Point of Sale Case Study

Wasp QuickStore Point-of-Sale lights the way to a Brighter Future A Small Retail Business with Special Needs Harolds Fine Home Lighting is a company based on tradition. Harvey Hanson started the business during the depression when he used his artistic skills to create lamps and then sell them door-to-door. Four generations later, Kim Hanson and his wife Cheryl run the 10,000 square foot store located in Seattle. They work along side their son and daughter and 15 other employees selling lamps, shades, and even custom designed lighting fixtures, as did their grandfather. "We are not your typical retail lighting store in that the customer can chose from as many as fifty custom options when choosing a fixture," explains Cheryl Hanson. Harolds takes pride in customer service and superior products. The Technological Problem While Harolds continues to experience great success in the lighting industry, their business systems struggled to keep up with sales. At the end of the day I just did not trust our inventory records, explains Cheryl Hanson. We need a continually updated inventory that can be accessed by 17 stations and our current DOS based system is just not able to keep up with our rapid inventory turnover. The current system cannot effectively access inventory and this affects sales and operational efficiency. However, Cheryl was skeptical that there existed a solution that could fit her unique product sales, and feared that the cost of such a system would prohibit use in a small company. The Wasp QuikStore POS, Labeler, and Printer Solutions Harolds Fine Home Lighting needs an automated data capture system that can maintain and distribute up to date inventory information to numerous stations. The system must also handle order tracking, customer check out, as well as provide quick verification and processing of credit cards at the point of sale. Harolds was concerned that the system is affordable, yet advanced and flexible enough to adapt to their custom order features and multiple station design. The Wasp QuickStore POS software and Wasp Bar Coding equipment provided the perfect answer to all these problems. We were delighted with the Wasp concept and even more thrilled with their customer service! Todd Hall, our Wasp manufacturer representative, even traveled to our store location to help with the installation and customization of the system to fit our needs. The introduction of bar coding was simple and efficient and created a reliable way to control inventory. The Wasp bar code labeler and printer allow for the creation of a high quality label that meets the functional and aesthetic needs of the decorative retail store. Todd worked with us on the labeling program and the customized labels fit

our high standards, states Cheryl Hanson. Even more importantly, Harolds now uses the Wasp Qucikstore POS to update all 17 stations and the data is automatically backed up each night. This creates real time communication between the 17 independent workstations to one central database. This system eliminates the need for separate point- of-sale terminals (i.e. card payment terminals), and streamlines the checkout process as well as clears valuable counter space in the store. The Wasp QuickStore POS system along with the Wasp Bar Code System gives this small business a simple to use, affordable, solution to their specific retail needs. Life is so much easier now, Cheryl Hanson summarizes. Today, Harolds Lighting has the same powerful scanning and tracking technology that larger companies use. This allows Harolds Fine Home Lighting to be more productive and competitive in the industry. With Wasp Technology the future looks bright at Harolds.

Point of Sale Case Study

Wasp QuickStore Point-of-Sale Scores a Hole-in-One at the LPGA A Small Business with History For over 27 years, The Wegmans Rochester LPGA has been one of the most popular stops on the LPGA tour. It combines the world's best golfers, the most enthusiastic crowds and many eager volunteers that join to raise funds for special causes. Disabled Children of Monroe County (DCMC), benefiting Camp Haccamo and the Sunshine Campus, uses the Wegmans Rochester LPGA as their main fund raising event. DCMC operates a store front that sells thousands of hats, shirts, shoes, and umbrellas during the week long event. The success of the event for DCMC increases every year, and the importance of correctly stocking, monitoring and reporting sales in such a short time frame increases each year as well. With this event being the main fund raiser for DCMC, we just cant have anything go wrong during the week says Tim Groth, head of technology for Disabled Children of Monroe County. The Technological Problem Our prior DOS based system was brutal, states Tim Groth. It was so difficult to use that we ended up with inaccurate data of what was sold. To add to the problem, the final inventory count must be completed before the vendors pick up their merchandise within hours after the tournament ends. The sales staff just could not keep up. By the end of the tournament they had no idea what they had sold, Groth adds. It was obvious that help was

