| Terms & Conditions |
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| Frequently Asked Qustions |
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Who Owns iControl? |
iControl is an affiliate of the Current Companies, which is primarily a distributor of newspapers (through affiliate NewsOne), magazines, books, and fresh flowers. Current Companies operates in all 50 states and has over 1,000 associates working out of 12 regional offices and distribution centers. The origins of the company are in the distribution of newspapers . NewsOne, the company’s single-copy distribution affiliate, is the largest independently-owned newspaper wholesaler operating in the United States. For more information, please go to www.currentcompanies.com
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What is iControl?
iControl is an Accounts Payable Outsourcing and category analysis and support program designed primarily for periodicals, in particular newspapers.
iControl provides retailers and their newspaper vendors a cutting-edge, definitive, web-enabled solution that comprehensively encompasses all aspects of the category, from item-file set-up and maintenance, to allocation management, efficiencies, sell-out prevention, promotions, and of course, billing consolidation. With over 8,000 active accounts including CVS/pharmacy and Barnes & Noble, iControl is by a ratio of more than 2-to-1 the largest provider of newspaper billing consolidation services in North America, and the only one that builds, designs and maintains its technology on-site with on-staff programmers.
The system is designed to accept and process information both from the retailer at the point of sale, and from publishers and distributors (in/out records, as verified by stores), and automatically compare them for differences.
Those differences are carefully analyzed and aggressively acted upon to remedy and correct, in order to ensure honesty and integrity in both directions.
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Why Do Retailers Need iControl
The newspaper category is so vast, so complex, involves so many moving parts from so many vendors with so many intricacies, that it takes a full-time dedicated effort to manage the category. And no retailer can afford to spare those kinds of resources for a small, low-margin category like newspapers. Through economies of scale, iControl can, and does.
Primarily, iControl is an Accounts Payable Outsourcing Solution, saving the retailer the cost, time and effort of having to reconcile thousands of newspaper invoices for which they have little internal comparative data for loss prevention purposes. iControl also helps the retailer eliminates cash payouts, for which newspapers are among the last recipients.
Combined with the ability to correctly scan the right newspaper at the right store for the right price, and therefore book the sales, iControl brings an immediate tangible benefit to retailers of being able to clearly see what’s happening in their stores, from the micro to the macro level. A retailer with an iControl program knows who delivers to each store, what they bring in, what it costs them, and how it sells – in real time. Without process consolidation, major retailers can’t even apply newspaper sales to their financial statements, because they don’t have newspaper UPC properly set-up to recognize the sales. As a result, sales are scanned as miscellaneous. On paper, this results in the category appearing to lose the retailer money!
Between thousands of invoices at corporate each month, and millions of dollars in cash payouts – all for a low margin category that up to this point has operated almost entirely unsupervised and in the shadows – a major national chain begins to lose sight of the value of newspapers, and begins to focus on how the business-case for carrying newspapers is weak. iControl helps take the hassle factor out, so retailers can again focus on the value newspapers do bring – loyal, more educated, and more affluent consumers.
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What Services Does iControl Provide the Retailer? |
| Function Outsourcing |
Data Management |
Analysis |
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Accounts Payable
Item File Maintenance
Vendor File Maintenance |
Centralization/Consolidation
Data Warehousing
Data Archiving |
Exception Reporting
Growth & Development
Fraud Prevention |
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What are the Benefits of iControl for Publishers/Distributors?
The primary benefit of using iControl for publishers and distributors is that the iControl program is controlled pay-on-scan, as opposed to an unmitigated SBT program without built-in checks and balances. In iControl, POS data is captured and analyzed, while participants who follow program guidelines are encouraged to submit their own records of in/out.
Our fully-automated discrepancy reconciliation process makes resolving discrepancies fair and simple. The iControl system will automatically identify them and handle the process from start to finish. Once we identify a difference owed to you, and verify it, payment for it can be automatic.
Other benefits include a spectacular on-line sales analysis system, included at no charge. iControl also sends daily sellout alerts detailing sellouts from the prior day
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Why Should the Retailer Be Willing to Pay For Discrepancies?
TA procedural consolidation effort by the retailer should not equal harsh collective punishment to the vast majority of hard working and honest distributors delivering newspapers rain or shine. Moreover, collective punishment by SBT will ultimately hurt the retailer too – as it will lead to smaller service areas and fewer stores served.
The iControl program has two phases. In the first, we conduct exhaustive analysis of scan-data while payment continues to be based 100% on data from distributors and publishers. The goal is to reach 95% or better scanning accuracy as a key step for bringing the benefits of SBT to all parties.
In phase 2, payment is primarily based on scan data, with discrepancies addressed fairly and swiftly while iControl continues to compare data provided by publishers and distributors in a never-ending quest to seek to spot and rectify inconsistencies that could equate to papers sold but not scanned, and maintain a high quality of scan where it is achieved.
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How Do I register to Participate?
Registration is a 4-step process:
1) Register your publication or agency at www.icontrolusa.com/registration
2) Select the stores you deliver to from a list of stores on the site
3) Identify the titles you deliver to each store (including UPC & Prices)
4) Set up the starting draw per store (auto-fill tool available)
The starting draw is needed so that we know to activate the UPC at the correct price at that store. It is less crucial initially that the draws are exactly right. We will keep your draws updated during the program by extracting the draws from your weekly in/out sales verification file, and using them to re-populate your draws with the most recent data. You are always entitled to change your draws and no notice to us is neccesary.
