Business Modules

ProVisions is a true ERP computer software solution designed to run in concert with the industry standard Microsoft Windows 7 desktop operating system as well as the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2008 operating systems. The ProVisions' main focus is to provide clients within the food distribution and processing industries with the finest and most innovative computer software system available—everything from software functionality to hardware.

ProVisions is appropriate for use by food distributors, brokers, meat and poultry purveyors, fruit and produce wholesalers and many more. Key functionality within the core business modules offered in ProVisions represent practical, yet advanced, software processes developed through years of ongoing development specifically to provide clients with the necessary information to effectively and efficiently manage their business and make strategic, profitable decisions.

The ProVisions application is divided into five distinct modules, click a module below to view full details.

Sales

Inventory/Production

Financial

Administrative

Reporting

Sales Module:

	Contact Management Drive your sales with more precision and at a lower cost. ProVisions’ powerful contact management capabilities maximize sales efficiency by providing a central launch pad for your sales team. Convenient, well-thought-out tools provide your reps with simple, on-demand access to the critical information they need to make the most profitable decisions and close more business. ProVisions provides a suite of new tools to help track contacts, prospects, sales opportunities, quotes and orders, even enter new orders, at the click of a button. A comprehensive Order Guide provides a detailed view of each customer’s purchasing patterns. This data can be analyzed to spot changes in customer activity that can be adversely affecting revenue. The software also provides a quick view of each customer’s credit information, A/R detail, open orders and complete invoice history.
	Sales Pipeline and Rep Performance For sales managers, ProVisions provides a high-level view of open and closed sales opportunities. You can quickly determine salesperson goal achievement and statistical analysis and see how each rep is performing this week, this month, over the same period as previous year or other comparative metrics. Built-in Activity Analysis features provide classic sales pipeline information such as sales conversion rates, close probability and other informational charts.
	Point of Sale ProVisions lets you operate your retail points of sale with a complete cash drawer interface, deposit tracking, quotes and deposits, scheduled delivers, credit issues and payment processing on account—all from one simple menu.
	E-commerce Module ProVisions provides unprecedented connectivity for online B2B/P and B2C commerce. A suite of web-based tools supports complete online account management, product catalogs and quotations.
	Customer and Volume Pricing ProVisions’s inventory management solution lets you assign different prices for different types of customers. You can also assign different prices for wholesale, retail or online sales.
	Remote Order Entry The ProVisions Remote Order Entry module gives companies the tools to compete in an ever-growing sales market, while maximizing revenues and cutting operational costs. ProVisions’s Remote Order Entry is a streamlined, web-based sales order entry application that works from any Internet-connected browser. Through secure, wireless mobile technology, outside salespeople -- and customers -- can quickly and easily take orders in the field, view inventory levels, check product promotions and pricing, and transmit data securely to ProVisions application server at the office. Real-time access to the ProVisions application is a major time saver that eliminates the need for double data entry and provides a convenient service to a distributor’s retail outlets.
	Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Receive orders from trading partners and send fully compliant acknowledgements and invoices electronically. ProVisions's integrated EDI module eliminates manual data entry, and has been customized to meet the EDI requirements of most supermarkets, wholesale clubs and other large retailers.
	Customer / Vendor Buying History Quickly and accurately record shipment related detail, including agent, packer, shipping line, port of entry, final destination, vessel, feeder vessel and container number.
	Sales Inventory Inquiry View product prices and costs, committed and on-order inventory, lot number, receipt date, inventory location, brand, grade, box number, and other detailed lot-level data—all from a single screen.
	Batch Product Transfers Pre-sell expected product by staging inventory transfers between storage facilities. You get instant visibility of product transfers at the receiving location.
	Purchase Order Miscellaneous Charges (POMC) Assign landing costs to a single item on a purchase order. Assign fees such as customs charges or duties to one item on a purchase order without affecting the landed cost of t he other items purchased on the same order. When used in conjunction with the header-level POMC on a single purchase order, the new POMC tool lets you spread some charges over the cost of all the items on a purchase order and assign certain costs to individual items on the same PO.

