Week 10:

Back Up, Look Up, and Lock Up Your Manifests

Document Management provides additional value for users of Dairy.com Mobile Manifest

Dairy.com Document Management is a powerful, stand-alone solution that we've bundled with Mobile Manifest. Your hard copy documents are "auto-magically" converted to electronic format, streamlining the processes typically associated with document storage, indexing, retrieval, and more.

The benefits of document management for your paper manifests are numerous:
Back Up: Your manifests are preserved in a useful electronic format for quick reference.
Look Up: Your manifests are accessible anywhere, anytime with proper security permissions.
Lock Up: Your manifests are securely stored online and protected by 256-bit security standards.

Document Management from Dairy.com can also help you streamline document routing and payroll, as illustrated in the following examples:

		Simplify management of milk manifest routing. Instead of trying to figure out which manifest to fax to the appropriate supplier, fax your manifests to our single, toll-free number. Dairy.com will take it from there. Your manifests are automatically sorted and directed to the appropriate supplier.
		Gain visibility as electronic documents are integrated with payroll. Streamline issue resolution with haulers or easily determine which manifest isn't accounted for in your payroll application.

To learn how it works or how it extends the value of your technology investment in Mobile Manifest, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

THANK YOU
Thanks for joining us as we told the story behind Dairy.com Mobile Manifest. We'll send one last message on April 11, which will contain the official press release.

Week 9:

Your Business Partner for a Stellar Deployment

Behind 10 years of solution development, you'll find a decade of successful solution deployment

As important as the technology itself, Dairy.com is fully committed to well-planned, professionally executed solution deployment. In fact, we believe it's one of the hallmarks of being a true business partner.

When you're ready to improve your milk manifest handling process with Dairy.com Mobile Manifest, our team is ready to help. We'll be there from project kick-off through go-live, providing special attention in these areas:

		Project Management: We'll provide a clear plan of action to meet your objectives using a collaborative project management process.
		Process Change Management: We'll work with you to modify workflow processes as needed to leverage the benefits of Mobile Manifest within your organization.
		Employee Acceptance & Training: We'll create awareness and train end users to get the most from Mobile Manifest. We'll train your Accounting and Payroll personnel as well as your Haulers. After go-live, our Customer Support team will provide the ongoing service you'd expect from a business partner.

"How do we get there from here?" Rest assured that Dairy.com has thought through the details and put together an implementation plan that maximizes the return on your technology investment.

Next week:
Learn about Document Management, a Valuable Tool That's Bundled with Mobile Manifest

Week 8:

More Than Just a "Plan B"

IVR Technology Provides a Valuable Alternative for Your Drivers

Last week we provided the official release date: April 11. This week we’re letting you know that Dairy.com mobile technology for milk manifests uses—yep, you guessed it—the very mobile phone that your driver already carries.

Dairy.com Mobile Manifest gives users two great options for real-time milk manifest data acquisition and validation: a mobile web interface and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology. Though most drivers will choose to enter milk manifest data through the mobile web interface, Mobile Manifest offers a secondary method for recording manifest information: IVR technology.

In case you're not familiar with IVR technology, it goes something like this with Mobile Manifest: Your driver calls our 1-800 number, listens to prompts, and uses the phone keypad to answer those prompts. That's it! Entering critical milk manifest data is quick and simple.

Our IVR technology is more than just a "Plan B" for your fleet; it's a valuable alternative for drivers in these situations:

		No data plan? No problem. Pickups can easily be tracked using the IVR interface and keypad inputs; a data plan is needed only for the mobile web interface.
		Outside of network? If your drivers lose service from their mobile carrier network, they can always access our IVR technology using a land line.
		Got an older phone? Phones that don't support the mobile web can still be used with the IVR option. A specific phone isn't required to streamline the handling of milk manifests.

Mobile technology backed by IVR gives your drivers an easy, accessible alternative to using the mobile web interface option of Mobile Manifest.

Next week: Your Business Partner for Stellar Deployment

Week 7:

Mobile Technology for Milk Manifests Arrives April 11

Get Your Manifest Makeover in Time for Summer!

On April 11, 2011, Dairy.com will release its mobile technology for milk manifests. As one of the recipients of our weekly updates, you’re invited to be among the first to see what it's all about.

We've been preparing for this important release for many months. Our implementation process has been carefully designed to help you experience real benefits, right away. We believe your IT staff and third-party haulers will agree. (More about implementation in the March 25 post, "Your Business Partner for a Stellar Deployment.")

If you would like to be one of the first to discover whether Dairy.com mobile technology is right for you, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !

Next week: More Than Just a "Plan B"

Week 6:

Faster, More Accurate Data:
The Holy Grail

Ever seen the tongue-in-cheek sign for tax preparation that advertises "Fast. Accurate. Affordable: Choose Two"?

Although the sign causes you to stop and think, who wants to sacrifice any one of these to gain the other two? It's known as a trilemma, and we're not asking you to choose.

When Dairy.com began developing its solution for real-time handling of milk manifests, we made sure that you don’t have to choose among speed, accuracy, and cost-efficiency.

