FAQ's
General
n How long has the company been in business?
n Originally formed as International Business Associates, the name was changed to Innovative Business Associates in 1991 after acquisition of software rights from Area Computer Services of Orlando, Inc.
n How many installations are in place?
n 75+!
n What is the functional scope of the system (i.e. Receivables, Order Entry, General Ledger, etc.)?
n Orders are entered via Order Entry, then flow through the system to inventory, purchasing, receiving, shipping, invoicing, and finally, posting to accounts receivable and to the general ledger.
Architecture
n What operating system(s) are used by Image Plus+?
n Windows 2008/2012, Windows 7. Operating environments include Rocket Software’s mvBASE, D3/Windows and D3/AIX
n Is Source Code available?
n Yes. Clients can enter into an agreement to procure source code.
n Can I use my Windows PC’s?
n Image Plus+ supports PC’s running Windows 2008/2012, and Windows 7.
n Briefly describe the menu/navigation structure (does the software use codes, keywords, etc.)?
n Image Plus+ is completely menu driven. Users simply enter a number from the menu. The Image Plus+ Security feature determines by user what menu options they are allowed to use.
Customer Support
n Does Image Plus+ provide price quoting based on actual cost?
n Users can use wholesale, manufacturer and lowest cost for quotes and contracts. Price can be cost Plus+, list less or gross profit %.
n How far back can we research past client purchases?
n History retention is only limited by disk space. There is no requirement to purge after a specific time.
n How are contracts assigned?
n Contracts can be assigned to one customer or multiple customers, or across the board. An unlimited number of contracts can be assigned to a customer.
n Can we customize a contract list by customer?
n Yes. You can also copy a previous contract and re-price.
Order /Billing Features
n What pricing services does the system accommodate?
n Image Plus+ supports its own item files direct from the wholesalers and vendors.
n Can we aggregate daily orders per supplier?
n Yes. Image Plus+ accumulates orders to a vendor before a purchase order is created. This purchase order can be edited prior to electronic transmission to the vendor.
n Does Image Plus+ maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory information on a real-time basis?
n Yes. Quantities are allocated after entry of each line item of an order is completed and updated information displays on the order entry screen. QOH is updated at the time the invoice is generated.
n What sales reporting is provided?
n To name a few, the Image Plus+ invoice register shows sales, costs, gross profit and commissions; customer usage reports show detail and summary by department; sales reports can be generated by salesperson. Custom reports can be created at the customer’s request.
n Does Image Plus+ support blanket purchase orders?
n Yes. In the customer’s file, a blanket purchase order and expiration date can be entered. The blanket purchase order number is automatically displayed in order entry.
n How long does the system archive invoices?
n As stated earlier, history retention is only limited by disk space. There is no requirement to purge after a specific time.
Training & Support
n What does it cost for training? Where is it done?
n Training time is billed at $75.00 per hour and is done on-site. A five (5) day session is recommended. Expenses for airfare, lodging, meals and transportation are the customer’s responsibility.
n What is the ongoing support/maintenance/hosting fees?
n Cost per month is determined by whether the system is part of a network or stand-alone version. Wholesaler update tapes are $75.00 per wholesaler, per quarter for networked and stand-alone systems.
n What are the support hours?
n Office hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST, Monday thru Friday, however a support technician is on-call at all times for emergency situations.
n How are updates to Image Plus+ distributed?
n While it is true that Image Plus+ is a complete software system, there is still a great deal of customization that goes into each particular site. Updates, therefore, are primarily limited to across-the-board changes necessary to load wholesaler updates, communication with wholesalers, and other common functions. These are provided as part of the support agreement. Other enhancements that can be incorporated are made available periodically. Customers can then determine if they want these enhancements installed on their system.
n Is data conversion available? What is the cost?
n Discussion of what needs to be converted is done prior to installation. Costs vary according to the needs of each situation.
eCommerce
n Does Image Plus+ provide an Internet Solution?
n Yes! eComPlus+ is designed in a shopping cart format. Innovative’s Internet Solutions are real-time, direct to your Image Plus+ server’s order entry. No third party system that you have to keep updated with customer information and pricing. No downloading by fax or Email to then key into your system.
Customer
n When setting up a new customer, which fields in Customer Maintenance must I be most concerned about?
n Image Plus+ System Software incorporates the use of a default customer screen. Most fields are already set up based on what the “norm” is for the majority of your customers. There are, however, some key fields that need user input pertinent to each customer. These are as follows
n Name, Address, Zip Code, Telephone, Fax, Contact, AP Contact, Salesperson, Terms, Statement, Usage Departments and PO # Required. Other considerations are discount level and contracts.
Order Flow
n What is the flow from the time an order is taken until it is delivered to the customer?
n Image Plus+ Order Entry is fully automated. From the time an order is entered, its progress is tracked. Stock items are marked for picking, non-inventories items are placed on wholesaler purchase orders, then transmitted via TCP/IP, an acknowledgement is received which releases the order to ship, action is taken on back ordered items, merchandise is received and invoices or delivery tickets are printed and the order is delivered to the customer.
n Order is taken
n Items are checked against inventory
n Non or Not in Stock items go to wholesaler PO
n Wholesaler PO’s are transmitted/acknowledgement received
n Items are received, invoice or packing slip printed
n Customer ordered items are delivered
n Stocked items are put on the shelf