With an increasing range of choices for where to sell their products emerging, how can merchants take full advantage of the diversifying routes to market on offer? Merchanting is changing. It’s been changing for a while, though the rate has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the environmentally conscious drive for climate change and of course, political upheaval worldwide. Some changes are positive, others present challenges, and few are clear-cut. One of the opportunities is the growing number of sales channels and choices available for merchants. With a host of marketplaces springing up and a variety of new, digital platforms joining the tool kit available to merchant sales teams across the UK and beyond, the wealth of choice on offer could be confusing. Firstly, let’s take a quick look at some of the routes to market currently available to merchants Traditional, in-branch sales “But that’s not new!” we hear you cry. Well, no, of course not, but there are plenty of new tools available to help merchants optimise in-branch sales. Better merchandising tools based on shopper behaviour analytics to boost sales in-branch Enhanced stock optimisation in ERP to better define stock profile and promotional activity based on data-driven insights In-branch digital kiosks and faster trade counter service to order missing materials or supplies on-site faster Digital marketing, like social media, search engine optimisation, online advertising, email, website communication, can have a huge impact on your branch footfall New digital tools like NearSt can help local tradespeople and shoppers identify which branches have particular products in stock, thereby using the reach, power and convenience of online to drive physical footfall Direct online selling In a nutshell – your website. Whether you offer click and collect or full eCommerce including delivery, direct online selling has been on a pretty steep upward trajectory for merchants for some time, and it’s not falling away any time soon. Digital transformation is well and truly here, and it’s here for the long term. As with in-branch selling, there are plenty of ways for merchants to enhance their online selling opportunity, from brilliant digital marketing to stellar CRM. At its absolute heart though is the need for excellent usability. If the information is good, easy to find and factually correct, the customer experience will be good – and that’s incredibly important. There’s a lot your chosen eCommerce platform can do to make sure your selling opportunities are optimised, but don’t forget that your back-office system (your ERP or trading / stock management system) needs to be able to integrate with it for optimum performance. There are also plenty of options to increase the range you offer without necessarily having to stock all the product yourself. Take a look at Virtualstock, for example, which can extend the “digital aisle” almost infinitely. Marketplace selling With generalist online marketplace retailers like Amazon and eBay representing an increasing share of construction supply sales over recent years, it’s clear that the marketplace model represents a big opportunity for merchants. But can smaller independents compete on these giant platforms? Earlier in 2022, B&Q announced it too was expanding its website to incorporate a marketplace model, open to third party merchants and suppliers to list their products. More specialist than its Amazon / eBay counterparts, this could be one to watch for merchants, though it will be interesting to see whether other more consumer-facing brands will join the party. Interestingly, there are also even more specialist options emerging. One to watch is It’s Plane & Simple [add link], which offers the DIY market access to merchant sellers, giving smaller, independent merchants a great opportunity to compete with their national rivals with their increased reach. Again, as with online selling, your back office system should be able to integrate with these platforms to offer a straightforward, no fuss way to get your products listed and merchandised. We've recently created integrations with eBay and WooCommerce for example, and are working on lots more to help our customers sell in the right ways for them. “Point of use” selling tools In the age of instant gratification we now live in, with almost every conceivable product available for delivery to where you are in record time, it was only a matter of time before the merchant sector climbed on board. While your website may be able to offer this service this to an extent, via mobile connectivity and click & collect services, customers now are looking for an even greater degree of convenience. If you’ve ever been frustrated at the three day wait while your electrician or plumber waits for a particular part to come in, then you might like the sound of this next entry: Snap-It. A relatively new arrival on the scene and one proving very popular with plumbing merchants and electrical suppliers, the Snap-It app offers an on-demand order and delivery system for tradespeople on the job. Think “Deliveroo” but for plumbing supplies and potentially any other materials or products stocked by merchants. Snap-It has a growing range of delivery options to accommodate stock from handheld to large-scale construction supplies, and a search function to locate exactly what the customer needs from nearby participating merchants. Currently flourishing in London, there are plans to expand to Birmingham and beyond – definitely one to watch! Whatever options you choose, keep the foundations rock-steady As merchants now have more options than ever when it comes to their routes to market, the back office software system is incredibly important. Think of your ERP system as an anchor or hub in the core of the business, holding everything together and keeping the right information in the right places. More and more information within every merchant business is digital, from your PIM to your accounting platform to your CRM to your sales channels, so it makes sense to ensure you’re using a back office system that can not only cope, but can actively facilitate these complex pathways. Any merchant trading system worth its salt should have a high degree of interoperability, giving you more options to link in with the best-in-class platforms you want to work with. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, it makes sense to be present and competing in more places, so choose a system that can ease your journey and flex to meet the changing needs of an increasingly digital market.

Why wait until spring to have a clear out? When it comes to bad habits in business, there’s no time like the present to clear those cobwebs away. Doing things because you've "always done it like that" is a massive red flag - and it's time to take a stand. So here are 5 things that you can kill right now to help productivity and efficiency flourish in your business. Drowning in paperwork There’s admin in every business and it can be a major culprit for time-wastage and human error. Use the technology tools at your disposal to audit and streamline your processes – automate everything that can be automated, get that extra training to get faster at analytics and reporting, and set alerts to flag the urgent stuff. Time to stop drowning in paperwork and get your head above the administrative water. Taking shots in the dark Making decisions without the right information is stressful and potentially damaging for your business. Make sure you’re using systems that let you access the info you need quickly and easily, and which keep the imperatives in your line of sight at all times. Track pricing accurately to see the real costs of replacement, monitor sales performance and optimise stock management simply and easily with fast, reliable access to information that’s up-to-the-minute accurate – and stop taking shots in the dark when it comes to decision making. The walking dead It’s time to identify and get rid of those customers and suppliers who are holding you back! Take a look at the analytics and find out which customers are actually costing you more than they’re worth, either because of missed payments or through complex, time-consuming interactions which cost your business time and money. Ditto with suppliers, processes, equipment and software that just isn’t fit for purpose. There's no room for zombies in your business so it's time to get tough! Burying your head in the sand It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the busyness of business, and ignore the glaring issues because you’re just too busy to focus. It’s absolutely vital to take a big step back and see the bigger picture – where do you want to go, and what’s holding you back? Tackle those issues head on and stop using being “too busy” as a reason to put off business-critical improvements and investments – it really is a false economy and will cost you more in the long term. Burning the candle at both ends Take care of yourself and your people and don’t risk burning out through overwork. It’s all too common these days, especially in the wake of the pandemic, for the lines between work and life to get blurred. Make sure you’re listening to your people and setting the right expectations and example – time off to rest and reset is not just a nice to have, it’s absolutely essential for ongoing health, both physical and mental, and will make your workforce MORE productive, not less. If you or your people are burning out, something needs to change, and fast. What’s on YOUR Halloween axe list? We’d love to know!

