ERNIE consists of six general areas; Estimates, Orders, Assignments, Agency Directory, Agency Manual, and Messaging.

Estimates
Agents can perform quoting functions such as pricing or estimating the costs for moves. They are also able to print out Estimate/Order For Service forms which are used as part of the shipment agreement with customers. Information entered into the Estimate area can be transferred into the Orders area if a customer chooses to move with Wheaton.

Orders
The Orders area provides for the registration of the order with Wheaton, the collection of the detailed charges that occur to the order from pickup to delivery and printing of various documents such as the Estimate/Order for Service and Bill of Lading. Each agent involved with an order can review and modify this information. Updates are exchanged with other agents and with the Traffic Planning system at Wheaton's Indianapolis headquarters. A driver can stop at any Wheaton agency and print the detail charges on the Bill of Lading. The customer can then receive an accurate Bill of Lading for the services provided and related charges when the shipment is delivered.

Assignments
Agents are able to follow the status of an order using the Assignments area. Here, order summary information is available for any order that the agent is involved with, whether that is from booking, hauling, or activity at origin or destination. The Assignments section allows an agent to see all orders which are inbound to his area where destination services may be required. It also allows the agent to monitor all shipments which are outbound from his area. Once a shipment is loaded any agent involved with the shipment can monitor its' status to the point of delivery. Also, the agents involved with the shipment can view information regarding the status of the driver hauling the shipment as well as all the other shipments on the driver's truck. By allowing an agent to see the load and delivery dates of all the shipments on the driver's truck the agent can more effectively communicate with the customer.

Agency Directory
The Directory is used by the Estimates & Orders area as a listing of available agents for origin or destination services, as well as providing information about each agent's location, personnel, facilities, and services. Agents have the ability to update their own agency profile and the new information is then available to all users on ERNIE II.

Agency Manual
Wheaton has a detailed Agency Manual that explains the responsibilities of all participants involved with a shipment. Key areas such as Wheaton's national advertising program, safety requirements for drivers, document preparation, and Wheaton's Quality Program are contained in the Agency Manual. Now, all agents receive the most up-to-date version of the Agency Manual with easy to use search features.

Messaging
The electronic mail of Lotus Notes provides communication for corporate offices and Wheaton agents, communication between agents and delivery of daily activity and financial reports from Wheaton's AS/400 systems.

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