Inventory/Production Module:

	Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) Control the types and quantities of materials purchased and plan which products are to be produced and in what quantities, all at the lowest possible cost. Gain more efficient production (longer runs, fewer product changeovers) and lower inventory levels and meet contracts to supply products by the agreed date. Produce a detailed MRP report listing the annual sales budget and forecast for each of your items and products, and ensure that it accounts for current sales projections, accurately reflects what items or raw materials (ingredients, packaging supplies, etc.) are required, how many are required, and when are they required. Click here for more information.
	Production Packing Interface Move your ProVisions processing to the production floor. The Production Packing Interface combines the ProVisions production packing software, production-ready workstations, fully integrated electronic scales, and bar code label printers to improve the efficiency of your food production, provide for more accurate production yields and eliminate manually-entered shipped weights for every order.
	Portion Control Specify product weights to match customer requirements, convert total order to pounds and transfer the information to the cutting room floor accurately and efficiently.
	Catch Weight Processing Capture product shipping and receiving weights quickly and accurately in purchasing, sales and shipping operations.
	Touch Screen PC Support In today’s industrial and commercial production and processing environments, computers get dirty, washed down, shaken up and generally abused. ProVisions is fully compatible with ToughStation computers from Digital Dynamics, a leading provider of rugged computing solutions for industrial markets for more than ten years. The ToughStation computers and monitors are NEMA 4x sealed for a completely airtight enclosure.
	Warehouse Management System ProVisions dramatically improves accuracy, control, and productivity in all facets of warehousing operations. The software supports a low-cost state-of-the-art warehouse management system that uses high-performance laser bar code scanning technology and wireless handheld scanners. The warehouse management nodule provides real-time capture and sharing of inventory information at the receiving dock, and then immediately uses this data to optimize receiving, tracking, material movement and transfers, picking for sales orders, truck loading and routing, physical inventory, cycle counts and employee utilization.
	Purchase Order Processing Expedite customer orders by referencing detailed customer and sales history. ProVisions' integrated order processing system ensures that orders are recorded accurately, that product is shipped right the first time, and that orders are invoiced promptly.
	Costing and Pricing Costing and pricing your goods are essential to maintaining a profitable food distribution and processing business. Centralize standard and actual costs so price changes are applied quickly to lot finished products. Bill of materials roll-up allows for quick re-pricing and costing.
	Scale Interface Capture weights on the shipping line, invoice weights automatically right from the scale, update production orders and generate shipping labels. ProVisions provides the most powerful and easy-to-use scale interface in the industry.
	Production Processing Simplify the tracking of lots through production and accurately account for processed inventory. ProVisions provides raw materials yields and calculates exact costs for finished goods.
	Inventory Control Keeping inventory management costs down is crucial to competitive advantage. ProVisions helps companies slash inventory costs by providing tighter control of stock levels. You can set complex pricing rules based on individual customers, item variations, volume and more. Access up-to-the-minute quantity status and detailed information on each item in your inventory. With ProVisions’s inventory replenishment capability, you can ensure that you have enough product on hand to fill anticipated orders, while keeping excess stock to a minimum. Average lead time, historical or seasonal-based sales, and number of days' supply to stock are used to dynamically set reorder point and preferred stock level for each item.
	Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Track and label country of origin data to comply with USDA mandatory labeling requirements. Generate labels at time of receipt with COOL and MOP details, including method of production, where the product was grown, packed and processed. Assign unique transaction and lot numbers when items are received in inventory, and track product through the shipping process to an unlimited number of locations.
	Bar Coding Facilitate production, lot tracking and more. Capture bar code data (using bar code scanners sold separately) and print labels to track catch materials through the shipping process.
	Lot / Yield Management Control and manage inventories and perform on-demand inventory lookup, tracking and history of all products. This essential module ensures compliance with FDA regulations.
	Enhanced Yield View Maximize the profitability of each order, and be more responsive to your customer's business needs, with fast access to each customer's purchasing history as well as the cost and gross margin for each product.
	Dispatch / Delivery Manage your daily delivery operations more efficiently. CAI’s Order Delivery Tracking System (ODT) is a flexible, user-friendly and intuitive solution that provides accurate delivery and scheduling information to dispatch, sales, and management organizations. This eliminates the need to call the dispatch office to determine delivery status. Additionally, the system’s integrated GPS tracking technology and wide variety of available black box and fixed mount vehicle options provide real-time tracking and management of their mobile resources, and lets dispatchers coordinate order combination, routing and fleet tracking to get the most out of their delivery operations.

