February 2025
ertonline.co.uk
book in the delivery to the correct engineer based on the correct skill sets. “This whole task is automated and requires minimal input from staff,” he adds. “When stock is scanned into the building, if the stock line is set up correctly it will automatically appear on the website without a member of staff having to update it.
“We have now come into the 21st century! We have a precise picture of stock, what’s coming in and what’s going out and it’s all linked to the website – which can inform potential customers if we have items in stock and the lead times if we don’t. It’s a much smoother process.” The NCompass system is built as a modular system, allowing it to grow with your business. This gives the ability to add more stock management functions along the way as the needs of your business change and grow.
Evolving needs Elsewhere, in Luton, independent retailer Joe Graham & Son has been using a basic stock management system for more than 30 years, but as the business grew, so did its needs. Two years ago the retailer moved over to the NCompass system… With the size of Joe Graham & Son’s operation, the team at Calculus recommended the use of its warehouse stock management module, to give highly detailed tracking of stock movements within the warehouse. A plan of the facility was created and loaded into the NCompass system; when stock arrives it is immediately labelled, and those labels are then scanned against the warehouse location when the item is put away so staff can see at any time exactly where any specific item is. Plus, a digital pick list guides staff around the warehouse as they prepare to load the vans, ticking off the items ready for dispatch, and any picking errors are instantly flagged.
“Since switching to NCompass, warehouse duties have become quicker and easier,” explains Joe Graham. “But we can also see the price and history of each item as well as visibility of any on back order and items waiting to be delivered, all through simply scanning a label! “Picking stock for delivery has become at least 50 per cent quicker too as we know exactly where stock is located. Booking goods in on NCompass either via the warehouse scanner or on desktop saves time compared to our previous system, and this allows us to concentrate on other tasks.” Aside from the day-to-day benefits of having a warehouse stock management system, it has
also been hugely beneficial to Mr Graham’s team at times such as stock takes, when a typical stock take on the company’s old system used to take staff five to seven days! “Using the portable scanners, we can stock take the whole warehouse in just over a day,” Mr Graham points out. “It quickly identifies any stock issues and updates locations if the stock is in the incorrect place. Since using NCompass we have not misplaced any machines or found any stock errors.” Mr Graham also recently wanted to upgrade
his previous standalone website to take advantage of full integration with his new stock management system. The new site provided by Calculus pulls through stock information from NCompass and displays the current price and stock levels, including data from suppliers. Additionally, online orders will automatically download to NCompass, allocate stock and
“Since migrating to the new Calculus site, our online sales have increased significantly. We aren’t just a nine-to-five business anymore, and the website has sales coming through day and night. But it’s also helped boost instore footfall; customers are doing their research online and then coming in to store to have a look because it tells them we have it on display. It’s then down to us to close the sale!” With the ever tough retail environment and the need for businesses to find new ways to be efficient, Mr Graham agrees that having a reliable stock management system is key to success… “We went from our previous 30-year-old system to a brand new one that included a fully integrated POS and warehouse management system, so it was a big change for our staff. But Calculus dedicated a Project Manager that was with us every step of the way from start to finish.” It seems that digital stock management isn’t just about knowing a stock quantity – it can help deliver real business improvements to retailers of any size.
31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