Maintaining seamless service over the summer is always a challenge for any business, and never more so than now. On top of the usual pressures of parenting, holidays and unexpected illness, we have the added pressures of self-isolation or quarantine periods too. While juggling staff leave requirements and unexpected absences will always be challenging, modern technology makes it a lot easier to handle without compromising on customer service. Here are 10 ways that your business software can help you to plug the gaps and prepare for the unexpected. 1) Customer notes and integrated history means uninterrupted service delivery and great communication Just because a particular account or sales manager is out of the office, it doesn’t mean the communication must stop. All quotes, notes and transaction history for each customer (and supplier, for that matter) are easily available at the click of a button, so it’s straightforward for anyone to jump and resolve a query. With information integrated across all parts of the business, it makes seamless service possible no matter who is out of the business when the query comes in. 2) Cloud systems enable remote accessibility so the show can go on While of course there are some jobs that cannot be done remotely, many can. The beauty of a cloud system is that you can log on from your smart device and manage your workload from wherever you are. Self-isolating doesn’t have to mean switching off completely, but you have the added bonus of knowing that when you really do want to step away, whether for health reasons or just for a well-earned break, you can do so with peace of mind, knowing all the information necessary is readily available for others. Modern technology offers fantastic communication and connectivity, so backing that up with easily accessible information can be the missing link. 3) Accurate, integrated, up-to-date information means better service and fewer errors When information is easy to upload across the entire business, from delivery driver to MD, its accuracy and reliability is much better. That means knowing up to the minute what stock you have where, what’s been delivered and what’s on its way, and the whole back story of how and when everything happened. Having all that information integrated across the business in real time and accessible 24/7 reduces the amount of time spent resolving queries, improves accuracy and promotes efficiency and great service, no matter who may be away at the time. 4) More efficient systems enable you to do more with less Having more efficient systems means less wasted time and resources, and means fewer people can cope with a greater volume of work without becoming overwhelmed. Being scalable is a great advantage of modern software and means that even when people are away, those left behind shouldn’t have to be overloaded to compensate. 5) Safeguards in the system reduce queries and time negotiating deals As you can include your own margin protection and credit controls, it’s really easy to empower your people to make decisions in your absence, safe in the knowledge the system will prevent any margin-damaging deals from going through. That means fewer occasions where needing to ask permission will slow the process down and makes your sales team confident in making deals faster but with a strong safety net in place. And of course all the stages of the transaction are recorded on the system so it’s easy to check up next time on what was agreed. 6) Automation provides continuity even when people are away There are two major advantages of automated processes. One is that they save a huge amount of time manually repeating tasks, and the other is that they provide continuity even when people might be away. So invoices and reminders can still go out as scheduled, even when the person who usually sends them is off. That not only gives confidence to your suppliers and customers that all is under control and helps maintain reputation, it also prevents big gaps in invoicing cycles and maintains cashflow. 7) Perpetual inventory model creates much less disruption It makes perfect sense: if your stock management model is an ongoing process whereby issues are flagged and checked day-to-day rather than once a month or quarter, chances are, it will be far less disruptive to that process if a key person is away from the business. The days of weekends spent checking what’s in the yard are on their way to being over and modern technology offers a lot of improvements to ensure continual improvement to stockholding, stock profile and replenishment. It therefore shouldn’t be such an issue if key stock management individuals have to be away – the show can continue and the impact should be minimal. 8) Alerts will flag issues to prevent disaster striking We all fear that something major is going to happen when we’re away. But when your system is already set up to flag credit issues, delivery delays, stock shortfalls or credit limit issues, there is less reliance on the people in the business to notice what might be about to go wrong. Of course, human insight and expertise is still vital, but it’s reassuring to know that many of the areas where things can go wrong have a safety net of tech to raise the alarm when something is on track to go wrong – even if the usual manager isn’t around. 9) When planning is more accurate, there is less reliance on responsive action We all know that taking time off work often involves working extra hours up front, and afterwards, to compensate. But if the tools you use are capable of pre-empting demand more accurately, and enable you to plan ahead more accurately, it lets you put the key steps into place before you go to minimise disruption and impact on other people. And of course, if an issue does arise when someone is away, either planned or unexpected, having the right information to hand to rectify it will always make the process simpler. 10) When your business is reliable day to day, there’s more confidence when people are off The simple fact is, if people are used to your business being able to continue as normal no matter who is off, confidence levels will be high when the unexpected happens. The last 18 months have taught us all many things, but knowing your business has the agility to continue operating even when things are uncertain or people are away is enormously comforting, both to business owners and employees, as well as customers and suppliers. How are you planning ahead for juggling staff absence this summer? And what can we do to help?

