Mobile/wireless field sales and merchandising solutions provider, O4 Corporation, has implemented a mobile field sales service solution UK magazines group, Frontline.

Frontline, which reportedly has over 30% of the consumer magazines market in the UK, has implemented a PDA-based solution from O4 which it claims will save it £100,000 (approximately A$233,000) within three years.

Frontline's field sales team is using the new application whilst visiting UK retail customers. PDAs hold all the information on each store, including stock orders and history, planograms, forecasts and targets. The application also provides call planning, territory management and detailed activity analysis.

Field sales personnel are using the O4 Solution to assess each store, capturing information and photographing shelves. The data is then transferred to head office through wireless synchronisation.

Niall Wallington, Frontline’s national field sales manager, said:  "We needed an intelligent, mobile solution that would help improve our sales team’s service offering to our retail partners. If we are to remain the leaders in Magazine Category Management we require sophisticated, enabling technology with next-day reporting facilities. Experience has taught us that a good PDA user interface will deliver accurate and consistent data from our field sales team. This information is essential to build up-to-date knowledge databases that support delivery of our commitments to retail and sustain our leadership in category management disciplines."

Angela Lovegrove, managing director Europe for O4 Corporation Limited, said:  "This project allows Frontline to understand exactly what’s happening at store level. Frontline’s field sales force, and supporting managers, now have one of the most sophisticated business process tools in the market, enabling them to communicate faster, reduce administrative tasks, work smarter and keep well ahead of their competitors."