BACK OFFICE
transactional and other information
grows,” Mallaby says. “It’s thus suitable for
we have in our systems combined
the smallest retail operation right up to a
with behaviour, comments and
national chain.”
preferences about a brand expressed
One of the key features of the Argility Retail
in social media,” explains Wiggill.
dashboards. These give managers an extremely
can integrate the data to obtain this
user-friendly way to keep informed about
single view of the customer. That’s
metrics that matter to them—and enable
the power of Single Customer View: it
better decision-making. They also provide an
allows a retailer to create a genuinely
purchase online, often from another retailer.
Management Suite is its extensive use of
“But this value is only realisable if you
early warning system, so that issues can be
customer-centric business. The result?
dealt with almost as they arise.
“Argility RMS suite brings together two
With mobile internet use increasing locally this
Better service; consistent brand experience;
challenging trend is beginning to affect local
targeted pricing and offers and relevant
formerly separate but highly successful
retailers, who must now ensure that on-the-floor
communications—all generating higher
products, Ultisales and Retail Office, so it is
sales staff are appropriately equipped and trained
profits and greater customer loyalty.”
proven technology that is stable and works,”
says Mallaby. “Bringing them together as we
to direct the customer to the website should they
wish to purchase online,” says Wiggill.
While providing a consistent multi-channel
Integrating the retail
value chain
have done creates a whole that is truly more
than the sum of its parts.” HA
experience is a challenge, it’s one that
Developing and providing IT for the retail
technology can really help to overcome, Wiggill
sector is the basis of Argility’s business, and
continues. In addition, the data generated by
the foundation of its intellectual capital. The
those channels is a valuable source of customer
Argility Retail Management Suite pulls all its
information that can be used in multiple ways
general retailing experience together into
Argility – one of the largest
to enable the retailer to have one-on-one
one solution.
software developers in Southern
communication with the customer.
The real trouble with the multi-channel
“The retail environment just gets tougher:
margins are already thin and costs are
About Argility
Africa – provides innovative
solutions to the retail, financial
scenario is that because customers interact
escalating—but, at the same time, consumers
services and healthcare sectors.
with companies via so many channels,
are increasingly empowered. The Internet
Argility’s powerful intellectual
information tends to be held in silos. Retailers
has given them immense power to compare
capital is augmented by over 30
are not alone in facing this challenge, of course,
prices, it’s habituated them to a personalised
years’ experience in the provision
but they do have the benefit of an industry-
experience, and it’s given them a powerful
and of solutions that deliver
specific solution: Argility Single Customer View.
forum to attack poor service,” comments Steve
competitive advantage through:
This innovative solution may be used in any
Mallaby, managing executive at Argility Retail
improved customer intimacy;
retail or financial services environment.
Management Business Unit. “From another
enhanced control and better
Single Customer View delivers value by
point of view, though, those very challenges
business information systems that
pulling all the information about a specific
present a unique opportunity for retailers to
serve to convert data into consumer
customer from the existing IT systems into a
use technology wisely to improve service levels
centric knowledge.
single profile, stored on a central database.
while cutting costs, and interact with their
Argility provides multiple packaged
In so doing, it gives the retailer his or her
customers in new and profitable ways,” he says.
and custom software solutions as
greatest weapon: knowledge. With this in-
The key, says Mallaby, is an integrated
well as the Cordys Retail Solutions
depth understanding of customers’ shopping
solution that can handle the entire retail
Framework – a new generation
and research habits, purchasing patterns
process, from inventory management right
of service oriented solutions
and more, it becomes possible to perform
through to sales and cash management. The
engineered for multi-channel
detailed analyses; craft targeted marketing
next-generation Argility Retail Management
commerce and hosted on-premise
offers and ensure that these relevant offers are
Suite builds on three decades of retail
or in the cloud.
communicated to the right people.
experience to provide a total solution.
“This is the lure of Big Data that we
“This solution is modular and scalable,
For more information, contact
are hearing so much about at present—
so it can be implemented component by
evheerden@argility.com or visit
the chance to extract value from all the
component, and can grow as the business
www.argility.com
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HARDWARE AFRICA 2013