WHSmith consolidates its B2B e-commerce network

GXS, a provider of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce solutions, have announced that UK retailer WHSmith, has completed a project to consolidate its B2B e-commerce network using GXS Trading Grid and GXS Managed Services. The move has provided WHSmith with a standardized and simplified approach to B2B e-commerce, enabling the company to focus on accelerating its supply chain initiatives rather than managing technology. GXS' B2B platform also provides WHSmith with support for suppliers that vary in their e-commerce capabilities and technology sophistication; insulation from the complexity of evolving standards; support for multiple transaction formats beyond basic electronic data interchange (EDI); and tight integration with internal systems.

GXS Managed Services enables WHSmith to automate transactions with their trading partners while shielding them from rapidly changing standards, eliminating manual and duplicative efforts and enabling a high level of process integration and business intelligence.

"Using GXS Managed Services to place orders, receive confirmations, and transmit shipping notices and invoices enables stores to have stock replenished on shelves within two to three days of selling an item like a book. In other areas of the business, we've cut lead times for new stock from several weeks to less than a week," said Alastair Reid, support manager for the Trading and Marketing teams at WHSmith. "It has enabled us to move to a direct-from-supplier supply chain model. Instead of shipping orders to stores from stocks held in our warehouses, we now have consolidation centers that take incoming orders from suppliers, split them by store and consolidate goods from many suppliers into a single delivery for each store."

www.gxs.co.uk

Morrisons enhances time and attendance

Workforce management solution provider Autotime Solutions has been appointed by supermarket chain Morrisons to assist in the hardware roll-out and on-going support of its employee time and attendance system.

Over the next three months Autotime’s experienced technicians will work closely with Morrisons’ IT Infrastructure team to enhance the hardware throughout all 375 UK stores.

The principle aim of the project is to provide a single standardised time and attendance solution used across all Morrisons sites nationwide.

This single solution – which utilises swipe card data capture terminals - will optimise the time-keeping processes over the entire store network and assist Morrisons’ ongoing efforts to improve productivity and to reduce costs by improving the accuracy of the payroll process.

As part of the support contract, Autotime will also provide an emergency call out service to resolve any problems that arise within a seven-hour period through its dedicated support teams.

Lynn Kenworthy, from the IT Infrastructure team at Morrisons, says: “We selected Autotime as a partner because of their business approach and that they had the expertise to enhance our extensive workforce management infrastructure. The project ahead will be an exciting one and we are all looking forward to experiencing the cost saving benefits.”

www.autotime.co.uk

Cineworld signs up for nationwide EPoS replacement programme

Cineworld, the UK’s second largest cinema operator in terms of screens and sites, has selected J2 Retail Systems as its EPoS partner with a contract for 200 of J2’s model 560 PC-based touchscreens.

Cineworld operates some 1,200 point-of-sale tills in its box offices and at concession counters. This initial order of 200 will be rolled out during the next 6 months as the first phase of an estate-wide refurbishment programme. Whilst these units will used exclusively to replace older equipment at concession counters, Cineworld are also installing J2s in their box offices at new sites.

Explains Cineworld’s head of IT, Vincent McGann: “The J2 560s are reliable and are delivering good performance. Our concession counters are quite a challenging environment at busy times, with heavy traffic and liquids being served. We need equipment that is hard-wearing and can cope reliably in these circumstances. The J2 560s have proved their worth and suitability.”

Cineworld were favourably influenced by J2’s 3-year warranty, and have opted to lease the equipment. “The lease approach is better for our business and provides a replacement roadmap which we believe will work out at a lower cost in the long term. By initially replacing old equipment at our concession counters, we’re expecting fewer breakdowns and lower maintenance costs. The faster performance of the new tills will also undoubtedly increase customer spend,” continues McGann.

Cineworld is the third cinema chain to opt for J2 EPoS. States Moray Boyd, managing director and co-founder of J2 Retail Systems: “With Cineworld, Empire Cinemas and Vue Entertainment as our clients, I’m proud to say that J2 is now used in 150 cinemas nationwide. Together, these cinemas represent some 1,500 screens and welcome over 100 million customers a year!”

www.j2retailsystems.com

ABM launches Intellicase to tackle retail crime

To help retailers manage the impact of crime and protect profit, specialist crime reduction solution provider ABM have launched Intellicase. The solution will enable retailers to identify and target areas experiencing high losses from criminal activity and internal theft and implement the appropriate processes for prevention.

As the credit crunch bites and profit forecasts are slashed, UK retailers are looking to other parts of the business to cut costs or increase profit margins.

Intellicase is a secure web-based solution that provides real time reporting to allow retailers immediate access to critical information in order to identify where loss is occurring in the business and eliminate it. Using Intellicase, retailers can not only record incidents but also analyse and share information enterprise-wide in order to depict patterns and connections between other events and individuals. Having this intelligence means that retailers are more able to predict where and when future incidents, from fraud to shoplifting, are likely to occur and make better informed decisions on what controls must be put in place to prevent criminal activity.

ABM has a track record in developing and implementing policing security and intelligence software. Alastair Luff, ABM’s managing director, comments: “Intellicase is functionality-rich yet easy-to-use. It does not just collect and record information but it also enables analysis and sharing of information which is critical in identifying potential suspects. Our track record of delivering software to tackle criminal activity has spanned some 20 years within the policing market, criminal justice and commercial arena.”

ABM brings the same ethos to retailers in enabling information to be easily and securely shared across an organisation. By integrating with other systems such as Point of Sale and CCTV, retailers reduce bureaucracy and administration in order to easily capture powerful intelligence in the fight against crime. With emerging issues such as Organised Retail Crime, Intellicase’s capability to share information securely with third party agencies will be vital in identifying trends not only within stores but also in towns, cities and even across the whole of the UK.

www.abm-uk.com