How can merchants make their websites work harder? More and more merchants are joining the digital transformation revolution and going online. As many of you will already know, having a website these days seems to be a business essential, and particularly for merchants with ambitious growth plans, having a robust digital strategy is becoming an imperative. But once you have your website, what next? The stats show that successful websites can increase footfall in-branch, drive loyalty, improve customer communication, reduce customer service calls and increase brand awareness. Well designed and supported eCommerce platforms can increase profitability, trade account volume and in-branch purchasing, reaching wider audiences and making repeat purchase more likely. So how do you get people to find your website in the first place? There’s loads of advice out there (for example, check out this article from Hubspot for a more in-depth look, if you’re interested). But as a quick introduction, here are 5 things you can do to make sure more people are finding your website. 1. Good quality content Your website is the shop window of your business, so good quality content is always needed for credibility and to make the best impression. However, great content is also one of the most important ways to drive traffic to your website in the first place. You might choose to produce helpful blog posts or videos to help customers achieve particular goals in their DIY or trade projects; to help them learn more about a new product range; to educate them about the sustainability credentials of particular materials or processes. Creating good quality, genuinely useful content can attract people to your website really effectively. For example, someone Googling “how do I repoint my patio” will not only be grateful for the trustworthy advice; if you also talk them through the products they’ll need, there’s a good chance they’ll buy them from you too. Good quality content also boosts SEO (search engine optimisation) to help you get found more easily by more people. It’s really worth the time and effort, and can help establish your brand as trustworthy, knowledgeable and reliable. Remember, these days video is really important too, so if you can incorporate great video content, so much the better (see also social media below!) 2. Use analytics Thanks to the way most websites are set up these days, it’s easy to monitor how people are interacting with your site. When it comes to optimising the customer experience on site that’s really helpful, but it’s also vital for working out how to get more people coming to your site in the first place. First up, you can see where people are coming to your site from, what day or time they’re visiting and what they’re looking at. This information can help you decide on where to advertise to get more traffic, where you might be able to form a third party partnership, or determine the type of content that is attracting the most traffic, so you can create more like that. Importantly, you can also find out the key words and phrases that people are using to find your (and your competitors’) website. That lets you design content to ensure you rank high on the organic search results (which is what SEO is all about). Search engine results rankings are unbelievably important – the higher Google ranks you for a given search, the more people will visit your site, so it’s really worth investing some time and effort to get to grips with it. When it comes to digital marketing, data is everything, so use the tools at your disposal to deeply understand how people are currently finding and using your site to help you determine your ongoing approach. You can easily see what’s working and what’s not, which will help you focus your efforts on the most effective activities and content. 3. Use social media Depending on your age and digital habits, you may be rolling your eyes either in horror at the idea, or because it’s so obvious. But whatever your thoughts on it, social media is an enormously powerful marketing tool when done right. It can let you communicate with your customers, build awareness, establish expertise and credibility, grow (and better understand) your customer base, conduct research, observe competitors and, yes, drive sales. Knowing where your target audience spends its time and interacting with them in a way that adds value in some way (think back to the helpful content we discussed earlier) is a much more successful approach ordinarily than simply plastering sales messages everywhere. But when you know the hot topics of your industry, social media can be a great place to connect. 4. Tell people! It may sound too obvious to bother mentioning, but literally telling people your website exists can really help! Make sure the web address is on your adverts or other marketing materials, let people in-store know that they can use the website to check product information, order a specific product or research different methods for use and so on. Once you’ve got people using your website it’s easy to keep in touch with them and get them to sign up to loyalty schemes, discount notifications or newsletters – but to get them there, they need to know about it 5. Help them spread the word Word of mouth recommendation is arguably the most powerful form of marketing in the world. When someone you know and trust recommends a particular brand, aren’t you more likely to give it a go? You can’t force people to spread the word but you CAN make it really easy for them to do so. For example, running a competition where you get more entries for every friend you recommend who then enters; creating easily sharable, useful content that people can pass along to contacts; introducing a loyalty or discount scheme for recommendations and so on. Include social media links to make content easier to share and to encourage customers to interact with you, and encourage customers to leave reviews – reviews are incredibly valuable so make them easy to leave! Remember, the most important thing you need to get good word of mouth is brilliant customer service – but even with the best service in the world, if you make it hard for people to spread the word, they just won’t. What are your top traffic tips? We’d love to know what’s worked for you!

Best in class performance doesn’t mean a monopoly on expertise – when it comes to tech, it’s better to share the love The belief that a merchant trading system has to incorporate all functions is something of a hangover from legacy systems. That’s because a few years back, it was incredibly difficult to link server-based systems to external software systems. Business just wasn’t done “in the cloud” back then, and the same opportunities that exist today simply didn’t then – yet the myth that full service integration offers optimum performance persists, often to the detriment of the users. The truth is, an accounts package needs to be good at one thing, and one thing only: accounts. It doesn’t need industry-specific functionality, so why use use your industry-specific ERP system to do it? If you’re already using Sage or Xero, then trust us – you’ve got a great accounts package already. They know accounts inside out, just like your ERP provider should know YOUR industry inside out, whether that’s timber, steel, plumbing supplies, building supplies and so on. Getting your ERP provider to write an accounts package is simply unnecessary. It’s far quicker, simpler and more cost-effective to just link your cloud ERP system with your online accounts package. The area you DO need industry-specific functionality is your ERP system, and an accounts package will not be able to offer you the specific features and operational advantages that a specialist merchant ERP system can. Technology has moved on We are all moving with the times, and today’s technology and best practice demands a more flexible approach. Your business deserves the best it can get. It deserves sector-specific expertise for every business function - and there is no need to compromise on quality. Anyone who has ever designed a website will know that in order to offer people the best choices, functions and experience, you need to integrate a variety of best-in-class features. You wouldn’t necessarily ask your web hosting platform to write a new analytics programme for you when you can simply plug-in Google Analytics; and many businesses opt to add a PayPal widget rather than invest heavily in their own payment gateway that doesn’t offer the same level of consumer trust and user take-up. Specialist apps, plugins and widgets are in common use – so why should it be any different with your ERP system? No-one has to have all the answers, all in one place. Modern technology celebrates expertise from so many different areas, gone are the days when we have to have all the glory for ourselves. A hangover from outdated legacy systems It’s easy to see why the natural inclination is to opt for a system which offers to do everything. But that just isn’t the way to get the best performance in today’s technological environment; and chances are, you’ll end up spending more money and time to get it done, and the end result won’t be any better than simply using existing solutions. Just like you’d use a specialist for certain functions rather than a “jack of all trades” approach, so it’s important to use the right tools for the job. And when that job is running a complex business, it stands to reason that seamlessly integrating separate specialist functions will give you better results than trying to reinvent the wheel for the sake of it. Times and technology are changing rapidly, and it’s hard to know exactly what’s right for you. Always ask whether you really need a particular function if it’s going to cost more and take longer to deliver – because often, the best solution is much closer to hand.

