When implementing a "user-friendly" marketing solution, many companies are forced to compromise on the speed of information availability. Speed becomes an issue when database refresh processes are slow, and delays occur in delivery of reports to end-users. Obviously, the value of this information to a marketing or sales team depends greatly on its timeliness.

We were glad to hear recently that WiseGuys passes the test in "tech support friendliness," from one of our clients, Kristi Eilander, User Support Specialist with the Alamo Group (IA), a corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes agricultural parts and equipment.

Part of Eilander's role as a user support specialist is maintaining the company's large database behind the scenes, something that has become much easier since the implementation of WiseGuys.

"With WiseGuys, refreshing the database is now faster and easier," says Eilander. "Before, our IT staff would have to run the reports at night via Ecometry, our order entry system. We would hope a hiccup didn't occur and that the reports would be ready for marketing in the morning."

"For our large database, the WiseGuys refresh is much faster, and a recent speed-up has made this even better," she explains. "WiseGuys is very easy to get started and let run, and our in-house marketing staff depends on the reliability of WiseGuys reporting."

Providing territory managers with timely up-to-date catalog data is another important part of Eilander's job.

"We take the refreshed marketing data and, through a web interface, display it for our territory managers," says Eilander. "This allows them to access the information quickly, and use the built-in Access search capabilities."

"Within hours, not days or weeks, they can adjust their sales and marketing planning," she adds.

"WiseGuys gives our team a better range of what they can do with the refreshed data, without it taking so long. Best of all, it puts the data directly in the hands of the end-user - and our IT staff need not be involved."