The ability to control and monitor stock is vital in the retail business, but, for multi-site retailers especially, this can prove to be no mean feat.

Take Tilemania, for example, a major importer and retailer of ceramic tiles, mosaics and porcelain. Founded in 1998, the Company has grown to a chain of 14 outlets nationwide, however its expansion brought with it concerns surrounding stock control, product availability and customer service. It was such issues which the management team felt were best addressed by the latest retail technology.

“We needed an EPoS solution which could provide instant access to inventory figures to enable us to be sure of exactly what stock we had and where. It was imperative that it would help us streamline the running of the company and so make us more efficient,” said Steve Charman, Tilemania’s Financial Controller “We also recognised that enabling faster transactions at the PoS was important in achieving these goals.”

In the demanding DIY and home improvement market, it was essential that Tilemania implemented an EPoS system which was both robust and reliable. The Company set about evaluating all the available options and selected a package from Nisyst including its advanced NPoS software and Epson’s touchscreen MR-800. “A touchscreen system was the way forward for us. Having seen them at work in busy petrol stations, it gave us confidence that if they could cope with that, they could cope with anything,” explained Steve. “As our staff hadn’t used an EPoS system, it was important that it should be very user-friendly. Epson’s MR-800 fitted the bill perfectly. Being modular, if offers the opportunity to hide the processor away under the counter out of harm's way, making better use of the space.”

The implementation began with a pilot at Tilemania’s busy Glasgow store. Keen to put the system to a real challenge and in order to test it fully, the company also linked in the Motherwell store and Walthamstow warehouse. The system passed the test with flying colours and was rolled out to the remaining stores two months later.

“We have a solution which totally meets our needs and has all the functionality we require,” said Steve. “With a proper system in place, we have been able to improve many areas of the business. For example, with an accurate measure of stock, we have been able to tighten up security as we have full stock visibility, “ said Steve. “The Epson hardware has given us no problems whatsoever and so support has simply not been necessary. The MR-800 gives our stores a very modern look and has been received very well by the staff. In the future, we will be looking to add further terminals to our busy stores to enable us to enhance the customer experience even more.”

Wireless possibilities
Regaining control with sophisticated EPoS technology is just the start for Tilemania. Nisyst has also developed the system to enable Tilemania’s staff to serve customers on the move. With a Wi-fi enabled, handheld device, staff are able to walk around the store with the customer to build a ‘short-list’, performing instant quotes, checking availability, and suggesting complementary products. Once complete, the information is sent wirelessly to the Epson MR-800 to conclude the transaction. Alternatively, with the addition of a wireless printer, the information can be printed for the customer to take away for consideration. “Offering customers this kind of service is becoming increasingly popular across many retail sectors,” said Dave Chunilal, Technical Director at Nisyst. “Not only does it enable greater efficiency, for example, by providing the ability to check inventory remotely, but it also allows retailers to deliver a more personalised and valuable experience in-store.”

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