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 Fast Track Way To Stock Control (Business
Today - February 1999)
 A Revolutionary on-line catalogue, developed by Warrington-based
stores management experts Integrated Engineering Stores Associates Ltd.,
is set to send the somewhat sedate world of Maintenance, Repair and Operational
[MRO] goods purchase spinning into the Computer Age.
Gone are the musty shelves and anonymous boxes of the
traditional store. Welcome to the world of the web browser where, like
purchasings' answer to Lara Croft, you can take a walk through your stores
without leaving your desk. And with none of the hazards inherent in top-selling
computer game Tomb Raider, your journey's fast, it's efficient and it
saves you money!
The works stores are, traditionally, a place of mystery.
Access is denied to all but the stores person, whose duty it is to nod
sagely at your request, trek to the dim reaches of their domain and return
to inform you that the part you are seeking is not, presently, in stock.
It must be ordered. A process which will take a minimum of 14 days, regardless
of the fact you need the thing by Wednesday, at the latest.
 IESA's innovative approach makes all that frustration
a thing of the past. Their on-line, real-time catalogue gives you instant
access to the latest availability and prices on all your stores products,
including specialised spares. Digital photographs of each part make it
easy to identify exactly what you need and prevent costly and frustrating
ordering errors.
Working via an extranet, the IESA catalogue can access
the stock at multiple site stores and, if the part required isn't there,
the wholesaler's complete catalogue is available to browse, too. Ordering
is instant, at the touch of a button.
The online catalogue is the latest addition to a unique,
state-of-the-art electronic stock management system, which enables IESA
to manage their client's entire supply chain from start to finish. All
that's needed onsite is a PC and an email address. Stock levels are assured,
there is no capital tied up in stock and the need to raise thousands of
orders, invoices and receipts is obliterated by one single invoice per
month. So substantial savings are guaranteed from the start.
Similar systems have revolutionised the stores world
in the U.S.A but, to date, nothing like it has been available in the U.K.
Now a growing list of UK-based blue-chips are discovering the benefits
of the 'virtual store' as IESA Chief Executive Ben Caldwell explains:
"We've invested heavily, particularly
in software development, but the interest has been incredible. Already,
we've saved hundreds of thousands of pounds for a major energy company
and a well-known pharmaceutical giant is making a unit saving in excess
of 20%."
"I suppose you could say, in Playstation terms, that the on-line catalogue
will take IESA and it's clients to the next level. And we'll continue
to invest and innovate, to keep our clients one step ahead of the competition.
Do not underestimate the power of IESA." |
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