New MicroD iPad app offers sales tools for reps

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, May 4, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Technology provider MicroD Inc. has launched an iPad app designed to provide manufacturers' reps with a number of revenue-generating tools to create and present product lineups, browse, configure and place orders.

The iPreVue app can be used on any version of Apple's iPad.

High resolution images and merchandising features utilize MicroD's exclusive fabric-and-finish draping, as well as visualization capabilities consistent with the product displays found on websites that use MicroD's ePreVue and ePiphany platforms.

According to the company, iPreVue is the only industry iPad app that supports both case goods and upholstery catalogs with fabric and finish visualization, providing ordering capabilities for both standard as well as highly configurable custom products.

"Consistent with MicroD's mission for providing leading-edge technology solutions for the home furnishings industry, we believe the iPreVue app brings substantial benefits in terms of time savings and ease of product lineups, product visualization and order placement - especially since many of the leading manufacturers' representatives are now equipped with mobile devices like iPhones, iPads and other tablet devices," said Manoj Nigam, president and CEO.

The iPreVue app will allow sales reps to select manufacturer-authorized retailers, browse and visualize items, add items to purchase orders for those retailers, review order histories, add notes and bookmark items for later review.

Additionally, the company said reps will be able to email tear sheets and product information pages, conform to manufacturer rules for merchandising and order minimums, add new customer information, and manage current customer information - all while seamlessly integrating with the manufacturer's Enterprise Resource Planning or management information system.

MicroD said it expects to have a full production version of the new app operating in many showrooms at this summer's Las Vegas Market. The company said its long range plan is to offer iPreVue as a merchandising tool for retailers.