needed in four main problem areas. First, DCMC needed a system that provided accurate inventory control and monitoring of shrinkage. Second, the system must be easy to implement and use, especially since the staff had little computer training and, in fact, were fearful of using new technology. Third, the system had to provide for quick and easy check out since there were a large number of transactions that were to be performed throughout the day. Fourth, the results had to be fast since this operation begins and ends in one weeks time! The challenge was to make the sales run as smooth as the green! The Wasp QuickStore POS Solution What these busy sales people needed was an easy and efficient way to checkout customers and manage inventory. Since time constraints in this tournament gave little room for training, the program had to be quick to install and easy to use. Wasp QuickStore Point of Sale fits these requirements with features like intuitive simple screen layouts, on-screen teaching tutorials, detailed sales and inventory analysis, and rapid credit card processing. QuickStore streamlined the information processes, resulting in improved sales and accurate inventory records. Volunteers who had never touched a computer were able to step in and use the system, said Mr. Groth. The QuickStore interfaces are very intuitive and the steps for check-in and check-out could not be simpler. Moreover, the point-of-sale, inventory control, and barcoding features are ideal for stores with a variety of merchandise with both cash and credit sales. Marilyn Bastain, head of merchandising for the tournament, was thrilled with the addition of barcodes. The integrated labeling software made bar-coding easy and efficient. It brought the LPGA sales staff into the 21st century and the results could not have been better! As a result of the Wasp QuickStore implementation, the 2003 LPGA Rochester Tournament sales ran smoothly. The staff scanned merchandise with accuracy, inventory was organized and complete, and even the customers were delighted with the speed of check out. "And it was all so easy," sums up Mr. Groth. Wasp QuickStore met the challenge of the greatest tournament in the LPGA tour and became their sales solution!

Point of Sale Case Study

A Small Business with Rapid Growth North American Cellular is one the largest retailers of cellular phones in Connecticut. They offer a large variety of phones, phone accessories, communication equipment, and service plans. When the companys owner, Art Robles, began this business four years ago, he never imagined the company would grow so rapidly. Last year alone we incurred a 70% increase

in activations, Robles explains. While the success in sales is exciting, the demands on the business operations are overwhelming. As the company grows so does the inventory, employees, commissions, customer base, and accounting records. North American Cellular needs an automated data capture system that can effectively meet these growing demands in order to continue to lead the field in sales.

The Technological Problem Our regular cash register system was just not keeping up, states Robles. I was spending hours going over each sales receipt to figure sales commissions for the employees. To complicate the problem, each type of sale has a different commission rate, so this job was very time consuming. Another problem area involved the growing inventory. I did not even realize I had an inventory problem until I seriously looked at our system, Robles comments. Without an accurate account of physical assets, business profits were suffering. In addition to inventory management, Robles needed a more reliable accounting of sales and a way to store a customer database. Returns were a constant problem because there was no record of sales that could be easily accessed. But most importantly, North American Cellular, in order to continue to grow their business, needed a way to duplicate and expand their operating procedures, while continuing to increase sales. The challenge was to find an affordable pointof- sale software system that has the ability to streamline business operations, yet adapt to the special needs of this rapidly expanding business.

The WASP QuickStore POS Solution What North American Cellular needs is an automated system that easily checks out customers, tracks employee sales, creates a customer database, and accurately manages the expanding inventory. Moreover, the system has to be easy to install and run with a minimal purchase of new equipment. Wasp QuickStore Point of Sale provided a perfect solution. The system runs using the existing computers, while intuitive screen layouts and on-screen teaching tutorials make installation and training simple. Robles are most impressed by the improvement that bar coding brought to his accounting system. He not only can accurately track sales and control inventory, but the system is so flexible that he customized the barcoding feature to compute his employee sales and commissions. We gave each salesman their own barcode and before each sale their individual code is scanned. At the end of the day, I have a complete record of sales and commissions. It is now an automated process, explains Robles. Plus inventory is now controlled, and the formation of a complete customer date base provides for better customer service. However, Robles stresses that the most important impact of QuickStore POS is the ability to take his company into the future. We have refined our operation procedures so we can duplicate and grow our company. WASP technology gave North American cellular immediate and effective solutions to their sales and inventory problems through the QuickStore POS software system. The results have been overwhelming, Robles adds. I have already recommended the QuickStore software to my brother, who is also in the cellular phone business. QuickStore POS generates clear and comprehensive sales reports, records an