Have you ever trained for a marathon? If so, you’ll know that you don’t just wake up one day and run 26 miles. You do it step by step, run by run, building up in tiny increments until you’re able to go the distance. From learning a language to climbing a mountain to developing healthy eating habits, big things are usually only achieved in little, consistent steps. Making business decisions can be similar. Big changes and major overhauls of systems and longstanding processes can feel too time-consuming or overwhelming to be possible right now, but there is huge power in small changes. If it feels like the pressure is really piling up on all sides, sometimes it can really help to think small. Here are just a few examples where thinking small might be exactly the way to win big. Local vs national While it may be tempting to take on the world when it comes to new customers, focusing on your local market is often the best place to focus. Firstly, a local market is likely to be more loyal, more frequent in its purchasing and more likely to make other local recommendations. Secondly, your cost to serve will be lower, with more efficiencies for logistics and even marketing being available to you, and your environmental impact for longer-distance delivery will be reduced. Local business searches (e.g. builders merchant near me etc) have exploded in recent years, serving as a very measurable reminder that local really is big business. Small supplier vs market leader There will always be pros and cons, but depending on the size and scale of your business, choosing a smaller supplier may well be a better fit for your business. If yours is a small or medium sized business, you may find you can get more focus and prioritisation from smaller suppliers, and even if your business is bigger, you may find the personal touch more rewarding to work with. That’s not to say that bigger suppliers don’t have their advantages of course, but don’t discount the little guys just because they’re small – sometimes the extra effort and responsive, personal service can be a big benefit. Process efficiency over total business overhaul While saving a few seconds here or there may not feel like a big win, if the time saved relates to something that happens often in your business, it will add up to significant efficiency. If you could halve the time it takes to raise a PO or sales order, check stock levels, check a customer’s purchase history, spot a replenishment issue, plan a more efficient delivery route or track down stock in the yard – how much time would you save every week? Small process chances can save huge amounts of time, just like small improvements to stock control, credit and quote management and customer service can drive significantly better profit and productivity. Having the information you need, integrated across the business and up to the minute accurate, will make every process quicker and easier, leaving your staff more productive and your customers happier. If you’re not sure where you could save time or make efficiency improvements in your business, why not book a Business Process Review and get that external viewpoint to help focus your efforts? Your software can help you It should come as no surprise to know that your ERP software (or order and stock management software) can help you when it comes to driving efficiency improvements across your business. Whether you want to make improvements to your quote management, stock control system, stocktaking processes, transport planning, logistics, invoicing or document automation, or any other area of your merchant operations, we are here to help. We’ve spent 40 years helping merchants by building effective software tools to drive operational efficiency – and we’d love to help you too. Try Merchanter Free

So you’ve chosen the trading and stock management (ERP) system you want, negotiated the best deal and signed on the dotted line. What’s next? Implementation is an incredibly important – and often complex – part of the journey. It’s where the foundations are laid for future success, where your workforce gets up to speed with how to use the system to best effect, and where you get everything ready to go live. First up, it’s important to remember that an industry-specific ERP system is not an off-the-virtual-shelf app. It’s a complex and powerful system that requires time and effort to put together properly. However “simple” a system may be to use, there are always necessary complexities when it comes to implementation, and that’s often where the added value and purpose of an industry-specific system becomes apparent: it’s customised and built according to your unique business needs, rather than being a plug and play solution. It takes time. It’s a lot quicker these days than the legacy systems, but don’t be mistaken: it’s not a 24 hour job. There are usually five key steps for a full system implementation. Over the coming weeks we’ll dive into these in more depth but for now, here’s a quick overview of the main steps you’ll be taken through by your software software supplier. The five steps of implementation: You’ll already have a good idea of the system capabilities from the sales process, so you’ll be familiar with the system already, to a point. But the implementation process is where the nuts and bolts get fitted together exactly as you need them. 1. The Scoping Phase Taking the format of a meeting or series of meetings, this phase is an in-depth establishing of your specific system requirement. Of course, some of this will have been covered in the quote stage when ironing out the user levels you need, but this is where the detail comes in. The more you are able to tell us about your day to day needs, the gaps in your current processes and your aspirations for the future, the more closely we’ll be able to tweak the system to give you exactly what you want. Who’s involved? You’ll work with a project manager, a data and systems expert and our in-house trainer to scope out the exact scale, detail and timings of your implementation project. This is a two way thing so the more info you provide, the better our solution will be. We’ll always try to work to your timings where possible but some elements take longer than others. 