COMMUNICATIONS
path after Windows Mobile 6, we couldn’t be forced to upgrade because they’d been caught out by Apple and we couldn’t take the time to go and build in backwards compatibility.” In looking for alternative mobile platforms, Bond
explained the new requirements. “The mobile systems in the hands of our advisors account for 85% of our turnover – they operate the core of our business. So I wanted to find an operating system with longevity and no tie-in. At that point nobody was using Android for enterprise, but one of the clinching factors at that time was that Apple had no enterprise portals in its Apps store. That’s now changed, but Apple is also more locked down, which can be a good thing. But if you want to leverage parts of the existing infrastructure, like Flash-based visualisation tools for instance, you need something more open.” “While mobile printing was essential in 2005, we
thought that in 2012 we could replace this with an emailed PDF receipt. However, we were met with fierce resistance from advisors who were adamant that a professional printed receipt left with the customers at point-of-sale remained essential. It is a key differentiator from competitors who leave a handwritten quote or who post a quote out some days later, and helps us to win sales.” The final “clincher,” as far as Bond was concerned
was the lack of open Apple print protocols at the time. “Brother already had an Android SDK [software development kit], so that was great for de-risking the migration and meant we didn’t have to replace our existing printer kit,” he added. This meant sales advisors using the Brother MW-140BT printers since 2005 could continue to use these devices alongside the second generation MW-145BT
42 Autumn 2013
Technology delivers superior in-home service
model, which remained the printer of choice in 2012. Hillarys also worked with strategic mobility
partner AgilityWorks to develop the UK’s first native Android system on SAP’s Unwired Platform (‘Hillarys Blinds embraces mobile Android comms,’ Retail Technology July/August 2012, p28). The SAP Unwired Platform (now renamed the SAP Mobile Platform) is designed to provide a unified, architecture for business process and information on a variety on mobile device types without the need for heavy redevelopment to cope with different mobile devices in future. The partners designed, developed and field
trialled the new systems in less than six months from project sign-off to deploying it in the field on new Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphones and Galaxy Tablet devices. And Hillarys has now grown its field sales advisor team to almost 1,000 and the mobile sales system has processed over £400 million in sales since it became the first of its kind in Europe to be installed eight years ago. The mobile CRM integration allows the sales
team to advise on the latest promotions, but there are a number of other developments in the pipeline. “The new sales advisor management system replaced much of the functionality of the old one,” Bond concluded. “But this is a new platform on which we’re building broader functionality to support our advisors in providing a superior design capability and in-home service. We’ve really just started with this and want to build so much more. That includes in-home visualisation and other better tools to highlight cross and upselling opportunities, as well as targeting operational improvements like route planning.”
www.retailtechnology.co.uk
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