accurate customer date base, and allows for full inventory. North American Cellular is poised for future growth with an automated sales system that can meet the growing demands. Wasp Quickstore POS provides a quick, easy and affordably way to manage business and for North American Cellular the results could not have been better!

Point of Sale Case Study

Wasp QuickStore Point of Sale is a perfect fit! Nicky Nicole, a childrens fashion store located in Hudson, Ohio, has only been open a year, but already business is solid. Specializing in clothing, jewelry and gift items for young girls between the ages of 4-14, Nicky Nicole is quickly emerging into the fashion scene. Founder and owner, MJ Lehman, previously the senior vice president of a major retail chain, brings 21 years of retail experience to the store. It is this business expertise that gave Lehman the edge when it came to establishing a solid operational system for her new store. Lehman wanted her store to not only offer great styles but also superior retail management that would insure customer satisfaction. This complement of smart fashion and business technology makes Nicky Nicole a great place to shop!

The Technological Problem Starting a new business can be overwhelming, but MJ Lehman did the research, and decided long before the store opened that she would use the latest technology to give her an operational advantage. I knew that while I wanted to start my own business, I did not want it to control me. I wanted to know what sells and what doesnt without having to be behind the register all day, explains Lehman. Moreover, in the highly competitive retail industry, a crucial componet of success lies in understanding the customers and stocking the store to fit their lifestyles. To accomplish this takes accurate tracking of inventory sales not only by item, but also by vendor, color, and size. Lehmans goal from the start was to establish a data-driven based operating system that could accurately track buying and selling. Even if I am away from the store for a few days, I want to be able to walk in and see what sold, what is in stock, and what I need to order and from whom. And I want all this information without having to walk the store or search the Rolodex, adds Lehman. The challenge was finding a cost efficient and easy to use system that would meet the needs of this new specialty store.

Wasp QuickStore POS Solution To find an inventory control system that would integrate easily into the retail check out process, Lehman turned to a reliable source; a colleague in the industry. This associate recommended the Wasp POS system, which he used in his store, because it includes everything needed to control inventory, conduct sales and manage the customized requirements of a retail business. The Wasp QuickStore bundle equipped Nicky Nicole childrens store with everything from point of sale keyboards with credit card readers, to barcode printers and scanners Right away I was amazed at the support tools this system

offered. I created a database of all the vendors, and entered each item as it was unpacked. Printing the barcode labels took only seconds and I was able to make three types of label designs to fit the jewelry, gift and clothing categories, explains Lehman. What this establishes is the ability to keep track of what is selling, and allows Lehman to make the proper business decisions when it comes to new orders. I not only know what vendor is doing well, but also what styles, color and sizes are strong sales. This takes out all the guesswork, Lehman adds. In addition, the combination of this detailed data capture system and a clearly labeled inventory guarantees that every sale is professional and error free. This enables Nicky Nicole to increase productivity by eliminating the need for paper files, handwritten data information, and manual register entries. Moreover, with detailed inventory data reports, Lehman will not have to worry about lost inventory or stock-outs. With the Wasp POS system, tracking inventory and managing sales at Nicky Nicole is simple.

Wasp Quick Store Point of Sale gives this small business access to the same technology that allows the larger, higher-volume retailers to quickly and accurate manage transactions. This complete business management system gives Lehman total control of her store from the sales registers to the stock room and every step in between. Lehman realizes that to compete and prosper in the competitive retail market, she needs to understand not only fashion trends but also todays latest technological business advances. Wasp POS and Nicky Nicole a perfect fit!