It seems every conversation these days contains one clear theme: everyone’s busy. And unless you’ve discovered a way to slow down time, the only way to get through that to do list is to work smarter. Work smarter, not harder It may have become a bit of a cliché but the sentiment behind this statement makes so much sense. When you can find efficiencies and better ways of working, more can get done in less time with (crucially) no need for increased effort. While merchanting is a hard-working and busy sector, there should be no need for ridiculous hours and overworking. The dangers of high pressure, relentlessly tough environments on our physical and mental health are very real: if the long hours, constant pressure and lack of relief continue, they will end in burnout, exhaustion, ill-health, family and social issues, or worse. So introducing efficient ways to boost productivity at work makes a whole lot of sense. There are countless advice articles on this very subject available online, so do read around more if it’s something you’re interested in - from addressing procrastination to increasing focus, there's plenty of guidance available. But for a quick starter for 10 that's relevant to you, here’s our take 10 ways that Merchanter boosts productivity Working in a volatile market will always require a certain amount of responsiveness. While being proactive is definitely preferably, being reactive is an unfortunate reality for the vast majority of merchants. So how do you create an environment with enough scope to flex when demand suddenly goes through the roof, without over-extending financial resources with temporary staff or expensive stopgap solutions? The secret really is to optimise your day-to-day productivity. It makes perfect sense that if the same number of people can perform every task more quickly and easily, they can get through more tasks with no additional effort or need for extra help. This isn’t a euphemistic way of saying “just pile the work on.” It’s a very real way of addressing the increasing need in today’s workplace to work smarter but not harder. Using a cloud-based software system for your merchant business is a great way to boost productivity. Here are just 10 of the ways that Merchanter can boost your business productivity – but there are countless others! 1. It’s easy to use. A system that is easy to use speeds up every process, from inputting data to raising a quote, processing a sale to doing a stocktake. That means fewer obstacles to overcome, fewer hoops to jump through, just simple processes and easily accessed information. It’s a winner all round. When people can achieve more in less time with less effort, a rise in producitivty is inevitable. Plus, it reduces frustration and time wasted on irritating, complex searches and digging out key information. When it's right there at you gfingertips, the world is a hppier place. 2. Alerts help you to focus where you need to. Don’t waste time scouring every product line for the gaps – let your system do the hard work for you with stock, credit, delivery or invoicing alerts (and a load of others!) Getting low on a particular stock item or product range? Have customers at their credit limit, or suppliers not delivering on time? See what you need to know faster and avoid the wasted time (and stress) of seeking it out. 3. Automations save enormous amounts of time. You can save a truly staggering amount of time through automation. Invoicing, chasing payments, delivery notifications, stock updates – anything you can do to reduce the repetitive, time-consuming tasks which can take over your day. "Our staff love using Merchanter. The system makes every task, quicker, easier and that bit less painful... We are saving at least three working days per month on invoicing and invoice issues alone! It makes a huge difference." ike Tregunna, Build Supplies Ltd 4. Track team performance easily. If you manage a team, it can be time consuming to monitor performance, but Merchanter makes it easy for you to track team performance against your chosen goals. This isn't about keep tabs on individuals; it's about having targets clear and visible so you can quickly identify the gaps and find solutions before the issues really hit. Being able to do that instantly saves time ad helps manager be more effective in leading and supporting teams to deliver the results the business needs. 5. Customised dashboards keep everything close to hand. Personalise your experience by adding the KPIs relevant to your specific role to your dashboard so you can see the business-critical information YOU need at a glance. It saves a lot of time digging around collating info! 6. Work from where you are. Because it’s cloud-based, your sales reps, delivery drivers or managers can work from where they are, making sure information is up to date across the business. No more delays in keeping the info current, because it’s accessible from anywhere online. 7. Spend time on the right customers. Understanding which customers are most valuable to your business is important and can save a lot of time and resource. Your system can help you identify the customers who warrant your time and focus, and those who are a drain on your resources. 8. Keep track of targets more clearly. Having individual (or team) targets well defined and clearly visible can be a big help in driving performance and productivity, helping people to see where the gaps are more clearly and focusing attention where it’s needed. 9. It integrates easily with other platforms. Whether that’s your digital accounting package or your eCommerce solution, Merchanter is designed to be highly interoperable, letting your teams use the best tools for them more easily. 10. Increasing self-help and training resources. We know (because we asked!) that more and more of you want to use online, self-service help and training resources to troubleshoot issues, learn new processes and optimise your system usage. That’s why we’re constantly adding to our bank of knowledge base collateral to help our customers access the information they need faster. To give Merchanter a try for yourself, totally free and without any hard sell, just register here for login details and you’ll get 30 days to play with the online demo system.