Financial Module:

	Automated Purchasing Calculate average daily usage based on your unique parameters, direct purchase orders and purchase order returns. Order materials, track purchase orders and match receipts and invoices. ProVisions' automated purchasing module pulls direct line items from sales order entry into a purchase order.
	General Ledger Access charts of accounts, balances, tax reporting and other up-to-date financial and accounting data and quickly produce attractive financial reports on demand to gain valuable business insight. ProVisions provides daily financial management tools, not just a once-a-month report. Instantly access every G/L amount and transaction, and set-up your accounts and sub-accounts to enhance your decision making, improve processing time and automate routine activities. With ProVisions, you can create accounting periods based on your fiscal and business cycle, manage bank accounts and cash and automate routines such as check-writing, bank statement reconciliation.
	Accounts Receivable Manage your receivables to maximize cash flow and net profit. Promote and track sales, payments, and other activity with your customers. Record communications with customers and prompt credit managers for follow-up to help you get paid on time.
	Accounts Payable Record vendor transactions, write checks, and track vendor activity. Get better control over payables to your vendors with less time and effort.
	Bank Reconciliation Identify all paid checks and reconcile with your bank fast and accurately.

Administrative Module:

	Paperless Document Management Scan, file, store, and retrieve documents, fast and efficiently. CAI’s software is integrated with DataView RMS, a total Record Management System developed by MultiProcess Computer Corporation (MPCC). DataView RMS is designed to help you reduce costs, labor, paper and storage; locate documents instantly, prevent document loss, protect documents with image dating technology and restrict access by providing security. Misplaced or lost files are a thing of the past.
	Settlement Processing Automates the tracking of all catches purchased on consignment. On-demand reports provide detailed settlement information required to cost a catch after it has been sold. Cash advances and outstanding receivables are utilized to arrive at a settlement amount. A payables check can be generated automatically once the settlement amount has been accepted.
	Imaging Print full-color images on quote sheets, packaging and marketing literature. Comprehensive photo imaging capabilities let you view your photos on screen to help reduce errors.
	Open Database Access Access business data anytime, anywhere through Microsoft® applications like Excel, Word or Access as well as other reporting tools.
	Graphical and Intuitive User Interface ProVisions runs in concert with the industry standard Microsoft Windows operating system to operate your enterprise in a completely graphical, intuitive and fully integrated environment.

Reporting Module:

	Business Intelligence (BI) Access and utilize valuable data to enhance your business decision processes. ProVisions' integrated BI Module is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art solution that lets you view customer, sales, inventory and other key performance indicators (KPI) as intuitive and graphical dashboard objects so you can identify business trends, monitor progress toward business goals and diagnose overall organizational health.
	Flexible Drill Down & Query Access critical information with state-of-the-art drill down and query capabilities. Detailed inventory, lot, customer and vendor histories are readily available to key personnel.
	Management Reporting Produce detailed management reports, including SIR (Sales/Inventory Recap), SOBER Inquiry (State of Business Effectivity Report), GMROI (Gross Margin Return on Investment) and more.
	Truck Route / Manifest Dynamically route trucks, assign stops in the appropriate sequence, and ensure drivers have complete and organized delivery manifest. Quickly review stops assigned to each driver, the number of stops on a truck, total weight, and case count.
	Sales Analysis & Reporting Analyze up-to-the- minute corporate data, sales information, inventory status, accounts receivable and profit margins with detailed and customizable sales analysis reports and summaries. ProVisions is ODBC compliant, making it possible to use Crystal Reports, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access and other third-party applications to review real-time information.
	Smart Reporting Ever been frustrated by generating a report and discovering it does not provide the right information? ProVisions’s Smart Reporting feature includes a data file that automatically stores each user’s individual settings for each report. You can save your report settings and load the report with these settings each time the report is run. What’s more, each user can store and run the same report with their unique settings.
	Management by Exception Generate insightful reports and screen views for Gross Profit and Discounts that fall outside of user-specified acceptable business ranges.
	Import Tracking Quickly and accurately record shipment related detail, including agent, packer, shipping line, port of entry, final destination, vessel, feeder vessel and container number.
	UPS Worldship® Integration Manage all of your shipments from your desktop— from origin to destination—and back again. You can Extract sales order and shipping detail from ProVisions into the UPS shipping interface with the push of a button.

In an effort to provide the ultimate in food software flexibility within its food distribution and food processing software systems, CAI has employed a sophisticated and, unique to the industry, concept of software parameterization. Through this technique, Computer Associates industry consultants are able to selectively activate individual computer software functionality features within the system that most suit the individual needs of any particular client. This amounts to a partial customization of the software to each individual clients’ unique requirements without the need for programming, which translates to a near custom system at the cost of a standard package.