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• The Company

  • What we do
  • What we are
  • What makes us different
  • Our history
     

• The Software

  • Software overview
  • System design
  • Database platform
  • Application language
  • Workflow interface
  • Customization
  • Accessing data
  • Real-time processing
  • Database integrity
  • Correcting errors
  • Enhancements/ Upgrades
  • Bottom-line results
  • Hardware prerequisites
  • Training/Documentation
  • Support/Programming
     

• Our Clients

  • Cat's clients by
    state and type
     

• Evaluating Systems

• Arranging a Demo

• Modules/Features

  • Orders
  • Returns
  • Accounts receivable
  • Customer service
  • Backorders
  • Royalties
  • Sales/Marketing
  • Inventory
  • Direct mail
  • System Options
     

• Visiting Cat's PJs

  • Our location
  • The climate
  • Northwest living
  • Area accommodations
  • Area activities
     

• Finding Info

• Contact Us

• Useful Links

Evaluating Software Systems

It’s hard to come up with distinctive words that describe a system like Cat's Pajamas. All business systems offer standard things like order entry, accounts receivable, backorders and sales reporting. Narrow the field to systems for publishers and the repetition continues. All these systems offer modules for things like royalties, sales commissions, standing orders and tracking of promotions.

There are general characteristics of a system that can be described but the acid test lies in the specifics. How do the other software systems being considered address the following:

Can and how does system “X” address the following?

Order changes

A customer has phoned and placed an order. Two minutes later they call back and request a change to the order. Can anyone in the office who takes the second call quickly find the order and change it?

Order or credit entry interruptions

It’s a big order or return, say for 50 titles, and the operator gets called away after entering 30 items. Can the operator save the order/credit, exit the program, and later retrieve the incomplete order and pick up exactly where they left off?

Inventory discrepancies

While entering an order for 10 copies of a book, the screen indicates available inventory is only 5. The operator is doubtful, calls the warehouse, and finds there are really 40 copies on the shelf. Without leaving the current order, can the operator bring up an inventory program and enter a receipt for 35 books, then return to the order and have the updated inventory availability reflected on the order?

Future shipments

A college bookstore phones to order books but doesn’t want some of them shipped until a certain date. Can the operator flag specific books as a backorder not to be released until that date?

A bookstore phones in June to order calendars, but doesn’t want to receive them until August. Can the operator accept the order to commit the inventory, but hold it for shipment until August?

One Bill-to/Many Ship-to customers

A college has one business office (the Bill-to) but many teachers who order books. Can the order entry operator assign the Bill-to and immediately view a list of all teacher accounts (Ship-to accounts) on file for that college?

Duplicate orders

A distributor faxes a purchase order for 500 copies of a title—the written purchase order arrives the following day. Does the system let you know that the purchase order has already been entered?

Duplicate backorders

A bookstore calls to place an order and requests a not-yet-printed title. Does the system let you know that a backorder already exists for this title? If so, can the operator opt to modify the original backorder to increase the quantity? Or can the operator delete the first backorder and substitute the second?

Correcting order entry errors

We believe that “any time” is the most efficient time to correct errors. After entering 20 titles can the operator go back and change the book or the quantity or the price? Can the operator delete any line item at will? Can the operator insert a line item wherever they choose?

After everything is done but the final OK, the operator realizes a book is missing. Can the operator go back and add the book, then re-calculate discount, shipping charges, $ due, etc?

Duplicate customer accounts

Somehow, probably the result of poor searching upstream, the same customer has two accounts. Both have open invoices and backorders. Can a single program quickly combine the two accounts?

Botched backorder release

Imagine a false signal from the warehouse that a book had been received. Imagine releasing the hundreds of backorders for this book, only to find it was for the wrong book. Can a single program quickly restore all the backorders?

Cancelled titles

After accepting 500 backorders, management decides not to print the title. Can you generate information for notifying the customers? Can you globally cancel all these backorders?

If one title record is cancelled, say the hardcover is out of print, does the system allow you to substitute another title, such as the paper edition? Can one title be substituted for another when backorders are released?

Insufficient credit

If a store sends an order but is behind on payments or over its credit limit, does the system allow the order but suggest placing it on hold?

Bad address returns

An order is returned because the address is incorrect. Can the operator with just a few keystrokes create a credit from the original invoice?

Returns without paperwork

When a return does not include the original invoice, can the operator review purchase history, including quantity, price, and discount, on a line-by-line basis?  

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