When you started out, you probably weren’t dreaming of having a desk job. Who does? That’s not what inspired you to get where you are now. You had a vision, a dream, a business to run, an empire to build. Wouldn’t you like the freedom to do just that? Well, we’re here to help. We’re saying no to being tied to your desk, to the repetitive, time-sucking jobs that keep you stuck working IN your business, rather than thinking big and working ON it. We’re giving you the tools to step away from your desk, to get out to the yard, to your customers, to your weekend or your kid’s birthday party – to get to what’s important, not just what’s urgent. We’re giving you the peace of mind to step away, safe in the knowledge that you can run the whole show from absolutely anywhere. Engage your staff, impress your customers, inspire your suppliers to go further, faster, leaner. And all from wherever you like. Control your business from home, oversee ops from overseas. Log-on to logistics and swot up on stats, all with less effort, less time and less hassle, from any device, securely, safely and simply. Transparent, target-focused dashboards show each user exactly where their opportunities are, and intelligent analysis gives you the information you need to make decisions that really make a difference. Simple, powerful and effective. Less error, less missed opportunity, less wastage, less risk. More trading, more engaged staff, more profit, more growth. Merchanter is designed to give you more from your working day without being tied to your desk. It’s our most agile, powerful and user-friendly system ever, an all-new, online merchant business system for integrated purchasing, stock management and sales. So join us in our mission to find freedom from your desk, to have the time and resource to focus on what’s really important – and to grow your business while you’re doing it. Who’s in?

Supply chain issues are widely reported and everyone reading this will be acutely aware of the potential issues. With demand outstripping supply and prices soaring, not just on raw materials but also on transportation and storage costs, how can merchants protect their margins while continuing to offer competitive and comprehensive service? We will continue to expand on ways in which your ERP system should be able to help you manage these issues, but two which have come up a lot with customers recently are: Average price tracking With prices rising so rapidly, merchants need to cover against replenishment increases from one order to the next, rather than simply checking the average buying price. The Merchanter system builds in a buffer, by raising the standard cost price as the last cost price goes up. And if you are able to source stock at a reduced price, the standard cost won’t drop, so you’re not penalised for any ad hoc bargains. The advantages are that you won’t have to manually adjust prices week to week, you’ll always have an accurate, moving picture of pricing in the market and of course, you won’t be caught out by how fast prices are going up, making it a win all round. This feature has proved to be extremely popular recently and if anyone reading would like more information on how to use it, please get in touch. Perpetual stock optimisation Being able to see an up to date, accurate picture of what stock you have available where is essential, and with an ERP system that allows every member of the workforce to input information from anywhere at any time, it has never been easier to achieve. But Merchanter goes beyond that, and is packed with features to help you actively optimise your stock profile, availability and profitability. KPIs like Stock Turn help you see at a glance which product lines and individual items are selling well, how frequently and how profitably, letting you make crucial adjustments that add up to big changes. You can find out more about the Stock Turn KPI and its advantages for stock profile and profitability here . We’ve also added unique features like Stock Confidence , which calculates the accuracy of your stock figures over time to help you gauge the need for manual checks and replenishment, and highlighting potential risks before they become problematic. Easy to use, easy to access, easy to try Merchanter has been designed with your workforce in mind, with a clear and simple interface that’s very quick to learn and lots of fun to master, and a tiered pricing scheme that makes it realistic to get everyone linked in. It’s loaded with features to make every day easier and to actively help you reduce waste, drive process efficiencies and enhance both productivity and profitability. The above are just a few of the benefits Merchanter has to offer - why not try it out for yourself?

Well, not when it comes to using your business software to your maximum advantage, anyway. That’s the overriding message to come out of a recent survey we conducted with some of our customers. While over 90% reported that they felt they knew the system “inside out,” over 60% of respondents still said they would “definitely” benefit from further training. And as you know, we always aim to please. Whenever we welcome a new customer, we are always careful to assess and meet their training needs with a new system. We provide training in the system basics, and depending on each user’s role and requirements, we’ll then provide more in-depth information to help everyone using the system to get what they need from it. It’s what you’d expect from any software provider worth its salt, and we’re delighted that your responses to the survey indicate we’re doing that pretty well. But we think we have more to offer. There is potentially more value you can get from your system than you’re currently getting, and that’s why we’re introducing a system of advanced system coaching; a masterclass for those who will really benefit. For the majority of people, the training given is plenty. Sometimes it’s a lot to take in all at once, and before you’re fully up to speed, it’s almost impossible to know what it is you’ll need to know six months down the line. People’s roles change within a business over time, and you might find your needs will change from year to year. For example, if you’ve been happily churning out automated reports for the last year, you might be perfectly happy with the performance. However, what if you knew about a few little hacks and tricks that could boost your data value, and provide more insightful feedback to help you make even better decisions? What if you knew how to streamline your stock management data to shave off an extra couple of percentage of waste? Until you know what else is possible, you can’t keep advancing. Our additional coaching service is a completely optional bonus initiative. It is not required in order to use the system comprehensively and effectively day to day; nothing is being held to ransom and we’re not doing away with our existing induction and training processes, so every customer will still receive the complete training package we have always provided free of charge with each system. What we are offering is specialist, advanced coaching for anyone wanting to really take their system usage and analysis to the next level, potentially boosting business performance and getting even greater value from a system you already use. It might help with a new advanced module, a particularly tailored role, or a certain function that falls outside the norm. The masterclass coaching programme offers participants the chance to really step up their understanding and ability with the system, or with the new advanced analysis options, to make a real difference to their own personal and professional development and potentially to the wider business. Let’s get rid of the notion that training is boring or pointless – this is all about enhanced performance of both system and people, optimising your existing resources, and potentially adding that little advantage that could make all the difference. You might only want one or two people to take part – we know that one or two well-informed “super-users” can be a huge benefit to the business as a whole, and the usefulness of good data just cannot be overstated (as we’ve talked about before! If you’d like to know more about our advanced training, please do get in touch and we can put together a bespoke package to suit your needs. After all, it’s never too late to learn a few new tricks!

