Vodafone UK's retail business has completed roll-out of the Retail-J store system. The project to implement POS, integrated Chip & PIN, Store Back Office and Estate Manager was initiated in February 2004 with rollout to all 350 stores completed by end October the same year.

Vodafone's plan to replace store systems was part of a broader initiative to rationalise the current 25 systems in the retail business. Central to this approach was the selection of a store system that would be a strategic platform to support both current and future business initiatives. The scope of Retail-J Estate Manager, Store Back Office and point of service functionality helped Vodafone reduce the number of retail systems to just eight.

"Retail-J offered the best functional fit and was best able to think 'outside the box' to meet our needs", stated Vince Rawle, EPOS Project Manager. Vodafone's requirements included Item Sales Workflow at the POS, Human Resources and KPIs and Commissions.

Utilising Retail-J's object-oriented architecture and a generic design, these new areas of functionality were developed by extending the application's core code. The new item sales workflow guides and prompts POS operators through the process of selling products and services. It ensures that the appropriate talkplans and value added services for each phone are offered to the customer and it presents the final price, including promotions, to the operator for approval. "Retail-J spans the entire customer journey from initial proposition through to payment," says Rawle.

New enhancements included an HR module, with Time and Attendance, Clock In/Out, Employee Events and a Store Diary. A new Commissions and KPIs module has also been introduced into the system where employee and store targets can be set and monitored.

One of the major benefits of the deployment of Retail-J is the availability of real-time trading information. An example is a daily report produced by the system which sends a text message to regional and senior managers' mobile phones at 2 pm with the number of contracts and pay-as-you-go handsets sold that day.

Vodafone has also chosen to implement Retail-J's native Chip & PIN alongside other standard Retail-J features, such as eVouchers, E Top-up, Cash Management, Customer Ordering, Repairs and Inventory Management. The company is now evaluating some of the very latest Retail-J enhancements for possible deployment.

About Vodafone
Vodafone made the UK's first mobile call at a few minutes past midnight on the 1st January 1985. Within fifteen years, the network would become the largest company in Europe and the largest of its kind anywhere in the world. By the turn of the century, almost every second UK citizen would have a mobile - one third of them connected to Vodafone.

About Retail-J
Retail-J was formed in 2000 by a team of leading retail systems architects to develop a modern, integrated and network-centric suite of in-store and central applications for medium and large-size retailers. Using the Java 2 Enterprise Edition open platform and standards, the Retail-J system offers true on-line retailing, greater functionality and resilience, giving retailers lower cost of ownership, flexibility and choice. Retail-J software is distributed in the UK, Europe and North America through a network of specialised dealers. For more information about Retail-J, readers can visit the company’s web site at www.Retail-J.com.

Interviews, photography and further information are available from Tony Hammond.

Retail-J
Tel: 01992 538074
tony.hammond@Retail-J.com

Back to news