Leading UK solutions provider Retail Manager Solutions Ltd. (then Triangle) triumphed at this year's Microsoft Retail Application Developer Awards, held at the EHI Retail Innovation Conference in Düsseldorf, 27th February 2007. Its Retail Manager software won in two categories: Best Communication and Collaboration Solution plus the judge's special category of 'People-Ready Business in Retail'.

Retail Manager Solutions Ltd. (RMS) joins a select group of winners who are widely recognised as advancing the state of technology in retail. The judging panel features representatives from leading retailers, who this year included Tesco and Primark in the UK.

"We are delighted to receive these accolades - they recognise the huge amount of development effort and innovation that RMS has invested in making Retail Manager the best retail-ready, people-ready solution in the industry," says Karen Dyke, Managing Director, RMS. "Awards like these highlight our expertise and creativity, and our great relationship with Microsoft, all of which we use to benefit retailers."

Now in their 7th year, Microsoft's EMEA Retail Application Developer (RAD) Awards are a major event in the retail technology calendar. They recognise independent software vendors and retailer IT departments that have made the best use of Microsoft technology to deliver business value to retailers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Dilip Popat, managing director of the retail industry solutions unit, Microsoft EMEA, said, "The RAD Award judges were impressed by Retail Manager's ability to connect easily with any third party application required, including merchandising and other core retail systems. Their solution really demonstrated the strengths of Microsoft technology and how web services can be utilised to improve a retailer's performance. We congratulate them on their success and wish them further success with their innovative solutions."

Providing an integrated suite of retail-ready solutions, Retail Manager delivers functionality to enhance key areas including head office to store communications, collaborative working, retail process management, store planning and task management, compliance, and labour management. Combining control with two-way communications, all managed from a central point, it is specifically designed to drive sales. Based on Microsoft technologies, in particular Microsoft .Net, the fully scaleable browser-based solution is also very easy to use, providing dynamic configurability and enhanced reporting to meet the changing demands of modern retail.

Karen, who accepted the awards, added that, "It was this level of innovation in our solution that was key in our award submission which was recognised by the judges. We welcomed comments from the judges that Retail Manager is 'a truly liberating solution'."

In its award submission Retail Manager Solutions Ltd. (previously Triangle) also provided examples of actual business gains achieved by organisations through their use of Retail Manager.

These included:

• Telephone cost reductions of £80,000
• Store management time savings valued at £150,000
• An increase in sales of £468,000
• Headcount cost avoidance of £250,000
• Labour management cost reduction of £250,000
• Reduction in Trading Standards fines of £70,000
  

Retail Manager has been implemented and is delivering a wide range of benefits for leading UK retailers including Mothercare, The Body Shop, Matalan, Vision Express, New Look and The Officers Club.

Microsoft Retail Application Developer (RAD) Awards 2007

Communication and Collaboration Solutions
Microsoft criteria: "Success in retail relies on effective communication and interaction with people inside and outside the organisation - employees within headquarters and stores but also external parties such as suppliers. Key elements of this category are the ability to access, share and modify content and information depending on specific requirements. Solutions should be based on the Microsoft Office system. Examples include: enterprise, store or supplier portals, electronic templates for data capturing, electronic workflow processes, task management and real-time communication solutions."

Special Award - People-Ready Business in Retail
Microsoft criteria: "The panel of independent RAD Awards judges will, at its discretion, recognise a winner for one special category - People-Ready Business in Retail. This award will recognise the solution that best empowers a retailer's key asset - its people - to develop relationships, lead and innovate, drive operational excellence and build connections by harnessing change."

Photo (left to right): Lee Brown and Karen Dyke from RMS with Michael Gerling, MD of EHI Retail Institute