Small- to medium-sized businesses trying to increase productivity have a new ally in their corner. ECONZ, which started in New Zealand and now has a U.S. office in Orange Co., Calif., is pursuing a marketing campaign targeting businesses that are trying to streamline job assignments. The company was a first-time exhibitor at the Auto Glass Expo in Minneapolis last week.

Streamlining, ECONZ-style, is done with both Internet and cell phone. A web-based application allows office personnel to take incoming calls and schedule jobs. The information for the job assignment-including inventory, time and place-can then be sent to the cell phones of shop technicians on the road and allow them the option of accepting (or declining) the job. When jobs are complete, the technician can then send back information about the job-start and stop time and billing information-all of which can be integrated with QuickBooks for manageability in the shop.

The program uses Verizon technology and Verizon customers with the "Get It Now" option on their phones can access the program immediately. There is a fee for each subscription (per user of the system), but there are no minimum or maximum limits set on the usage of the program.

"What we're doing is giving smaller businesses the ability to compete with larger companies," said Harry Lane, a sales representative for the company who was in the booth at the NGA show.