Latest News - Beaverbrooks reaps rewards with support from Vodat
Beaverbrooks is enjoying the benefits of a managed communications solution from Vodat
Beaverbrooks is enjoying cost-savings, productivity gains, greater staff efficiency and improved customer service, following the roll out of a managed communications solution from Vodat International.
The Challenge
Beaverbrooks wanted to reduce the volume of admin that store staff had to complete on a day-to-day basis to help the business continue to develop and improve its customer service experience. Beaverbrooks realised it needed broadband technology in place to help improve the company's overall performance. The company also wanted to reduce costs, while delivering an even better customer service experience to shoppers.
Patrick Walker, Head of IT at Beaverbrooks, explains, "We wanted to remove much of the admin that staff had to complete within the store environment. For example, with our jewellery range we don't carry all our wedding rings in all sizes in all stores. So when staff wanted to order rings in specific sizes they had to complete a lot of paperwork. We needed to streamline these processes and improve the efficiency of the business so we could meet our customers' needs quicker. There were also lots of paper processes in place for ensuring staff were up to date with health and safety issues. We have big plans for the role the intranet can play within our business so we needed to partner with someone who could help us achieve these goals and support us as we look to take our business to the next level."
The Solution
Beaverbrooks spoke to a number of businesses before it decided that Vodat was the right company to partner with. Walker added, "We spoke to a wide range of organisations, however once we spoke to Vodat we felt that not only did they have the technology to meet our demands but they understood retail. Also, the culture of Vodat's business was very similar to the culture of our own, which made for a strong working relationship."
Walker continued, "Beaverbrooks is passionate about customer service and by selecting Vodat International for IP telephony, it is able to offer its customers a higher level of service. It's important that when customers are calling in they are directed to the right place and calls are managed more efficiently."
The Benefits
The company is reporting substantial business benefits after upgrading its network solution, in terms of customer service, stock taking and access to data.
The investment includes the addition of 3G as back up and Wireless access points across Beaverbrooks' 66 stores, making the sales process more personal. Walker said, "Following the introduction of Vodat's technology, staff will be able to complete a sale with the customer instead of having to guide them to another part of the store. It will also enable the business to have even more resilience with Vodat's PCI Compliant EFT processing service that is currently being implemented.
The new system is also enabling Beaverbrooks' Area, Display, and Training Managers to get better access to its Head Office systems when in store. Walker said, "They can now easily connect to our wireless network giving them full and quick access to all our systems. Our auditing team and store teams are also benefiting as they can now utilise the wireless network to carry out store stock takes more efficiently by utilising wireless stocktaking guns."
The introduction of VOIP has also seen the business dramatically reduce the cost of phone calls, while the technology also allows the management team to log in via the intranet to gain important information in real-time.
There are other ways in which the technology has supported the in-store experience. Previously music in the store was played through a stereo system so the same background music was played day in and day out. Walker explained, "We can now send regular updated music playlists out to the store over the broadband connection, which provides better ambience within the store environment."
He continued, "In the future, it is our intention to connect hand held point of sale terminals to our main POS using Vodat's wireless network so we can deliver the ultimate in customer service. We also want to ensure our systems, which rely on 'real time' connectivity to our Head Office and Credit Card Acquirer, are always available, so we have invested in Vodat's 3G system to provide backup to our existing Vodat MPLS broadband network. We also plan to use the technology to support online training for staff. This investment will ultimately help support the long term development of the business, allowing staff to carry out their roles effectively and deliver great customer service."
For more information about Vodat's managed solutions for retailers please call 0161 406 1820 or contact us by e-mail
Added: 24/03/2010 14:14:16
