Many of the CHARISMA modules may be enhanced by optional facilities such as fax, BACS, bar coding and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). A 'pop out' menu function is supplied that enables an operator to 'pop out' of one function into another i.e. whilst posting cash or entering purchase invoices 'pop out' and take an enquiry and then return to the original function. Other facilities include - print screen, calculator, calendar and mail messages:

There are over 750 main programs within the eight software modules including comprehensive parameterised reports and management information.

The Sales Desk/Telephone Sales program is part of the standard CHARISMA suite of software. It has been designed to aid and improve customer service with instant access to comprehensive information on the customer's account, stock, price/discount structure, last price(s) paid, previous enquiries and outstanding orders thus maximising efficiency when processing enquiries and orders over the telephone. All of the above facilities can be accessed from this program without leaving the customer's account. In addition, a prospective customer database can be maintained to assist in marketing. Features include:

• Powerful customer search facilities. Fast search on all or part of the customer account number, name, address, post code, telephone number and contact names.
• On-line credit control. Displays the credit status (over credit or on stop) with the option to hold orders until authorisation is given.
• Last 13 months turnover and profitability. Provides an immediate 'picture' as to the 'value' of the customer and can indicate if a customer is now buying elsewhere.
• Customer notepad. Allows the sales desk to keep pertinent, up-to-date information on the customer.
• Customer diary. The diary can provide a complete log of activity for each customer including telephone conversations, quotations sent, and rep visit reports. The diary can be automatically updated by system events e.g. customer placed on stop and entries can be extracted on screen or hard copy by type e.g. telesales call, rep visit.
• Outstanding orders processing. Displays the customer's outstanding orders together with their order numbers. The user can see whether an order has been despatched and can verify when back orders will be fulfilled based on the delivery date from the supplier.
• Transaction history. All customer transaction details are available on-screen.
• Outstanding invoices with age debt. Displays all unpaid and/or reconciled invoices.
• Invoice history. Full invoice details can be held on file as long as required. Copy invoices/credit notes may be viewed on screen then faxed direct to the customer or printed.
• Previous product look-up. Quickly locates a product the customer has previously purchased by stock code and/or description.
• Powerful stock search facilities. Fast and comprehensive search on all or part of the stock code or description plus search facilities on customers' part numbers, suppliers' part numbers, catalogue page and catalogue part numbers.
• Stock availability. Immediate display of stock availability including incoming stock or alternative products.
• Allocated stock breakdown. Displays details of which customers the stock is allocated to.
• Orders on supplier. Quantities, details and due dates of stock on order with suppliers with progress notes.
• Free stock at other locations. If using multi-locations, displays stock availability at each location/branch.
• Alternative product facility. Up to 4 alternative products per stock item can be cross referenced for fast access.
• Last price(s) paid. Displays details of the last 9 occasions when a customer has purchased a specific product including date, invoice number, price, discount, quantity and cost at the time.
• Enquiry logging. Depending on the outcome of the call the product and price information can be converted to an order, converted to a quotation, left as an enquiry or recorded as a lost sale. Lines on an enquiry can be treated individually or as one to maximise the speed and flexibility of this feature.
• Quotation production. Direct via fax or by printer. Several different formats may be set up and selected by the user e.g. formal quote, informal quote, prospect quote.
• Outstanding enquiries. All staff can have access to outstanding enquiries and have the ability to progress and convert them to orders regardless of who took the original enquiry. CHARISMA will also highlight to the user if the selected customer has any outstanding enquiries to aid with pro-active chasing.
• Price/discount override. Option to override a customer's price/discount structure and negotiate on-screen with a mark-up on cost or margin facility.
• Low margin warning indicator. A minimum margin % may be pre-set by product group. CHARISMA then warns user if they attempt to negotiate below this minimum margin %.
• Lost sales analysis. If an enquiry quotation proves unsuccessful, one of 10 user defined lost sale reasons can be attached to produce lost sales analysis. Lost sales can be analysed by customer, customer type, product, product type and tele-rep and can assist with decisions as to which products to stock and whether products are competitively priced.
• Direct order entry. Fast order entry routine for firm orders.
• Telephone rep. analysis. Provides analysis of telephone sales staff by sales, gross profit and activity.

The integration of this program combining customer, stock and history files is, as with all CHARISMA programs completely seamless with options and key depressions clearly indicated on-screen. All of the above facilities are selected from one input screen to provide the most powerful, comprehensive yet easy to use sales and customer service tools on the market.

"The telephone sales software has transformed customer service and improved our enquiry to order ratio".