Managing supplier performance, service level and efficiency – with your ERP KPIs At first glance, this is a really simple KPI in the Merchanter system – one of over 110 KPIs available in the system at last count. Useful in its own right, but invaluable when viewed in context. It is a powerful metric which allows you, quickly and simply to assess the service you are getting from your suppliers, mitigate risks and find opportunities to enhance service levels. The KPI itself simply tells you how many forward contracts are overdue at any moment in time. Overdue FCs are made instantly apparent as they are highlighted in red, making it very hard to miss them. When you click on it, you get a list of links to which contracts this applies to, and that’s where it gets really interesting. You can then select a given supplier. On the supplier summary page you then get a very clear pictures of their ongoing service levels, as you can see in the screenshot below. You can see at a glance how many POs are active, the average delivery time, which also highlights any late deliveries, as well as total and average order values in a given time frame. That enables quick assessment of the quality and value of service you receive from suppliers, giving you the information you may need to address any particular concerns or negotiate better terms. The true value of applied data analysis Having the information available is step one. Knowing what to do with it, what questions to ask and how to apply it to decision-making is where the real value lies. The decisions are all ultimately up to you, but the KPIs in Merchanter make sure you have the tools you need readily at hand to inform and validate those decisions – as well as measure their impact. Try the Merchanter Demo Pricing Features

Length Reporting: Powerful insights into trading measured products Whoever said size isn't everything clearly wasn't a timber merchant. Because when you know – you know! ​ As a merchant trading in measured product, you will be very aware of the difficulties involved in length reporting products accurately. Whether it’s timber, steel or anything else that comes in different sizes, it’s a complex business getting accurate readings on exactly what’s selling through. ​ Well, we’ve got good news for you. ​ Merchanter gives you the ability to monitor and report by length of product . It gives the kind of detailed insights into stock movement, sales and replenishment that generic software simply can’t do, and really adds value for timber merchants, builders’ merchants and steel stockholders, or any other merchant trading in length-measured products. Tracking product movement through the business ​This reporting feature lets you see how products are moving through the business in detail. Every time a product is bought, sold, adjusted, moved or adapted, whether loose or in a pack, you’ll be able to see it. ​ The power of having information like this at your fingertips is enormous, and as well as boosting sales, profitability, and enhancing stock profile and purchasing insight, can also save significant amounts of time and reduce waste. So yes – it’s pretty important. Clever under the hood ​ On the face of it this is a simple reporting feature, but the complexities that go into building it are anything but. Most software (even the industry-specific stuff) doesn’t have the capability to let you consistently compare figures by length even when the products are in packs, or clearly see the patterns and trends in what’s going through the mill. ​ This feature allows you to monitor and track all stock measured by length, whether loose or in packs, so you can see exactly how stock is performing. What makes it such a powerful tool? When you can see at a glance how different length products are moving through the business, you can make smart decisions about selling, replenishing and stocking those products. Looking at the sample spreadsheet below for example, you can clearly see that some lengths simply aren’t selling at all, while others are proving very popular. ​ That kind of information can help you not only know which stock to replenish first, but can also help you determine when you might buy in different lengths to process yourself. ​ You might already know the headline numbers but being able to drill down quickly and easily to see the specific lengths involved makes it so much easier to streamline ordering and replenishment strategies, choose which stock to buy in, and price according to what’s selling through best. ​The flex to fit your business Whether you have in-house milling capabilities yourself or tend to trade in pre-prepared products, this tool will be invaluable. You can filter the results by date, depot, all stock, just mill out-turn, just loose, just pack, pack thickness – you name it, chances are you can quickly and easily filter the numbers to see exactly what you need to know to make the most informed decisions. Oh, and as if length alone wasn’t enough, Merchanter will also allow both width and thickness reporting, giving you the ultimate insight into your stock dynamics. How you can get your hands on it Current Merchanter users have access to this feature now, as part of recent system updates. If it's something you think your merchant business could benefit from, please get in touch to find out more. There is no extra cost for this feature – as promised, with Merchanter, you get the latest version of the system as standard, including all the relevant features and benefits that suit your business. ​ If you’re not yet using Merchanter and would like to see what all the fuss is about, why not register here for 30 days’ free access to the online demo system.

