Retail Manager was specifically timed to coincide with Comet's 75th anniversary - and proved a key marker to demonstrate tangible progression within the business. With development taking over 16 weeks, we implemented Retail Manager in two versions, each with distinctive branding and access to different functionality: Connect for head office functions, and Mystore for thousands of staff across the 250+ store portfolio, with user authentication right through to store associate layer. For context, there are in excess of 1,500 intranet users within the head office and call centre functions whilst, on average, there are 20 system users in each of the 250 Comet stores.

This initiative is enabling Comet to prove that working with a solution that is built around a true customer service philosophy - supported by appropriate technology - is critical to gaining a competitive edge. By providing employees with greater knowledge and empowering them with easy-to-access and easy-to-use tools you are optimizing your customer relationships and maximising customer conversion. Even at its most basic level, Comet's Retail Manager implementation exposes retail colleagues to key business activities and trading information which is empowering for the individuals and undoubtedly strengthening for the business as gaps in knowledge levels around the business slowly close giving way to a more robust levels of understanding.

The new system replaces a previous low grade intranet application that was overloaded with data and had become increasingly unwieldy making critical information difficult to locate and action. The previous system was perceived as a technology tool rather than a business-led retail communications solution. A key aspect that sets this application apart is that it was driven by business needs and retail requirements - rather than pure technology.

The key to successful implementation was delivery of the right functionality to the right store and right store colleague and true targeted provision of relevant in-context business functions and trading information, to enhance store operations and customer service alike. Consequently, Mystore delivers to stores their priorities, tasks, activities and other essential insights fast, be it through the in-store 'back office' or at a point-of-sale device. This means Comet colleagues have immediate access to valuable information regardless of where they are in the store - the portable back office made a reality.

Indeed, traditional back office solutions still concentrate on traditional stock and cash management transactions, yet so many in-store activities today are simply not related to these business processes. By integrating total business process activity into the back office function, seamlessly, Comet has achieved true 'Martini style' operational excellence - valuable information to support processes and drive more effective retail workflow delivered anywhere, any time, any place, direct to the right person.

Retail Manager provides a tool that Comet can build on, through enabling consistent communication through all business areas to ensure the right information gets to the relevant colleagues. This results in key information reaching customers more quickly and efficiently - and by constantly delivering shared information across the business value is added in many tangible forms.

www.comet.co.uk

November 2008