CenterStone Technologies, Inc., an internationally recognized developer of Web-based sales order management software for manufacturers of apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories, serving the outdoor recreation, snow sports, sporting goods, surf and action sports industries – selling through specialty retailers – announced that Smith Optics of Sun Valley, Idaho is now “live” on the company’s iVendix software application.

Beginning today, Smith Optics’ dealers and sales reps – in the snow sports as well as the outdoor recreation, fly-fishing, action sports and surfing industries – will be able to place their pre-season orders and all their re-orders through this new B-2-B tool which is accessible 24/7 via the World Wide Web. Dealers and sales reps will also be able to check on the availability of product as well as track and monitor the status of their orders. Smith Optics has made this on-line tool available to more than 5,000 of their dealers.

“We made an exhaustive search for an order management solution but until we found CenterStone Technologies, we were not convinced that other B2B or remote order entry software programs were suited to our business model, which is dependent on high reorders and stock rotations,” said Scott Robinson, Sales Manager at Smith Optics. “Many of the other applications had similar features, but none were as robust, and CenterStone was the most responsive at solving the problems we encountered.”

Tom Detmer, president and CEO of CenterStone Technologies, Inc., commented, “The decision by Smith Optics to offer CenterStone’s next-generation iVendix solution will allow them to take advantage of the thousands of specialty retailers already using our sales order management solution. Dealers and sales reps have been very quick to adopt the CenterStone solution, and we expect that Smith’s choice of CenterStone will have a significant, positive impact on their business. Currently more than 10,000 retailers have access to the on-line solution, and our extensive dealer base should be a great benefit to Smith Optics as they grow their business.”

Robinson went on to say, “The ‘trade show’ environment that is offered through the CenterStone solution will make it that much easier for our customers to do business with us, as it is the same system they are using for a host of their other suppliers, such as The North Face, Pearl Izumi, Marmot, Helly Hansen, Sport Obermeyer, Ex Officio, KHS Bicycles and others. CenterStone’s order management application allows Smith to provide order management 24/7 for our sales force. With CenterStone as our partner, Smith Optics will continue to raise the bar for customer service in the eyewear market.”

Detmer added, “Dealers and sales reps have been very quick to embrace the CenterStone solution, and we expect that Smith’s decision to implement the CenterStone solution will have a significant, positive impact on their business. In a recent polling of 3,200 specialty retailers we found that 54% of dealers spend more with vendors that have a CenterStone-like solution, and on average they are spending 13% more with these CenterStone-enabled vendors. It seems that dealers are voting with their wallets, and they spend more with vendors that are easier to do business with. Dealers have also expressed to us very clearly that they want to be able to conduct business at their convenience, and the management team at Smith is listening to what dealers are saying.”