Linking your accounting software with an industry-specific trading system can deliver more insight, value and reward than you might realise…. Ever seen a baseball player out in the field? They wear a big mitt on one hand, leaving the other free. This gives them the optimum combination: a large surface area and an extra bit of reach to intercept a ball whistling their way, while the other hand has the dexterity, power and accuracy to speed the ball back. Ten-25 believes in the same principles with trading and financials software.   A trading and stock control system that is designed specifically for your industry is like the player’s open hand, sending information through the business with speed, power and accuracy. This works brilliantly when information is shared with the big mitt; your financials software. Having a widely used financials system gives the extra reach that being part of a community of users brings. A lot of our customers use leading accounting packages to handle their financials. Of course they do – it makes sense. And that’s why we design our software so that it can link up with those accounting packages, so you get the best of both worlds: the expertise of an independent, proven financial package, with the added benefits of a merchant trading system that links up every bit of your business. These days accounting packages are both readily available, and usually of a very high standard. But what they can’t offer is the industry knowledge and customised insights of a tailor-made trading system. You want to squeeze every last drop of value out of every bit of software you use, and gain every advantage – ideally, without the hassle of a thousand different logins and training courses to get the hang of it all. Ta-daa – we’ve made sure that our software can link up with those financials packages so you don’t lose any opportunities, and you have a real-time picture of every aspect of your business at a moment’s notice. You’re busy. You don’t have time to be faffing about double-inputting information. That’s why our systems can talk to systems like Sage, and make sure the information available to you however, whenever and wherever you want it. How does it work? Take orders through to invoices on Merchanter Add new customers, and amend customer details on Merchanter Customer and invoice details are automatically exported to your financials software As a customer’s account balance is paid off an updated aged debt is imported into Merchanter, so you can manage a real credit position What are the benefits? Using a trading system that fits your operations is just better than any generic equivalent.  If users don’t need to work around the system you will get faster, better, more accurate, more relevant information. Use a financials software system that is familiar your accountant; they may even have access into it.  Software like Sage 50 is inexpensive, and regularly updated to the latest legal requirements. When both sides can speak to each other, you get much more than double the benefits. Having all the right information at your fingertips without complicated, potentially vulnerable work-arounds gives you the power, the insight and the information to get things done quickly, and get them done right. No missed opportunities. Better profitability. A thriving business. What next? If you’d like to talk to us about our systems and how they could help your business, please give us a call on 01202 861606 or drop us a line at info@ten-25.co.uk

Supply chain issues are an ongoing challenge for merchants. What became problematic with Brexit was hugely exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, as well as changing sustainability targets and worldwide shortages of particular products. Now, the situation with Ukraine and Russia is further destabilising the supply and movement of construction supplies, with the full impact yet to be seen, according to recent comments from the Construction Leadership Council's Product Availability group as reported in Builders Merchant News. While these challenges are impossible to ignore, there are things all merchants can be doing to alleviate some of the impact, both on themselves and their customers. Here are our top 5 ways for merchants to proactively manage the impact of supply chain uncertainty. 1. Understand and monitor your own stock movement and turnover better Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But really understanding what’s working and what could be working better requires quite sophisticated reporting tools to be able to analyse the stock movement, pricing and performance potential. Once you’ve got a really good grasp on how stock is selling through, it’s easier to make better decisions around replenishment, merchandising, promotions and pricing to ensure that you’re serving the right customers with the right stock at the right price. Using metrics like Stock Confidence * can help you to identify where issues around availability may be, helping to flag potential gaps before they become a problem, while the intelligent reporting of your ERP system should be able to highlight potential alternatives and changes to plug those gaps where possible. 2. Make more of what you DO have available It’s easy to focus on what you can’t get hold of but perhaps there is more you can do with the stock you do have available. That might mean using analytics tools to assess the most popular lengths of timber , for example, and re-purposing materials you have more readily available to meet demand. If you aren’t selling much of one length, but loads of one slightly shorter, there could be an obvious solution. You can also analyse what’s selling well to identify trends and shift your stock profile to meet current and predicted demand. This also relates to ensuring you’re selling the stock you have at the right price. And no, we don’t mean the cheapest price! Not to sound mercenary, but making sure your prices are at the right level for market demand and general availability is really important. Monitor the shifting market prices of materials and flex your pricing accordingly to make sure you’re operating in a profitable and sustainable way. Keep control of margins with automated margin protection , and keep an eye on customer credit with built-in credit controls. Understanding who your best customers are is an important part of doing business, as you don’t necessarily want to sell the most in-demand stock to the first bidder if they’re not a reliable or regular customer. 