For step by step set-up instructions, go to the Set-Up instructions hyperlink at www.icontrolusa.com – bottom left side of the Home page
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How Do I Get Paid?
You can be paid weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. The default payment is weekly. If you’d like another payment frequency, please email us at help@icontrolusa.com
There are 3 ways to be paid:
1) If you deliver but do not pick up returns, you will be paid for scanned (POS) sales only. You will receive a single check per week, detailing all sales, on a net 14 basis.
2) If you deliver and do pick up returns, we can pay you for POS sales every week (net 14) and upon receipt of your draw/returns data, we can pay you separately for discrepancy sales (DCR)
3) We can withhold paying you on POS sales until you have submitted your draw/returns data (DCR). Then, we can pay you both POS + DCR on one check. This will reduce reconciliation for your finance department.
Anyone choosing option #3 will be paid at least once every 30 days. If no returns are submitted we will automatically issue payment for POS sales only.
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What Does it Cost Publishers or Distributors to Participate?
There is no cost to publishers or distributors to participate in the program.
Participants who submit their discrepancy draw/returns records (DCR) manually, by either fax or phone, will be subject to a 50 cents per invoice processing and data entry fee. Paper invoices or phone calls may delay payment 7-14 additional days.
(OPTIONAL) Participants who prefer to have their payment wired directly into their bank account as opposed to being paid by check, will be subject to a processing and transaction fee, presently $1.95.
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What is the SV/DR Process?
The SV/DR process, also known as DCR, is the manner by which publishers and distributors can submit information based on an in-store audit, and request payment for any differences between the POS and the physical evidence from the store. For more information on this process, please contact us at
help@icontrolusa.com
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How Do I Know the SV/DR Process Won’t Be Eliminated?
iControl is committed to participating only in programs that do not unfairly and collectively punish participants. However, each retailer will have the right to define the extent of the SV/DR component of its program.
In business, as long as two unrelated parties conduct business with each other, and short of absolute trust between the parties, reconciliation must always occur as checks & balances:
the retailer will always, rightfully, seek to assess its quality of execution and the accuracy of the invoice by referring to its receiving and cash registers records
the supplier will always, rightfully, continue to seek to reconcile the payment to the physical inventory it finds in the store after making the delivery
Newspapers are a unique product, delivered daily to thousands of outlets by thousands of loosely affiliated vendors, during non-receiving hours, and left unattended by door-fronts. Newspapers carry a low retail price, multiple UPC, and multiple costs and retail prices (even in the same geographical area).
Newspapers require hands-on management!
The reason why iControl is unique in its reconciliation solution is that it offers a platform that reconciles these extremely complicated, frequent (daily delivery) and low margin activities in a seamless process.
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I have Concerns Over Third Party Involvement |
•I prefer to work directly with the retailer
iControl is an AP and data analysis system, not a category manager . You should keep working directly with the retailer – we are only here to help implement!
•I prefer to be paid by the retailer directly
iControl was hired as an outsourcing firm for AP – the funds are always from the retailer. Outsourcing functions that don’t add value is something done widely.
•I’ve had bad experience with Pay on Scan (SBT)
We are committed to running programs that do not collectively punish, and where a robust, seamless checks & balances system is a core component
•My contractors are used to being paying quickly (often by cash)
The retailer is not obligated to pay cash. That being factored-in, iControl pays in 10-14 days (versus 45+ days for overwhelmed retailer AP offices)
•Concern about the confidentiality of my data
iControl offers confidentiality and non-compete agreements
•Concerned where this might go next; will participating speed up SBT?
An industry-supported solution reduces the threat that unmitigated SBT can equate to; if the industry resists every solution no matter how balanced and reasonable, retailers will kneejerk, and it will be hard to blame them. Using scan-data, but only in a controlled and carefully monitored environment, can bring tremendous benefits to all parties.
•OK… but why can’t the retailer just do this on its own?
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Why Would A Retailer Outsource AP & Analysis? |
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What Information Does iControl Send Me? What’s on the Web? |
If you are an iControl registered participant, you will receive the following from us automatically, without any action required on your part: |
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Daily Sell-out alerts and sales recap |
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Weekly summary of sales, by store, according to POS (optional, info only)
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With every check, a remittance advice detailing by-store activity and payouts
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For payments made for discrepancies, clear identification on the document |
You may also access iControl Interactive Reporting and iControl Live to constantly monitor the goings-on with your account from all perspectives – draw, sales, payments, performance reporting, etc.
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How Hard will it be to Reconcile Payments from iControl? |
We will be paying you for scan sales no matter what. If we find discrepancies that you are due payment for, we will work with the retailer on your behalf.
If you send us your data weekly, your payment will reflect both sales by scan (POS) and sales by verification (SV/DR).
If we receive the SV/DR file later than the 10th day after the delivery week, payment for POS and SV/DR may come on separate checks. This may be more cumbersome for some participants.
We now offer a new feature!
If you prefer that we hold the POS payment until we complete SV/DR, and always send you one combined check, please contact us at
help@icontrolusa.com
If you sign up for this option, we will mail you a check immediately upon reconciling a week’s POS and SV/DR. If you fail to submit an SV/DR file within 30 days, the prescribed time-limit, we will automatically issue payment for the POS sales for that time period.
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If I Have Questions or Problems Whom Do I contact? |
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You can also call us toll-free, 24/7, at 800-768-4767
Or By Mail:
iControl Systems USA, LLC.
PO Box 447
Rockville, MD 20852
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