Because hauler data is processed as it is gathered, your plant personnel and your accounting system can receive manifest data in real-time.* Stop waiting! Manifest processing no longer depends on physical manifest delivery.

* depending on client configuration

With Dairy.com mobile technology, data is validated as it is gathered. As such, the data quality is significantly higher than paper and electronic batch methods, for example, which rely on exception reporting and manual intervention.

Mobile technology from Dairy.com provides higher quality data, more quickly, and at a fraction of the cost of today’s alternatives. It's an easy choice.

Next week: Official Release Date Announcement from Dairy.com

Week 5:

Intelligent Support for Commingled Loads

Will my sensitive, detailed information for each milk pickup make it into my accounting system? How will the information be kept separate, not to mention private?

In the past, commingled loads have presented a significant challenge for automating milk manifest handling. Mobile technology from Dairy.com is specifically designed to address these challenges.

In this week's infographic, we follow contracted loads of milk as they travel from farm to plant. Click image to enlarge.

Next week: Faster, More Accurate Data: The Holy Grail

Week 4:

What About Third-Party Carriers?

As you begin to think about mobile technology to streamline your milk manifest process, you're probably asking yourself whether the solution can be used outside of your fleet of haulers. Further, you may be concerned with the cost and challenges inherent with adopting new technology.

Dairy.com took this into account during the development of its mobile technology for milk manifests.

We made it easy to incorporate this new solution beyond your in-house fleet by addressing these critical areas:

		Deployment: Because there's a lower cost to deploy the Dairy.com solution, your third-party haulers will not be faced with burdensome capital expenses.
		Training: Dairy.com delivers training directly to your third-party carriers through simple, quick-reference materials. The interface for entering milk manifest data is simple and intuitive.
		Ongoing Support: Dairy.com takes care of software enhancements, which you receive as part of your subscription. In addition, your haulers are supported by trained Dairy.com specialists.

Whether your milk pickups are handled by your fleet or a third party, Dairy.com makes it easy to deploy, train, and support your haulers.

Next week: Overcoming the Challenges of Commingled Loads

Week 3:

SURE, IT SOUNDS GOOD…

But will it be flexible enough for
my business?

When it comes to evaluating a business solution, fit and flexibility
are at the top of your list.

This spring, Dairy.com will release its cost-effective solution for real-time handling of milk manifests. We’ve put a lot of thought into the process of raw milk assembly and delivery, and we’ve specifically addressed the following road blocks that the dairy industry has encountered in the past:

		*Work together for less:* Dairy.com will provide a solution that's practical—not just for your business—but for the businesses that take part in your milk assembly process. With a single, cost effective mobile technology, multiple companies can work together without expensive equipment.
		Overlapping supplier "boundaries"? Check! Because loads of raw milk are frequently assembled by stopping at multiple farms and picking up partial load quantities, there had to be a way to ensure that collected information ends up in the "right buckets" back at the office. Dairy.com mobile technology gathers and manages information for the entire assembly process with business logic and minimal user intervention.
		Drop yards? Check! Mobile technology from Dairy.com will accommodate the logistics challenges faced by your haulers and their destinations. By design, this technology can be configured to work the way your business works.

Still wondering whether Dairy.com will address your specific business scenarios? Stick with us over the next few weeks as we reveal more details about our upcoming mobile technology release.

Next week: What about third-party carriers? You asked—we'll answer.

Week 2:

Milk Manifests 101: A Brief History

Where can improvements be made for a process that includes:

extreme complexities due to the high number of farms and plants involved,
federal regulations regarding pricing and associated record keeping requirements, and
numerous pickups that may be required to assemble a full load of raw milk?

These are the questions that Dairy.com set out to answer when it began working on technology to improve the handling of raw milk manifests.

Today's paper-based, manual process for handling milk manifests has proven to be slow and prone to error. As a result, the current process is detrimental to the businesses competing for milk supply from the farmers and milk demand from the plants. Our "Milk Manifests 101: A Brief History" infographic takes a look at the several points that Dairy.com is addressing within the current manifest handling process. Click image to enlarge.

Week 1:

Welcome and Scheduled Releases of Weekly Updates

Thank you for your interest in receiving weekly updates as we prepare for one of the most significant Dairy.com releases of 2011.

Over the next eight weeks, you'll receive updates about our upcoming mobile technology product release. As we lead up to the official release, we'll take a look at how this solution will increase efficiency and streamline operations for raw milk manifests

The scheduled topics for our weekly updates are as follows:

February 4 | Milk Manifests 101: A Brief History
February 11 | "But is it flexible enough for my business?"
February 18 | What About Third-Party Carriers?
February 25 | Support for Co-Mingled Loads
March 4 | Faster, More Accurate Data: The Holy Grail
March 11 | Official Release Date Announcement
March 18 | More Than Just a "Plan B"
March 25 | Your Business Partner for a Stellar Deployment
April 1 | Document Management, a Valuable Tool for Mobile Manifest

Again, we thank you for joining us as the story unfolds, and we encourage you to share these updates with your colleagues.