3. Use analytics tools to spot trends and patterns to predict requirements seasonally and plan ahead Again it sounds obvious but outside the main seasonal trends, there may be more insights to be gleaned which could help you predict demand. If gardening is massive in the UK in spring and summer, what will the autumn trend be? If house prices soaring are stopping more people from moving house, what home improvements are most popular? What new products and trends are coming through to boost sustainability and reduce fuel prices? How could you enhance your own delivery and logistics services to reduce travel for customers and save fuel for your business? It could also be worth considering pricing incentives to encourage longer lead times on orders, if you don’t already. For orders placed regularly or further out, is there a reduction for you in cost to serve? Could that be passed on to the customer? On the more basic side, use the analytics tools at your disposal to look back at previous years and see if there are common patterns you could predict for the future. You’ll quickly reap the rewards when everyone’s trying to source that particular product again this year! 4. Get to know what people want While you might think this will require a crystal ball, there are plenty of analytics tools around which could help you understand this. You might also want to consider asking your customers via email or in-store – after all, if you don’t ask, you don’t get! Make it easy for them to communicate their wishlist, either with an ideas or requests board in-branch, or with a simple online form. Your own system can help you understand how customers buy from you, what they buy, how often and for how much. But to understand where the gaps in your stock profile may be, you need another part of the puzzle – you need to know the things they’re looking for that you don’t stock in the first place. While there are lots of analytics platforms in the market which you could choose for this, one of the best examples we’ve seen is the brilliant online availability tool Near St . With a simple data integration, Near St can help local customers see what stock you have in-branch at any given time, thereby using the power and reach of online to drive football to your branches. But the value-add doesn’t stop there. As part of their service you can also discover what other searches for similar products people in your area have been making, so you get far greater insight into what might sell well for you. 5. Monitor cost pricing in the market We touched on this earlier but it’s so important we thought it warranted its own section. Keeping on top of the rapidly fluctuating purchasing prices in the market right now is vital. Use automated price tracking tools to monitor and respond across your entire stockholding. It’s also important to monitor your own costs to serve, including all operational and logistics costs. If delivery is costing you 10% more because of fuel price rises, how are you covering that? There are so many ways in which current global issues are affecting businesses, it’s vital to consider every aspect of your operational set-up to ensure you’re making the most of existing assets, minimising costs and optimising pricing. If you would like to try Merchanter for yourself and see how your business could benefit, please register here for 30 days’ access to our online demo system . * Stock Confidence is a feature unique to Merchanter

Decisions, approvals, authorisations – it’s surprising how much time little administrative tasks can drain in a business. Most merchants require senior approval for processing credit notes or refunds, no matter what the value. But in many cases, the value of the refund or credit note is so small, it costs more in time to get the approval than it’s really worth. We hear from customers regularly that they’d love more ways to clear the weeds of those low value, high volume everyday admin tasks that just suck up time and distract managers from other work. So we did something to help. Pre-authorised credit limits We’ve just launched a nifty little update to the system which now allows you to set pre-authorised limits for credit notes and refunds. You could set standard limits for everyone, or introduce a range of limits for different levels of staff seniority. It's entirely up to you, but you have complete control. For example, you set a pre-authorised credit limit of £100 for your new trade counter staff. A customer comes in wanting to return £20 of screws. Previously, that member of staff would have to ask the customer to wait while they obtain the relevant approval, taking up their time, the customer's time and the time of the approving manager. But because you've pre-authorised that credit, your junior trade counter staff can instantly issue the credit and record the product back onto the system into stock. Of course, if that customer was returning a £500 load of timber, authorisation would be needed, but for the little things, it's a big time saver. You don’t have to use them of course, but the time saving potential is pretty big. You have complete control over what the limit is, and you can change it at any time if you feel it’s not working out for you. Essentially it means you can pre-approve all credit notes and refunds up to your chosen level, giving your customer-facing team the authority to make decisions on the spot and issue credit notes without having to delay while waiting for approvals. Trust and empowerment for your workforce – peace of mind for you It’s a win win win situation – they feel trusted and empowered to do their jobs and make sensible decisions; you have to waste less time dealing with micro-approvals and can focus on everything else on your plate, and your customers get faster service with fewer frustrations . You could add a fourth win as well: the peace of mind all round of knowing that the bigger decisions are still flagged so they need additional approval, keeping your finances safe but your time freed up. What’s not to love? Try the Merchanter Demo Pricing Features

The secrets of your success: 5 trends to give merchants a competitive advantage in 2023 The world has been in upheaval for the last few years and that makes the business landscape pretty challenging for most businesses. Merchanting is no exception; rising operational costs, volatile material pricing in the market, availability issues, sustainability and even recruitment all providing their own unique issues, merchants have a lot to deal with. But among the challenges there are lots of opportunities, and that’s what we’re here to talk about. We’ve put together a list of 5 top trends for merchants to be aware of in 2023 to help them thrive. 5 top trends for merchants in 2023 1. Sustainability A vital topic for every organisation, and every individual, this one is growing in both importance and urgency for merchants. Firstly, there is an intensifying focus on the need for more sustainable materials and methods in the construction industry as a whole. Reaching the net zero carbon neutrality goal is essential to keep in line with government targets but it’s also becoming increasingly important to customers (both trade and domestic) That means responsible and ethical sourcing, more recycling, more efficient materials, as well as plumbing and heating systems – the list goes on. It’s a complex and rapidly evolving subject but one in which we all have the most deeply invested interests. Secondly, with the rising costs of operations and utilities, merchants must focus on their own sustainability. Keeping overheads low, processes efficient and systems choices future-fit are all vital components. After all, sustaining the business is your number one aim, and without being able to be competitive in all areas will make that more of a challenge. 