2. The Data Phase This is the biggie, and where most time is usually spent. This is where you customer, supplier and product information is migrated into the new system. We offer as much help and support in this process as we can but it does require time and effort from the customer side as well. Thanks to the incredible agility of modern technology we’re able to pull data from any number of systems and sources (PIMs, CRMs, databases and so on) but there are often lots of gaps to be filled and that takes time. While much of the data can come from standardised sources like PIMs, there’s stil work to do to cleanse and prep the data ready for entry into the ERP. To put that into context, a comprehensive, industry-specific ERP system has roughly twice as many product information fields as a standard PIM. If your business is primarily unit products with standard descriptions and bar codes, it’s usually a simpler process; more complex data input is required for measured products like timber. This is usually the most time consuming and complex phase. Who’s involved? The customer has a big role to play here, working with the project and tech teams to assess, prepare and migrate data well. 3. The Configuration Phase This is where we do the behind-the-scenes tinkering to get the system ready for use, building in the features established in the scoping phase. Depending on the scale and complexity of your business, this can be a fairly protracted process, but if the data phase has been successfully completed and the details have been accurately established up front, it’s usually fairly straightforward. We often find that once a customer has a system in use, they realise they would benefit from additional features or tweaks. Thanks again to modern technology, this is much simpler than it used to be and doesn’t usually derail a whole project, as the foundation system is usually able to continue working even while we adapt or amend the finishing touches. We understand that it’s almost impossible to pre-empt every possible scenario or need, so we are always as accommodating as possible. It’s worth noting though, that if complex requirements are added at this stage it can significantly affect timings, and sometimes costs. Who’s involved? This is mostly a job for our developers, analysts, QA testers and project teams, though there will be consultation throughout with the customer so you always know where you’re at. 4. The Training Phase While we know Merchanter is one of the most refreshingly simple systems available in the market to operate, we still provide comprehensive training for your workforce. We won’t leave a customer to work it all out for themselves, however intuitive we believe the system to be. In this phase our in-house trainers work with your system users to ensure they’re comfortable with the basic system functions, and start to explore the more advanced features. In our experience there’s a lot to take in up front, so staggered training is really useful, allowing people to get up to speed with the basics before digging into the more complex features. Additional training is always available further down the line and we are always adding to our online library of self-help resources to empower customers and let them see the system in action at their own pace. We also have a very experienced team of helpdesk staff ready and willing to help at every step, so there’s never a stage where you’re on your own. Who’s involved? Your staff and our trainers. The Prime Admin User will be key in this phase to help support the team after go live, but don’t worry, we’re still on hand to offer help, guidance and support as well. 5. The Go Live Phase Everything’s in place and you’re ready to go live. It’s an exciting moment for any merchant, but we know it can be stressful too. This is a big change, no matter what system you’re used to, and as with any change, it will take some time to iron out all the little kinks. The great thing about cloud software is that we can help remotely, and are always available to help with incidental queries. We are with you through the whole process and beyond, so you should always feel supported and safe. As mentioned above, modern systems allow further tinkering and refining even once live, so it’s a good idea to get used to the concept of “progress over perfection”, meaning that the system is often usable and functioning for the basics before it has all the bells and whistles added on. After go live you’re still supported by the team, with the expert helpdesk at your disposal as well as all our online self-service resources. We can also supply additional training and our doors are always open for feedback and new feature development ideas. So how long does it really take? Well, that depends. For very simple, single-branch businesses with predominantly unit products and great data, it can literally be a matter of a few days. This often extends to several weeks or months for larger, more complex businesses. It’s one of the reasons it’s such a big decision for merchants to take on, but it’s such an important investment in the foundations and infrastructure of your business, it's absolutely worth it. Any questions? If you’d like to talk it through or try the system for yourself, please get in touch. We offer a 30 day, no pressure free trial using our online demo system, so you can see for yourself how straightforward the system is to use. Alternatively, if you’d like to see the broader scope and capabilities, we’d be happy to offer a guided demo to show you what it can really do.

As a busy merchant business, you’ll know all too well how little time-savings can add up to big wins. We’ve been asking our customers where the pinch points are across the business, and trying to develop ways to help, both little and big. One thing that came out was that it can get a bit chaotic at the trade counter. With multiple staff serving multiple customers, processing orders, collections, rebates or simply providing information, things can get complicated. It’s time consuming to log off and log on between different users, but it’s important to know who’s who on the system. So how do you keep track of who’s said what, what got agreed, and ensure nothing slips through the cracks – without a laborious account switchover ever time? Introducing the easy multi-user trade counter Instead of having to log off and log on separately, multiple staff members can use the same trade counter system, each identified by a unique 4 digit PIN that is input for each transaction. Users are prompted at the point of use to input their PIN so there’s no need to remember to switch between staff. The same set of devices can therefore be used for multiple staff concurrently. That means that several staff members can use the same system easily across devices and quickly, saving customers valuable time on their transactions, without losing any of the granular, behind-the-scenes tracking information that businesses need for record keeping. Keeping up to date The trade counter information is integrated seamlessly with the system, with the PIN meaning that each staff member’s records are kept accurate across the system, so no-one misses out on credit for sales completed and everything is accountable. It also means stock figures stay up to date and information across the business is totally accurate. Where notes or comments need to be inputted, they’re also updated so people in other parts of the business can see at a glance what has happened or what action is required, making for a smoother communication process. The right tools, where you need them They say that if you look after the pennies, the pounds look after themselves, and the same is very true of time keeping. If your staff can shave seconds off the time needed for every transaction, thanks to quick user switching, simpler navigation or more easily available information, those little bits of time add up significantly, meaning the business becomes more efficient and productive, and customers receive better service. It might not be ground-breaking, but it is helpful on a day-to-day basis, and as the song goes – little things mean a lot. It's all about having the right tools for the job, at the time and place you need them. And that's what we always aim to provide for our customers, just as they do for theirs.

