In 2003 Paul Mizzi, part-owner of a manufacturing business, was looking for a better way to manage his sales representatives.  

“We lacked processes, had poor reporting systems and sales data was processed two weeks after the event,” says Mizzi. 

Wanting to move away from a paper-based system, Mizzi struggled to find an effective, affordable real-time solution. He engaged Nick Hutchins from software firm Digital Tree and developed a real-time sales application running on a personal digital assistant (PDA).  

“I fell in love with the idea,” says Mizzi. So much so he exited the manufacturing firm and, with Hutchins, created a new business, Repsmart, offering the technology to the market.  

The Repsmart solution combines sales ordering with customer relationship management in a real-time environment. Using a PDA, orders are placed electronically at the point of sale. Via a mobile phone interface, the sales representative can access the customer’s details and order history. Orders are processed immediately, updating the company’s financial, sales and customer databases.  

Small businesses can now implement a sophisticated sales solution for less than the cost of a mobile phone, at the same time improving their sales team culture, according to Mizzi. 

“We change the way people think, so we can incorporate different selling methods. For example, a customer orders ice cream, but hasn’t ordered cones. The system will pick that up and send a message to the rep’s PDA,” he says. 

“Reps visit more customers, take more orders and the system helps them up-sell. From our feedback, reps that were seeing six or seven customers a day now cover 10-12.” 

Focusing on the food distribution industry and offering the service on a subscription basis, the Repsmart solution suits large and small players alike. Repsmart is available across Australia, with Mizzi investigating distribution options with local and overseas telecommunications companies.