2. Agility Another broad category but also an essential one. In a commercial landscape where everything upon everything is constantly changing, merchants need the right tools to allow them to respond quickly to changing conditions. It’s vital that the back office system is able to keep up with these changes and give the flexibility and freedom for merchants to react fast, as well as the visibility to guide them in where to focus first. Choose a system that puts the information you need right in front of you, that makes it easier to spot the gaps and issues as well as the opportunities, and which helps you to make every process throughout your entire operation more efficient. Let the tech do the heavy lifting to free up your people to focus where they can make the biggest difference. For example, with routes to market diversifying at a dizzying rate, it’s important that merchants have the flexibility to take advantage of new technologies. That means opting for a highly interoperable cloud system which can link up with whatever best-in-class solutions you choose to deploy. So when you have the chance to tap into local buyers with services like NearSt, you're in a position to jump on it. It also means being able to monitor changes in the market, like pricing, and rapidly respond, while using automated safety nets like margin and credit controls to remain profitable despite pricing fluctuations. When selecting your ERP system make sure you discuss capabilities like this to ensure your system is working as hard for you as it possibly can. 3. Humanity No, we’re not going all Planet of the Apes on you. But it’s so important to remember that at the core of every successful business is its people. Technology is a vital and hugely powerful tool, but the way it is used it equally as important – to improve service, communication and connection. Even consumer giants like Samsung have singled out "humanity" as a core focus for the future so it would probably pay to pay attention. Convenience is mighty powerful but there is still, or perhaps even a greater, need for great service. What that means, however, is shifting. Customers now have easier access to product information, price comparison and sourcing data than ever before, yet service will continue to set one merchant apart from another. Reliability, availability, fair pricing, considerate behaviour and effort will always be vital components of customer loyalty, and with online reviews more prevalent than ever, great customer service will still sit near the top of most merchant priority lists – because it’s at the top of their customers’. New generations entering the “consumer” world are demonstrating that human values are not simply a set of CSR-friendly statements written on a website and forgotten about. The customers of tomorrow care about the ethics of the companies they buy from, and they expect to see valued lived, not merely spoken. That goes for sustainability just as much as it does for how businesses treat their people – while it may not be true for everyone, this is a movement to be ignored at your peril. Customers aren’t the only people merchants need to be thinking about. Looking after their own people is just as vital. It’s been amazing to see how many merchants have been stepping up to help their staff in recent years, with the cost of living crisis particularly pertinent, but throughout the Covid crisis and beyond. Employees who feel valued, rewarded, heard and seen will always give more back than those who feel sidelined or undervalued. In a world increasingly dominated by technology, by quick fixes and questionable facts, we believe that humanity – or human-ness – will be a key characteristic of the most successful businesses of the future. 4. Diversity In all its glorious breadth, diversity is something to be embraced by merchants. On the one hand, this encompasses the human interpretation, creating inclusive and equitable workplaces which cater for every person, no matter their age, ethnicity, religion, class, background, gender, sexuality or physical ability. It means pre-empting the differing needs of a diverse workforce and customer base, taking into account neurodiverse communities, and providing information and routes to market which do not exclude any sector or demographic. This is not easy and it’s worth investing in expert guidance and help to ensure your premises, website and all other areas of your business are as safe, inviting and accessible as possible to all. It also means embracing diverse thoughts and ideas, giving everyone a voice and an opportunity to use it. Diversity also represents the diversifying options available to merchants; not just in terms of the stock profile or sectors you operate in, but also the routes to market, the options available in all areas of your business. Habit can be dangerous so if the go-to answer is "Because we've always done it that way" then it's probably time to hold up that mirror and start reflecting. 5. Technology It would be totally remiss of us not to talk about technology, especially as it’s what underpins our entire offering. And while it can be vilified at times, when used right, technology has enormous power to do good for organisations, people and the environment. AI doesn't have to be the evil superpower taking our jobs - it can also be the brilliant sidekick helping us to do them even better. Merchanting has something of a reputation for being old-fashioned in its adoption of technology. Clipboards and paper trails, trade desk conversations and word of mouth all have their place, the pandemic massively accelerated the need for, and adoption of, digital transformation. To be competitive and fully embrace the range of opportunities available to them, merchants need to be future-ready. That doesn’t just mean having a snazzy website (though that can help!) It means choosing a future-fit, Cloud-based ERP system to keep all your business processes efficient and well-integrated. A system capable of evolution and agility, which can link up with emerging technologies and platforms to give you best-in-class options across every part of your business from finance to CRM to eCommerce to marketplace or social selling to analytics. It means choosing a system that can run on a mobile or tablet as easily as a desk-bound PC, a system that enables your people to work from where they are and keep the information up to date and synced. There are so many new and emerging options for merchants