Jarrolds

USES STORE ACCOUNTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

Futura designed a new Store Accounts Management System (SAMS) which was developed with the full support of Jarrold staff.

Commercial Finance Manager Ginny Porteous oversaw the implementation of the newly developed module which handles all card, credit, interest free and business accounts. Jarrold's staff found SAMS was simple to run. With its uncomplicated end of month routine and statement preparation taking about 2 hours instead of 1 and a half days, dedicated IT involvement was no longer required.

Visually, the system was quick for staff to learn and simple to use. With its traffic lights showing credit status, quick input control to amend customer details and standard WindowsTM functions, SAMS was readily accepted by the team.

Account status and 'available to spend' are now sent to the tills calling for authorisation under given conditions. It quickly allows the team to check the account status for all account types - staff, temporary or business and authorise additional transactions where appropriate. Account holder loyalty exploits SAMS facilities to track customer spending and earn loyalty points. These are turned into gift vouchers once a threshold is reached. SAMS continues to be developed in the light of experience and to better meet business requirements. The Jarrold team have seen the benefits SAMS can deliver. To ensure the technology behind Futura was 'up-to-the-job' of handling its Christmas trade, Robin Derriman, IT Manager for Jarrold, organized the hardest stress test he could. Jarrold operators twice simulated transactions for 15 minutes by scanning barcodes as fast as possible - achieving transaction speeds over three times faster than experienced the previous Christmas.

“In terms of general robustness and ability to trade, we are very pleased with overall till performance - Futura allows the business to serve our customers extremely well.” Robin Derriman

Background to customer/ customer History

Jarrold is a family-run business that includes a £30 million turnover retail division, operating six branches throughout Norfolk and Suffolk. The company is currently using Futura's software in over 67 tills.

Jarrold's flagship Norwich department store offers five floors of merchandise ranging from fashion to homewares, a separate sports shop, and furniture and stationers outlets around Norfolk.