When UK retailer Comet needed a store management system it could trust it turned to Retail Manager for a solution. The implementation has been extremely successful, bringing a whole host of benefits.

IN BRIEF
Company: Comet
Challenge: Comet wanted to improve internal communications and enhance customer trust
Solution: Retail Manager Solutions created the ‘Mystore' communications system using its Retail Solution along with .NET and SQL Server
Benefits:
• Improved communication
• Enhanced customer service
• Better productivity
• Lower costs
Country: UK

Comet's brand is all about customer trust. Comet realises that internal communication is key – consistent action management and timely feedback leads to excellent execution, and excellent execution breeds trust.

Comet saw the opportunity to drive already superior internal communications to a new level, allowing staff to be even more customer-focused. Store managers are clearly key to the behaviour, culture and results of any store, and Comet realised that its store managers spent a lot of time 'cascading' – communicating information, actions and tasks to their people, and monitoring their progress. This involved significant amounts of time and paper. The dream was a customised communications system that could drastically reduce the cascade.

Store managers wanted to be able to delegate with a click of a mouse, and have a simple, paperless task management system for the whole store. Better management tools would improve execution, and liberate store managers from the back office to the shop floor.

The outward flow of communication is only half the picture – improvement comes from learning from experience, so feedback from stores is crucial. Timely, task-related feedback from stores to the task owner at head office could make a huge difference to the execution of future tasks.

Comet identified Retail Manager as a product designed specifically to solve communications problems in large retailers, and already hard at work in the high street. Retail Manager Solutions was invited to pitch to senior management and board representatives for the business. It did this successfully, and Comet's Mystore solution was born.

Only four months since the project started, it is clear that Mystore is a hit. Instore productivity has been improved because all store staff can now log into a computer within the store and instantly receive customised information about promotions and activities.

Targeted information and actions to store staff are improving execution and liberating store managers. The head office operations team can track the progress of in-store initiatives, and pinpoint problems in individual stores or unforeseen issues that may show a wider problem. They get information back from stores and can amend instructions in near real-time.

Similarly, store managers have a picture of what's expected and when – they aren't bothered by information that's irrelevant to their store, and they can plan and monitor their staff tasks online.

Store staff can find the information they need, and know it's up-to-date and trustworthy. They have access to experts and FAQs. Advice about products and services can be given with confidence, and this confidence communicates itself to customers.

A huge hit for the project for store staff has been 'one-minute training' – training, marketing and selling video content delivered on-demand right down to the tillpoint by Mystore. If a member of store staff wants a one-minute refresher on the salient points of a digital TV, for example, they can get it when they need it.

Video isn't just for product training: Comet's managing director, commercial director, services director and retail operations director have all starred in 'two-minute newscasts' – quick, punchy communication to all store staff.

"Everybody loves it," says Kevin O'Brien, Comet's head of information systems. "A video really brings messages to life. We have people queuing up to take part, and everyone really appreciates getting the news first-hand."

Finally, Comet used Mystore's survey system to ask store colleagues which initiative made the biggest positive impact on trade over the Christmas period. Their answers came back immediately, and the verdict was clear: Mystore!

www.comet.co.uk

April 2009