it can be hard to keep up. From the “endless aisle” concepts of platforms like VirtualStock to the local market selling tools like NearSt, it will pay for merchants to keep a finger on the pulse of new tech. Of course, technology is about more than online too, and there are loads of new ways for merchants to enhance the in-branch experience too. Product-browsing kiosks, mobile and handheld technology, integrated in-branch/online purchasing, 3D design modelling and sustainability calculation - it’s a very exciting space to be. With an increasing reliance on digital platforms, the world of business is rushing forward into the future and merchants who are not prepared for the changes ahead will have a lot more challenges on their hands than those who proactively embrace the opportunities that technology has to offer. A last note before you go If you’re not 100% happy with your current system, are considering a digital system for the first time or would like to supplement the stock and trading capacities in your financials platform, Merchanter might be a great fit for your business. To have an informal chat, or to register for our free online demo system, just fill out the contact form here and we’ll be in touch to help.

The customer may not always be right, but they should always be central to your business operation at every level. When it comes to CX, it’s always vital to make sure it’s always good for them. There’s a lot of shorthand that goes on in business – endless acronyms, mnemonics and buzzwords that often provoke more of an eye-roll or a sigh than inspiration and action. However, when it comes to CX, it really is something you need to be thinking about. What is CX? CX is short for customer experience, and is all about how your customers feel when interacting with your business. It’s important to realise that CX is about the whole customer experience – we’re not just talking about great service at the trade counter, or shiny new website. It’s everything. From parking to marketing, website stability to spam email, it’s all about how it was for them. Is CX the same as UX? No, though there are some similarities and they are related. UX is user experience and relates more to how a customer interacts with or uses a particular product. It’s usually referred to in the context of digital usage – for example, our CX is about how customers interact with us as a business, whereas our UX is about how our customers find using our software; UX is part of CX in our case. Both are important of course, and both put the customer at the centre of business or product design and strategy, but they are different things. So how can we offer great CX? Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and think about what “good” means to them. Usually it’s about convenience, simplicity and effectiveness – getting what they want, when and where they want it, at the right price, without any hassle. It’s about pre-empting and removing obstacles, reducing friction, and adding those little added value extras that really leave people feeling positive about the whole interaction. Consider: How they hear about you in the first place – recommendation, word of mouth, Google search, advertising, signage, articles in the press etc. How someone first hears about you starts to form impressions before they’ve even visited. How easy is it to find you? Whether it’s online or in person, you need to make it easy to be found. Well signed locations, easy parking, straightforward web address, good SEO – being easy to find makes a great impression. Have you got what they want? Use your analytics, customer research and observations to evaluate what products your customers want, and try to keep it in stock! Sounds simple, but availability is a huge driver in customer satisfaction. Too many out of stock situations can make for a really negative experience and customers are fickle and usually quite happy to look elsewhere, so it really pays to know what your customers want, month to month, season to season. How easy is it to find that they want? Stock layout, recommendations, special offers, related products, suitable alternatives to out of stock items, readily available information and so on all play a part in ensuring a great customer experience. Service. Possibly the most obvious area of CX, and yes, it’s important. Make sure your staff all understand the importance of great service and really think about what it involves – from comprehensive information and a helpful attitude to considerate delivery drivers and a quick phone answering service with no prolonged hold music, service is a huge catch-all area when it come to the customer experience. For more about what makes good customer service, see this blog A little "je ne sais quoi". They say that little things mean a lot, and when it comes to CX, that's often true. It could be offering tea and coffee, arranging for a great breakfast van to be outside the branch on a Friday morning, or sending an unexpected discount or voucher just to say thanks. It could be a delivery driver going the extra mile to help unload, or the friendly chat at the checkout. But we all know that some experiences just feel better than others - and we remember that feeling next time we're choosing where to spend our money. Keeping in touch. Sometimes customers need a prompt to come back, but how much communication is too much? Your emails, direct mail, catalogues or calls should always be relevant and should add value. Don’t bombard people, and don’t overload them with irrelevant or pushy communications. Think about how many communications you relegate to the recycling bin, both physical and digital, and apply that thinking to your own messaging Reward and loyalty. Competition is tough, so how do you ensure ongoing loyalty from your customers? Great service and experience is often enough reason, but also think about rewards, incentives and special offers to keep people coming back for more. When customers feel they’re getting not just great value but also great appreciation and recognition, it’s going to make it a more positive experience. Association and values . Increasingly, customers care about the values and responsibility of the businesses they frequent. Whether that’s environmental focus, giving back to a local community, active diversity and inclusivity programmes or investing in education or career opportunities, think about how can help people feel ethically good about doing business with you. Why is good CX so important? Customers who have a positive experience of your business are far more likely to return in the future, spread the word, leave good reviews and make recommendations. It really is that simple, and that vital. And remember – customers who have a bad experience are often far more vocal than those who don’t, and can do damage to your reputation. How else can you ensure your customers have a great experience? We’d love to know your tips!

