CHAPTER ONE

1.1     INTRODUCTION

The role of computer technology in both business and industries has come a long way. The general conception is that computer can naturally be used to facilitate any function that can be taught by man. Different types of business commonly used computers to assist with each day to day activities such as: sales order entry: procedure for handling customers orders, including receipt of the order and verification of availability of ordered stock.

The need for sales related data to be retrieved, manipulated and analysed is constant. In the pasts, data was collected by hand and analyses manually to produce a report. The people had to go through the same data procedure again if they wanted to use the same data to produce a different report. The computer allows us to capture data in a computer useable form for example on dork, once the data is available in this form, the computer can repeatedly  retrieve and manipulate it to produce information tailored. In people useable for-to meet specific needs. However its application in sales management has been given fresh impetus going by recent publish work on the subject.

The computer can make quick easy production of accurate information, a reality to business people who need to dream about it especially when used on sales. Computer can also bring a math facility since accurate calculation of mathematics is difficult manual. Sooner or later a mistake is made, one of the major advantage of the use of computer with the proper software in sales management information system is that it will perform calculation quickly, accurately, with much greater precision and speed that would be possible manually.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The procedure involved in the follow up, management have always been strict and takes a long time or even days to accomplish. This affects supply and rusted transaction with customers. Production of sales eport on daily basis and as when required also takes an exceeding long time to accomplish too. Proper management involving supplies made and products in stock become a problem as a result. Hence the need for a sales management system to harness this process of product stocking, orders and supplies.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to development a computer. Based sales management information system that would help in achieving the following:

1.       Enhance or reduce to the nearest minimum processing time.

2.       To minimize the labour expenses of the supervisory sales man

3.       To avoid redundancy

4.       To produce various kind of reports when needed.

1.4     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work covers sales management system for Nigeria Bottling Company N.B.C Port Harcourt. This work can also be used for other bottling companies. Also NBC Port Harcourt is a big company with numerous department and operation. This project shall not attempt to cover all the operational works of different department, but it shall treat mainly the sales department. It was noted that the company has mainly other branches across the country (Nigeria). This work is only the computerization of sales operations and not on unsold goods. However, with little modification the application package could be applied to other departments, warehouse, stores and companies.

1.5     DEFINITION OF SOME TECHNICAL TERMS 

1.       Sales Report: Reports showing a particular sales made within a given period. It can also be referred to as account of sales.

2.       Sales Management: Involves all the managerial actives concerned with the management of the selling funvction.

3.       Sales Operations: Activities involved in selling of producers from the finished products for the sales made.

4.       Sales Manager: One faced with the responsibility of effectively selling help of salesman.

5.       Sales man: A person who practices the profession of selling.

6.       Minerals: Non alcoholic drink usually bottled and other favoured containing sod water of it is any substance that is obtained from the earth by mining.

7.       Depot: A storehouse especially for suppliers and warehouse for storing foods or products.

8.       Distributor: A person or company that supplies goods to the businesses that self them or an act of putting a set of products on different places, give or send out.

9.       Discount: Amount of money, which may be taken off the full price, example of goods bought by distributors for resale.

10.     Crates: Large frame work of light boards or basket work for goods transport or a container open to percent the breakage of the drinks.

11.     Settlement Sheets: Forms that sales man fill tat record the sales made by them and quantities no sold.

12.     Invoice Issued: Transaction document when goods are sold issued or received.

13.     Receipts: Items received from a supplier for which an invoice was been raised.