This project involved designing a database to hold details of wholesalers, retailers and end users for Connolly's Red Mills, a leading animal feeds manufacturer, to manage all aspects of the UK sales operation. The project stored details of all shops and warehouses which stocked the companies products and among its many features enabled a customer to ring up and be immediately given details of the nearest stockists based on their postcode. The database was integrated with Microsoft MapPoint to provide detailed street level mapping and territory management for the representatives in the field.
A MySQL Database was developed and the "front end" to this was written in VB.NET to create a multi-user Windows application that would run on a File Server within the Office.
The system was designed to allow field representatives to use the system on a notebook computer whilst on the road. When the rep returned to home or the office they linked into the office network and synchronised the database. The database held details of name, address, phone, fax, email etc as well as listing the products stocked and all contact history e.g. phone conversations, letters sent and received etc. The database also holds up to date sales data imported from the accounts system in Ireland which could be displayed graphically and filtered to display by product type, representative, customer etc.
