage data all along the supply chain."

Emre Kabas at Exim A.S described the installations, "Evolving from the days of manual order entry and tracking, today's successful route sales systems utilise technology for seamless communication between sales, delivery and distribution. For Unilever, we developed a mobile computing Route Accounting system that includes a Symbol portable data collection terminal and a printer installed into the sales force vehicles. Route Accounting helps clients increase productivity virtually eliminating paperwork and invoice calculation errors. It also provides accurate inventory, streamlines end-of-day settlement, evaluates the performance and enhances the customer service."

PDT 8100 Series Portable Data Terminal

The PDT 8100 Series from Symbol Technologies bridges the gap between pure pen-based and key-based mobile data collection solutions. The first Pocket PC device available in multiple keyboard configurations, the PDT 8100 is a versatile, colour VGA display hand-held that delivers the functionality of Pocket PC with the convenience of tactile, key-based data entry.

Sealed to IP54 standards, the rugged durability of the meets the needs of many industrial environments. This, coupled with communication options that include batch, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) or Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) connectivity, enables the PDT 8100 to deliver data where and when it's needed, enhancing productivity where business is conducted-whether taking inventory in the warehouse, or checking on an order from a customer site.

The innovative PDT 8100 Series is a powerful hand-held that combines the strength of Microsoft's Pocket PC platform with the power of the Intel® StrongARM processor, operating at 206 MHz. Equipped with 32 MB or 64 MB of RAM and 32 MB of ROM, the PDT 8100 is designed to keep pace with your business. Reinforcing this are the expansion possibilities offered by the user-accessible CF slot, which can accommodate a flash memory card.

About Unilever

Unilever is dedicated to meeting the everyday needs of people everywhere. The company provides washing powder, shampoo and toothpaste, teas, ice cream, oils and spreads for consumers all over the world

About Exim A.S.

Exim is a leading provider of Automatic Identification and Data Collection technologies (AI/DC) in Turkey. Leveraging over-a-decade of expertise Exim has achieved more than 1200 successful projects in the Turkish market. Exim A.S. was founded by Teknoloji Holding A.S. in 1988.