The Reynolds and Reynolds Company has announced the release of SmartScan Point of Sale, a new bar code scanning solution designed to increase counter productivity, reduce errors and maintain real-time inventories in busy automotive parts departments, says the company.

According to the company, SmartScan Point of Sale helps parts departments reduce the amount of time required to process a customer invoice when handling parts that contain bar-code labels. It incorporates a hand-held scanner that enables a counterperson to reduce bar code scanning time by 70 percent. The solution virtually eliminates data entry mistakes and also automatically updates parts inventory levels.

"SmartScan Point of Sale automates a tedious clerical task and dramatically increases parts counter productivity. With this solution, technicians can invoice customers faster and spend more time repairing vehicles than working at the counter," said Gillis West, Fixed Operations solutions executive for Reynolds.

The company says Pilot customers using SmartScan Point of Sale have reported time savings in addition to increased data accuracy.

"I've noticed that customers at the retail counter are much more trusting of parts scanned with the Point of Scale scanners than compared to parts numbers that are typed. This product helps to move our parts department into the 21st century," said Mike Guyler, dealer principal, Guyler Buick Pontiac GMC Truck.

Reynolds and Reynolds (www.reyrey.com) is a provider of integrated solutions that it says help automotive retailers manage change and improve their profitability. The company's product, service and training solutions include a full range of retail and enterprise management systems, networking and support, e-business applications, Web services, learning and consulting services, customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, data management and integration, and leasing services. Reynolds serves more than 20,000 customers. They comprise 90 percent of the automotive retailers and virtually all car companies doing business in North America. Its CRM consulting practices span more than 20 countries around the world.