F L O OUTLINE

F L O is very easy to use. When you receive your free F L O CD in July, install it on your computer, and then you will have every supplier's moulding images, descriptions, mats and prices accessible on your desktop! All price lists and images are updated constantly, all you have to do is press “update price lists” once weekly and it's done for you.

F L O runs independently from any other software including any Point of Sale packages you might already be using, which is great because it means you don't have to worry if it will be compatible. Every framer can use it, at work or at home.

F L O has an advanced searching facility which makes life easier, because you don't need to remember supplier codes, etc. Just search by any colour, style, supplier or with partial search words.

We believe this way of searching and ordering materials is the way of the future, as it gives you more time on the shop floor. You can order 24 hours a day; you can add items to a list to send later; you can view your order history; you can even see a LIVE status report for your order! And on the other side, your supplier can see your orders instantaneously, as you send them.

The price you see will be the current catalogue list price. This is not the price you necessarily get charged; your regular terms you have always had with each supplier will still apply. Each supplier will only add a FLO-fee of 2 percent (on our behalf) to the bottom of your invoice, for materials actually supplied. This fee is tax deductible.

EXPERIENCE IN PICTURE FRAMING

Ronny ter Beek owns his own Picture Framing business in South Melbourne which he started in 1980. He has worked long and hard to make it the success it is today. In 2001 Ronny promoted Jeff, a full-time employee, to be the manager for the framing gallery, so he could set up Framesmart Pty Ltd and run the business as its own entity. Ronny's success with Framesmart has seen his software sold in countries all over the world, with over 1000 users, and now with the F L O Launch in July 2005, Australia will be the first country in the world to have such an advanced LIVE ordering system. Ronny is not only a picture framer he is also a genius when it comes to programming. He started writing picture framing software in the early 80's way before anyone could even contemplate computers & framers in the same sentence! Below is a brief history of his experience with software and his successful inventions. This is why no one can come close to building excellent systems designed for framers, because no other programmer also has experience in picture framing.

RONNY'S EXPERIENCE IN PROGRAMING:

2005 – F L O to be released in July, linking picture framers to suppliers through one ordering system. F L O is not email, website or e-commerce! F L O is patent pending as a world first invention.

2004 – Invents Framesmart Factory Server System, the first successful, fully integrated system linking standalone picture framing shops to order from a centralised framing factory.

2004 – Develops a complete, integrated help system in the FrameSmart software to enable us to directly edit, repair, or set up options for our software users. This bypasses and supercedes the need to use email, telephone, Windows Remote Assistance, PC Anywhere, VNC, or any other help system, when we help our software users to configure, setup or repair problems that they may have.

2002 – FrameSmart Picture Framing software is officially launched to the industry worldwide, with the largest success of any software released to date. It becomes:
The No. 1 software package in Australia.
The No. 1 software package in New Zealand.
The No. 4 software package in the USA above 19 other products after its first year.

2002 – Invents automatic (involving no necessary human interaction with a computer) picture framing visualisation software with intelligent real time image and framer process recognition, true 3D real time lighting, reflection, and atmosphere processing. This software give any framer the ability to do real time virtual 3D picture framing visualisations as a low cost stand alone application that interacts in real time at the framer's shop-front counter. This is designed to run on console devices like Playstation, PS2. This project has been shelved until higher resolution imaging devices become more cheaply available to the general marketplace.

2000-01 – Invents real-time true 3D automatic visualisation software. The National Gallery of Australia uses this software now.

1999-00 – Began using specialised coding software that creates itself. Only a few programmers worldwide understand this code programming language. Henceforth, most self-written software is written with this programming language, as it enables speeds tenfold and above that of any other programming language available.

1997-98 – Creates software and a process to design and create 3D plans for building houses. This software is used for self-designed 3 storey house. This is also the first time any building companies or councils had seen software like this. This house won a national design award the following year.

1996-98 – Creates new point of sale software for PC platform.

1996 – Invents the use of Tactile Transducers for home cinema for non-aural, low frequency enhancement. This triggered the world release of the first commercial product of its type two years later.

1995 – Uses the hi-end Millennium DTS decoder to work with hi-end home cinema equipment. After notifying the company that this could be done, which they had not been aware of, they produced a home version with the information given.

1990-92 – Invents the first intelligent pricing system with automatic data generation and integration.

1988 – Uses a self-written method of intercepting VHF radio wave transmit ions to transfer and decode data to the computer screen.