If you operate a merchant business and have bold ambitions for growth, it may be tempting to want to bring in as many new customers as possible. But it’s important to understand which customers are good, and which could be costing you more than they’re worth. In current conditions, finding customers isn’t the issue, as demand is outstripping supply. But which are the right customers? When thinking about customers, it’s easy to think about their value to your business in terms of the orders they place. Simple, right? But how much time is spent processing those orders? How often do they buy from you? And when are they paying their bills? In current conditions, finding customers isn’t the issue, as demand is outstripping supply. But which are the right customers? The administrative infrastructure of supporting customers is a costly business, so it pays to know which customers are worth hanging onto, and which you might be better off waving goodbye to. Here are a few things to look out for. Late payments A fairly obvious point perhaps, but if a customer is consistently late in paying, or misses payments altogether, are they worth holding onto? How much time is being spent chasing payments? If you are in effect subsidising them, then make sure the value of their custom outweighs the cost of serving them in the first place. Time vs value There’s always one, isn’t there? That customer who wants things done slightly differently, who can’t order from the list, who changes things last minute or complicates the delivery schedule every time. Watch out for these, because the time it takes your staff to serve them and fulfil those orders could be disproportionate to the value of the orders. Of course, there will be customers whose business is absolutely worth the trouble of customised service and last minute changes, but if they aren’t ordering much, or often, then is it worth your while meeting every expectation? Service levels Most merchant businesses rely on their reputation for repeat business and recommendations. So if you’re taking on more customers than you can reliably and excellently service, you might be better off turning some away. Compromising your service levels and letting regular customers down to meet the needs of new ones may not be in your longer-term best interests, so weigh up carefully the capacity you have, both in terms of staff and stock, to meet (and ideally surpass) expectation. Frequency and value High value, high frequency customers are naturally the ideal, but they’re not all going to fall into that sector. It’s worth evaluating how many customers fall into the low value, low frequency box, and then start looking at how much time those orders are taking. The problem with high frequency, low value orders is that they take up time but don’t add a lot of value – so it pays to know where your customers sit. Once you understand the make-up of your customer base, you can actively target, reward or incentivise other customers to move into that section of the grid – how can you encourage customers to order more at once, rather than placing several small orders? Or how could your logistics system make delivery more efficient to meet the needs of those high frequency, low value orders? Flash in the pan or long term loyalty? While a huge influx of new customers might be exciting, it’s worth remembering those loyal customers who have stuck with you for years. When the chips are down, having their loyalty rewarded with prioritised availability and service could be invaluable in the long term. You don’t know how long a new customer might be with you for – perhaps it’s an opportunistic purchase in a time of limited supply and unstable prices. But being a reliable supplier to your most loyal customers remains vital for your reputation and for positive word of mouth. Remember, if you’re losing an old customer for every new one you gain – who really benefits, and what is the cost in the long term? Knowledge is power At the root of all these things is information. Understanding exactly what’s happening in your business and how to take an active role in moving it from one place to another is vital. Use the software analytics within your ERP system to properly understand your customers’ buying habits, logistics needs and payment habits, so you can always make the best decisions based on the right information. Do you know who your ideal customer is? Are they trade or domestic? Their preferred buying habits, order size and frequency? It really helps to define your target market so you can tailor your marketing to attract the right people and focus on the right accounts. Then it’s up to you to drive efficiencies to meet customer expectation – using a better stock system to serve more customers more quickly, enhancing logistics for greater efficiency and cost savings, monitoring pricing to remain profitable through fluctuating cost prices and so on. But if you don’t have the information in the first place, that’s all very hard to do well – so as they say, knowledge is power, and knowing how to use that knowledge is absolutely priceless.

Being the number one choice of supplier for your customers is every merchant’s dream. So how can you make it come true? The basic rule of thumb is pretty straightforward: have what they want, when and where they want it. You want to make buying from you easier, more convenient and more enjoyable than buying from your competitors, reliably and repeatedly. And making that a reality can be complicated. Let’s take a look. WHAT Stock profile : the right breadth and depth of products, in stock at the right time. Getting this right requires analysis of purchasing trends, knowing and anticipating your customers’ (and their customers’) needs, and ensuring best-in-class stock management to keep your stockholding relevant and appealing. Product information : customers want expert product information they can trust, whether that’s the sustainability credentials, the compatibility with other products or the actual deployment and usage of the product. The knowledge and expertise of your staff is a huge factor here, but so is ensuring easy access to information both in-branch and online. Service : Don’t underestimate the importance of great service. Friendly, expert service is a vital ingredient in becoming a preferred supplier, so your staff need to buy in to the service proposition. Every last member of your team needs to ensure that every interaction customers have with you is positive – even if it’s about something negative like an out of stock item or a delivery delay. Great communication is key. Value: Critically, this doesn’t necessarily just mean price. Customers want to get good value – convenience, simplicity, choice, availability, service, all of it, rolled into one. And if they get all that, they’ll usually be happy to pay for the privilege. Offering the best value doesn’t always mean the cheapest prices. It’s a whole package of convenience and reliability rolled up in one big parcel of service excellence – and that’s what your customers want. Difference: Whatever your difference is, celebrate it. Whether you have an awesome loyalty programme, better accessibilty, better sustainability, more local community involvement, employment opportunities, charity involvement, diversity and inclusion excellence - whatever it is, let it shine. Because that could be what sets you apart, and what keeps your brand alive in their minds. WHEN Availability: Construction companies and tradespeople are often incredibly busy and timing is everything. If your availability regularly beats that of your competitors, you’re onto a winner. Having a deep understanding of your stockholding, being able to predict, and therefore pre-empt, stock shortages and having the analysis available to spot the trends and troughs before they happen to get ahead will all help to put you at the front of the queue for their business. Crucially, the accuracy of your information needs to be unparalleled – no-one wants to be promised something that turns out to be out of stock, so using real-time, integrated information you can trust is an absolute must. 24/7 information: Lots of merchants open early in the morning to accommodate trade requirements, and offering services when they’re needed is vital. But it’s also important that they can access product information, availability and delivery options at whatever time it suits them too, and usually that’s going to require an up to date, well integrated website. When your customers are flat our busy all day, they might not have time to research the best product for the job, or a more eco-friendly alternative, so ensuring your website is packed with useful product information and collection or delivery options is really important for convenience. Responsiveness : If you’re able to turn around a click and collect order super-fast, you’re going to win a lot of friends. Everyone is busy, so knowing you can be relied upon for quick and responsive service when your customers need it most is critical. WHERE Accessibility: Your customers want to be able to access stock information easily. That might mean in-branch, of course, but increasingly it means online. Recent research has shown a huge uptake in online services – busy tradespeople have seen the convenience of online sourcing in action and they’re not going to go back to traditional methods which are more time-consuming. That means you need to be where they’re looking – and that’s online. It doesn’t mean they won’t still shop in-branch (in fact, the knock-on effect of a good website and webshop has been proven to drive in-branch purchasing directly) but if you can’t compete digitally, you’re not likely to stay in the race long-term. Layout : If they can’t find it, they can’t buy it. It really is that simple, and particularly when it comes to online behaviours, customers are incredibly impatience. You need to ensure that customers can easily find what they’re looking for, whether in-branch or online, as quickly and easily as possible, or they will simply go elsewhere. Delivery / collection : The most obvious element of “where” is having stock where they need it at the right time, and that relies on excellent operational infrastructure. Staying on top of your stock in real time across your whole business is imperative, as is being able to offer convenient collection or delivery slots. If you can make sure the products they need are where they need to be at the right time, every time, you’re going to get their business next time too. Local : Don’t ever forget the power of local. People like to support local businesses, and word of mouth travels fast in communities. Whether you choose to target your marketing on local online search, give back to your local community by supporting charities or sponsoring a grassroots sports team, or print your offers on sandwich bags at the local food outlets, that’s up to you. But “love where you live” is a powerful driver for loyalty, so don’t underestimate it. HOW? The fourth part of the equation is arguably the most important – how? Obviously we consider your ERP system to be a crucial part of delivering all of the above. But there are so many other factors too – your supply chain, relationships, workforce engagement, communication framework, marketing, budgets, local networks and opportunities… the list goes on. Ultimately, to be the number one supplier for your customers, you need to be able to offer what they want, when and where they want it. Do that reliably, based on the right systems and processes, and you’re onto a winner. To slightly misquote a rather wonderful film from 1989 – “If you stock it, they will come.” If you’d like to try our easy-to-use, digital ERP system for yourself, just register here for login details. It’s free, it’s easy and it could be just what you’ve been looking for.

