50 Stores in 50 Working Days – POS hardware & network roll out
Highlights
- This fashion retailer’s rapid growth from 0-50 in the space of 10-weeks represents one of the quickest scale retail launches ever attempted in the United Kingdom
- Supply, installation, build & configuration, and support
- POS hardware, networking infrastructure and IT equipment
- Agile Project Management
- Experienced Engineers
“I was very impressed with Barron McCann overall, but the thing which struck me the most during our record breaking roll out was the adaptability of their engineers. They had to think on their feet and adapt to a completely different situation in every store they walked into. Instructions changed on a daily basis, but the engineers overcame all obstacles to get the store online. Not one store was delayed because of an IT installation, and that is a remarkable testament to Barron McCann”.
Head of IT, Leading Fashion Retailer
The Customer
The introduction of this fashion retailer to the high street saw the opening of 50 town centre fashion stores for mums and kids, selling great family fashion at simple discount prices. This brand focuses on providing budget-conscious family fashion and homewares on the high street, with their slogan ‘spend a little, get a lot’.
The Challenge
The first store was scheduled for launch in Kettering, Northamptonshire, with the final store opening some 50 working days later in Dartford. Although a steep challenge, this retailer firmly believed that they needed to launch such a large number of stores in as short a period as possible in order to gain critical mass, to allow stores to be ready for the busy Christmas shopping period. In order to achieve this, it was essential that the right supplier for the job was selected, as there was no room for error once the roll-out programme had commenced.
The Solution
After initial consultations, this retailer awarded the management of the complete rollout to Barron McCann including the supply and deployment of POS hardware, network infrastructure and IT equipment across their 50 stores. Working in close partnership with the Customer, the project benefited from Barron McCann’s extensive implementation and services delivery portfolio. The contract also includes all of the on-going support (break-fix maintenance) for their POS and IT equipment.
Barron McCann set to work examining the requirements of each store, and what technology would need to be employed in order for each to be running at full capacity on its individual launch day – a typical procedure for Barron McCann, but one that would have to be repeated multiple times, each time taking into account facilities of the building, the local infrastructure, suppliers and more.
The process enabled both parties to fully understand what would be required for this project to be completed successfully, and Barron McCann was awarded the management of the entire rollout. Barron McCann supplied and installed all POS systems in each of the new stores. Barron McCann’s extensive implementation and services delivery portfolio provided this Customer with all the resources that would be needed during and after the process, which eased pressure on both parties as any new requirements could easily be factored in.
The ability for Barron McCann to take control of all IT systems across all stores meant the process could be streamlined, with fewer points of contact and more easily transferable roles and responsibilities.
The Results
All of the 50 stores were opened successfully and within the 50 working day time frame. The first store was opened in July, with the last of the stores opening in September, meaning the Customer was more than ready for the Christmas shopping season. The success of the launch was reflected in the fact that the Customer served its millionth customer, less than 100 days after opening its last store.
Barron McCann continues to provide this Customer with on-going support for its POS and IT systems, meaning the retailer will continue to benefit from Barron McCann’s knowledge and professional experience.
Thanks to the positive relationship Barron McCann and the Customer maintained throughout the project, this retailer gained a great deal of knowledge and experience that will support their UK store expansion plan.
Why Barron McCann?
- Excellence in project management, execution, and reporting
- Able to provide extensive implementation and services delivery portfolio including procurement, hangaring, build/configuration and deployment, as well as on-going support (break-fix maintenance) for POS and IT equipment across the board
- Solid 35-year reputation as a leading supplier to UK and European retailers
- Highly knowledgeable, dedicated, and efficient Project & Support team
- A quality-driven, scalable delivery model
- Leveraging in house expert knowledge and dedicated resources such as project management, logistics, warehousing, and build