1986-88 – Creates a DOS based framing and point of sale program. Although simple, it manages to be the best of its kind available anywhere at the time.

1980-84 – Invents an online role playing game (RPG) this is an adventure game that creates itself as as the user plays it. (this has only become available through other companies in the last 5 years).

F L O OFFICIAL LAUNCH

F L O will have their Official Launch at The Framing Show in July at Wharf 8, Darling Harbour, Sydney – so you can pick up a CD if you haven't received one already and see how it works for yourself!

Email: flo at framesmartlive.com

F L O COMPETITION: WIN A NEW COMPUTER!

F L O is also running a competition to win a brand new computer system, with Windows XP and an LCD flat screen, valued at $1500, so be sure to send your company name and details to Profile Magazine/FLO competition – see FLO advertisement in this issue for your chance to win. Entries close 5pm June 3oth 2005, and the winner will be announced in July's Framing Show issue of Profile Magazine.

QUICK F L O: Q&A

Q: WHO IS F L O?
A: F L O is owned by the Australian company FrameSmart, who are leaders in Point of Sale software for the picture framing industry.

Q: WHEN CAN I HAVE F L O?
A: Distributed in July 2005...... Ring now to reserve a copy.

Q: WHAT DOES F L O DO?
A: F L O has an advanced searching facility for mouldings, mats & supplies.
F L O has every image and price available on your computer desktop.
F L O is not website ordering or email, you order LIVE from the computer.
F L O is simple to use, you can order from many suppliers in one order.
F L O will work out which supplier to direct orders to with 100% accuracy!
F L O maintains your history of orders.
F L O can see whether your order has left the supplier.

Q: DO YOU NEED AN INTERNET CONNECTION?
A: Yes, only when you press 'Send' order, and to update pricelists from our server.

Q: CAN YOU ADD ORDERS TO A LIST AND SEND THE ORDER LATER?
A: Yes.

Q: HOW OFTEN DO SUPPLIER PRICES UPDATE?
A: The framer can press 'Update pricelists' in F L O weekly.

Q: WHAT DOES THE SOFTWARE COST?
A: FLO is distributed FREE on CD in July to every picture framer.

Q: ARE THERE ANY CHARGES FOR USING F L O?
A. There are no charges to use F L O as a tool to see products. When you place an order through F L O you only pay a small 2% FLO fee for goods received.
The 2% is added to your invoice from your supplier, on our behalf. (This will only happen when ordering directly through the FLO software.)

Q: IS THE FLO FEE TAX DEDUCTIBLE?
A: Yes, the FLO fee is 100% tax deductible.

Q: WHY IS THERE A FLO FEE?
A: The FLO fee covers the cost of bringing every current product, price and image from all suppliers right to your desktop! Enormous resources have gone into the creation and development of F L O to get you the best product available, worldwide.

Q: WILL FLO BE UPGRADED WITH NEW FEATURES EVERY YEAR?
A: Yes, and there will be no charge for for these upgrades.

Q: WHAT PRODUCT PRICES ARE SHOWN IN F L O?
A: Supplier list price is shown.
The price shown is not the price you necessarily pay. It is the list price only.
The framer's usual price structure stays the same with each supplier.

Q: IF THE FRAMER ORDERS MOULDINGS THROUGH F L O, WILL THEY HAVE TO RING THEIR SUPPLIER FOR USUAL DISCOUNTS ETC?
A: No.

Q: WHERE DO THE ORDERS GO TO?
A: They go to the supplier's head office. Each picture framer will put the location of their store into F L O in the initial setup stage. Orders will be shipped to the appropriate locations.

Q: IF I USE F L O, WILL I GET MY ORDER TOMORROW?
A: Yes, now there is even more chance of getting it early... from the moment you send an order, it's already at the suppliers office. Your supplier can notify you via F L O if a product is unavailable.

Q: WHICH SUPPLIERS CAN I ORDER FROM AT THIS STAGE?
A: Antons, Larson Juhl, Megawood, Marks and Co, Harper & Sandilands, All States Frames, Calstoni Mouldings, Triart, Partos Plus, Chamton, APM Mouldings, Enviro Mouldings, Southern Moulding, Tudor Glass, Moulding Distributors, Conservation Framing Supplies, Watermark Publishing, X-Press Graph-X, GB Aluminium & Machinery... and more to come!