What goes up must come down – right? So how do you set up your business to be able to cope when demand is high, without risking huge financial investment when it all slows down? The trick is to develop processes and systems which allow your resources to stretch when needed, without overextending financial risk, so your capability can expand and contract according to demand, without needing to constantly readjust the underlying staffing levels. You want your business to have the elasticity to flex – and relax – without too much impact. So how do you do that, then? Scalability You’ll hear the term “scaling up” a lot these days. It’s often applied to the startup business model, which begins with one or two people working manually on a small scale before hitting that period of expansion where things need to get better fast to cope with demand. So far, so “nothing new”. This, surely, is the basis of every business model in history, give or take. But what differentiates the truly scalable model is that it happens in a highly efficient and agile way: it puts into place systems which enable rapid expansion of capability without necessarily needing expansion of resources to let it happen. In effect, it’s about doing more with less. Can you give me an example? Think about how travel companies used to work. You’d go into a high street branch and take a seat, flicking through a few catalogues while you wait. Soon enough, an advisor invites you over and you have a chat about the kind of holiday you’d like, where you’d like to go, how long for, who’s going, etc. You might look through more brochures or look at some websites to see what’s on offer. You narrow down your options, start getting some prices, and then you go away to think it through. You make your choice, you get it booked, you pay. All done. Now think about how many travel companies operate today. You go to a website, plug in your dates and details and your options are given to you, with pricing and all the extras on offer. You click, you book, you’re done. In the time it took one advisor to take a brief from one family, 200 families could have booked their holidays. Of course, it’s not always the same experience or level of service but the end result is often the same. And – critically – not everyone wants the in-depth experience these days. Some do, of course, but the majority want a different way. Customers are changing, and systems of serving them must adapt to keep pace. Changing expectations In merchanting, you don’t want to drop the whole customer experience part of course. But it is worth considering what customers actually want these days. Recent research and reports suggest that the rise of online trading, accelerated by Covid, has changed customer expectations irrevocably – tradespeople don’t want to return to a world of manual selection and in-branch browsing every time. They like the ease and convenience of online information, pricing, browsing and booking, and they aren’t always looking for the personal touch. That doesn’t mean that service isn’t just as important as it always was. It’s just that the definition of service is shifting. Convenience and time-saving have become as important, if not more so, than price and personal focus. Do more with less Back to the point in hand. If you’re using a website to attract more customers, and demand is through the roof, how do you make sure you can meet that demand without leaving your business riskily over-exposed financially when the boom fades away? Better information One of the key factors is better information. Fully integrated, real-time information across the business, so you can see instantly what’s where, and what needs to go where, when. When you can trust the information your system is telling you, when red flags are waved fast, and when you know where to focus your attention, you can be more productive and ensure better availability and service. But of course, better information only goes so far by itself. And to leverage the value of it, you need…. Better accessibility Better information is no good if you can’t access it, so great accessibility is also critical. Being able to see the information from anywhere at any time is a major step change. No longer do you need to be at your desk, or calling the office to check whether a particular delivery turned up on time. Better accessibility means better visibility, and that leads to… Better communication Effective communication is essential in any business, and when things are busy, you need to know that everything is where it should be, and that issues are being dealt with fast. When your information is easily accessible, up to date and accurate, it enables better communication within the business, but also with suppliers and customers. Taking the appropriate action when anything (good or bad) happens in the business relies on great communication, which in turn enables…. Better responsiveness Everyone makes mistakes. We’re all human, and things go wrong from time to time. But being able to act fast to rectify errors is an essential part of successful business. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken, so having systems in place which alert you to the issues and give you a heads up in good time means you have a fighting chance of fixing it before it gets out of control. No-one has the headcount in a business to be able to constantly monitor every potential issue or pre-empt everything that could possibly go wrong. And that’s why you need…. Better focus One of the core principles of an agile, scalable business model is that you are able to focus on the areas of the business where focus is most needed at any given time, rather than trying to do everything at once. Using an intelligent ERP system which flags the issues, pre-empts the gaps and alerts you to the things which really need urgent attention is a huge part of making your business scalable. Better focus helps you manage stock more efficiently, ensure smoother logistics planning and ultimately, provide better service – without needing twice the number of staff to deliver it. Better business Better business is essentially about being able to deliver the best possible service with the least possible resource. If every member of your workforce is equipped with tools to help them accomplish every task more quickly, and more accurately, then it stands to reason that the compound effect is pretty significant. Productivity goes up, efficiencies increase, waste reduces, profits go up. When customers get great service, they are quick to spread the word – which often brings in more business. Efficient, effective systems are the lifeblood of good business. And your ERP system can help it flow better. Better ERP If you want to scale up, without extending risk, your ERP system is a great place to start. Investing in a cloud ERP system like Merchanter facilitates every one of the steps outlined above, laying the foundations for effective eCommerce and helping every member of your team work more productively with less effort, freeing up the time and resource to focus where focus is needed, and deliver better service for your customers. Try it yourself If you’d like to take Merchanter out for a spin, just register here for login details and you’ll get 30 days of cost-free, pressure-free online demo time.