Have you ever spent ages with a customer, giving them all the advice and guidance they need about materials and stock for an upcoming project, only to lose the actual sale because they found it cheaper elsewhere? Most merchants have, at one time or another – whether they know about it or not. In an age where pricing and availability is so easily compared across different vendors, it’s only natural to lose out sometimes. While the expertise that enables merchants to provide that depth of knowledge in the first place is often invaluable for customers, it’s not always enough to inspire the loyalty to complete the sale, even with longer term customers. But for merchants, it costs double – not only have you lost the sale, but you’ve also invested the time and effort to ensure your staff have that knowledge in the first place. Are service-light competitors – i.e. those who simply source or stock products for quick sale, rather than providing the expertise and advice (think, online retailer, for example) stealing market share from merchants? The statistics would suggest so – but why is this happening? And how can merchants respond? Why are merchants losing out? Undoubtedly, the reasons are complex and will vary from situation to situation. It may be a more common occurrence with public sales rather than trade – but it definitely happens. Here are just a few of the reasons: Information about products and materials is generally more easily available elsewhere these days, so some customers are less reliant on merchant advice in the first place Some “service-light” business models have fully embraced the power of technology to fulfil some elements of the service, design and planning proposition – for example, the 3D flooring, kitchen design or tile sites which allow you to play with design and calculate the required materials for yourself The issues of availability and fluctuating costs, compounded by Covid, Brexit and the Russia/Ukraine conflict – not to mention the rapidly rising cost of living – have made everyone more cost-and-availability conscious than ever. It has become normalised, and in many cases very necessary, to shop around widely It’s easy to shop around to check cost and availability and buy from where it suits – customers want the most convenient option, and sometimes that’s about delivery and availability, not just price. There is simply more competition. Merchants aren’t just competing against other merchants. Online retailers and the rise of marketplace selling has made an already competitive industry even more intense. So what can merchants do about it? You need to consider each of the reasons you could be losing out on sales and tackle them head on. This might include: Make sure your product information is great and continue to be a destination for expertise – which could also involve technology to help you scale it so do take advantage of the tech solutions available The biggest single advantage merchants have against (particularly online) competitors is having products and materials in stock then and there. By making sure you have the best stock control system in place to help you manage, plan and merchandise your stock in the best ways to suit your customers’ buying needs, you can make more of having better availability and take away one of the biggest reasons people purchase elsewhere Ensure your pricing is in line with the market without losing out on valuable margin. Use tracking tools in your stock and order management system to responsively manage pricing and analyse stock selling patterns to make sure you’re pricing products appropriately. Reducing your overheads by using intelligent business management software that can help you scale your operations without having to incur additional cost-heavy overheads will enable you to be as keen as possible on price and offer the best value Reducing waste can help you operate in a more lean and efficient way – not just reduced material waste, but reduced time and resource as well. Again, using modern ERP software to help you hone your business processes will be a huge advantage here. Invest in online, click and collect, and great transport planning software to help you get more efficient and fast at delivery and order fulfilment. Hit every one of those convenience goals your customers are looking for and stop giving them reasons to look elsewhere. Make sure you are working with the customers that work for your business and not wasting too much time on those who you owe nothing to! Your merchant ERP software can help you to understand who your good customers and suppliers really are, and therefore help you work in a more targeted and intentional way with the customers who deserve your time and energy investment. There are hundreds of potential reasons why you might be losing out on sales and this is not an exhaustive list. You also need to work out what the impact of lost sales - or the opportunity of more sales - is for your business. Modern ERP software can be a huge advantage in working out how to tackle this, identifying opportunities and highlighting gaps. Your business software can help you to address and remove the underlying reasons why people might go to your competitors instead of you, and maximise your chances of winning more sales, more often, and more profitably. You need to be able to operate in a way that lets you compete on convenience, price and easy accessibility, yet retain the expertise, product quality and instant stock-availability that sets you apart. And a great business management software system is the foundation of how to achieve that vision. A QUICK NOTE BEFORE YOU GO: We believe that Merchanter is part of the solution for merchants looking for a competitive, operational edge. If you would like to see what the system can do for yourself, please register here for a 100% free 30 day trial of the online demo system.