We’ve all been there. The eye-rolling, teeth gritting response to the inevitable “Can you just…” questions that, to the person asking, seem quick and easy, while to the person being asked, open a whole world of pain. “Can you just move that light a few inches higher?” “Can you just change that graphic ever so slightly?” “Can you just link our system up with that website?” “Can you just get it so we can design our own document templates?” “Can you just link us up to a webshop?” When it comes to software, “can you just” often involves months of hard work and serious amounts of money, not to mention the time to train people in using the new feature or ironing out all the bugs in the functionality. To the client, it’s expensive and frustrating, because it seemed like such a straightforward request. But software is a complex beast, and there’s a lot going on in the background that makes even small changes quite complicated – especially when you’re using older systems. Fortunately, modern system architecture means that “can you just” is often a lot more feasible than it used to be. It may not make absolutely everything easy, but it’s a far cry from the systems of old (and by old, we mean just a few short years ago.) Now, we’re not here to bore you with all the technical details of system architecture (though we have included some helpful links at the bottom of this blog if you’re interested in learning more) What we want to talk about is the wealth of opportunities that modern systems offer for businesses like yours. Integration is the modern way Modern system architecture usually supports a higher degree of interoperability – i.e. it’s easier to integrate a core system with external extras to get the end result and specific functionality you need. Rather than a system having to provide every possible business function, it enables you to have a core system that does what it does best excellently, and enables you to seamlessly link with best-in-class solutions for other specialist areas, like accounting, for example. When you’re using industry-specific software like the Merchanter ERP system, you’re dealing with some fairly complex architecture and functionality, which is necessary for the level of customisation and product granularity that merchants need. It is therefore not always as straightforward as you might think to integrate third party apps, plug-ins or platforms, and can sometimes take a while to find the right solution. But the principles of modern system architecture mean that it often is possible to get there, and the advantages of switching to a modern cloud-based system with that level of flex vastly outweigh the disadvantages. In the same way that online shopping is considered to provide shoppers with an “endless aisle” of options, so modern software systems architecture can offer users the ultimate flexibility and choice – the ability to pick and choose the best solutions for their particular needs, rather than trying to shoe-horn everything into one (often clunky) package. Opting for a “lite” approach instead, modern cloud systems enable users to select best in class plug-ins and apps from sector specialists to best meet their unique needs. What is “system architecture”? In a nutshell, software system architecture is the network of processes that makes it all work. Exactly it sounds, the architecture is the way it’s built and laid out, and can also incorporate the strategy applied to selecting systems and software solutions within a business. And it’s fair to say that modern system architecture has come a long way since the dawn of the internet. See the links at the bottom for more info on the technical side. So what’s the result and why is this relevant? You know the expression “there’s an app for that?” Well, that concept sums up modern system architecture quite neatly. Driven by consumer expectation as much as technological capability, modern system architecture also tends to be pretty easy to use, designed to be intuitive use. You’ve probably noticed how even very young children can pick up a tablet computer and start using it with almost no instruction, adding apps and playing games with ease, despite the incredibly complex technology that allows it to work. That’s the end result of modern system architecture, and it’s an important part of your customer – and workforce – experience. You have your core system – in our case, Merchanter, our digital ERP system for merchants. The system is designed to perform an extensive range of core functions, but, crucially, it is designed to integrate easily with other systems as well, so you have the ultimate flexibility to add the things you need, and choose exactly the right solution for your individual business. Traditionally, you would either have an ERP system which would perform all your business functions in one vast, highly complex package, or you would use several different solutions for each different business function. In the case of the former, that involves enormous amounts of implementation and design time up front to customise every element to your specific situation, and you are totally at the mercy of your ERP provider for every business function to work. In the case of the latter, each system may be very good but they don’t talk to each other, so you end up with issues around duplication of effort, missed information linkage and commonly, human error. In modern systems architecture the communication framework between different systems is vastly superior, meaning you can have rapidly transferred, instantly integrated information across the entire business which is always up to date and accurate. Advantages - Agile and flexible - Reliable, accessible and easily available - Advanced interoperability (i.e. easy to integrate with external solutions) - Greater capability to deal with vast amounts of data - Always evolving - More options to expand, i.e. more scalable - Easier to use and intuitively designed - Constantly updated so you’re always on the latest system - Allows specialist and best-in-class plug-ins and options fast, easily and inexpensively - Only pay for what you actually need - Training as you go, not all up front - Easy to switch to different options if you’re not getting on with a particular element - Safe and secure - You don’t have to move away from existing systems (e.g. Sage or Xero) when you switch ERP systems] Disadvantages In the interests of fairness, we should probably mention the disadvantages too – but really, there aren’t many! - If you have an issue with a third party plug-in or app, your primary software provider may not be able to solve the issue for you so it could involve more work to track down a solution - Occasionally some third-party apps or integrations simply aren’t compatible with the system you have, so if you have your heart set on using one and it doesn’t work, you might have to compromise on an alternative – or wait a while for your provider to design an integration method (which could incur additional costs) - The best integrations rely on good quality, consistent data, and that can be an issue in merchanting as there are few standard systems for product information and terminology. This is improving with initiatives like ETIM however, so the outlook is promising. Cloud-based business systems are, quite simply, the future. The ability to add a webshop or diversify your customer offering in other ways is almost secondary to the other advantages it offers in terms of process auditing and streamlining, and the efficiencies of AI and machine learning. It may all seem complex and if we’re honest, you don’t necessarily need to know all the background – but digital systems that offer greater flexibility, usability, accessibility, interoperability, efficiency and ultimately, profitability, are clearly an advantage for any business looking to meet customer expectations and achieve strong commercial success. So while “can you just…” may still involve a fair bit of time and effort, modern system architecture enables far more possibilities, and brings new options into reach, rather than remaining way beyond the horizon. If you’d like to see Merchanter in action for yourself, free of charge and with no annoying sales people looming over your virtual shoulder, just register here for login details and we’ll set you up for an online test drive. Want to know more? Check out these articles: https://hackernoon.com/the-eleven-defining-characteristics-of-modern-software-architecture-o8113ehc https://www.infoworld.com/article/3257105/7-essential-technologies-for-a-modern-data-architecture.html https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/tech-trends/2020/systems-architecture-design-awakens.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_architecture