Johannesburg, 15 Oct 2009
Nationwide new and used goods retailer Cash Crusaders has avoided the headaches of lost business information permanently by implementing Attix5 Backup Professional solution across its 135 stores nationwide.
The solution is provided by Attix5 reseller IronTree Solutions, which has successfully rolled out the solution to all branches of the store.
In addition to the data protection, IronTree added further value by providing data consolidation and reporting functionality that supports improved management of a national operation.
Like many franchise operators, Cash Crusaders was faced with the reality of data losses from its franchisors, owing to any one of a number of business risks. The company's managing director Sean Stegman explains that as a retail organisation, the protection of data is essential.
“We have to have effective backup systems in place. Every one of our 135 franchised stores has critical data, which provides for measurement; everything is measured by the numbers,” he says.
Uniquely, the organisation also maintains records, including 30-day buy-back contracts against customer goods. If this or other data is lost, it can be very disruptive. “We do maintain printed records as a failsafe, but tracking down information from papers is laborious and time-consuming.”
David Lees, director of IronTree Solutions, explains that data loss in the past has demonstrated the importance of having a reliable backup available. “These stores operate on lay-bys and trade-ins and are also required to keep records by law, of used goods which are bought and sold. If data is lost, it seriously disrupts business; one store spent three weeks recapturing data following a robbery.”
With a demonstration of the automated, secure nature of Attix5's Backup Professional, Lees says the head office was immediately convinced of the value of the solution, and has specified the solution as a mandatory operating requirement for new and existing franchises.
“They loved the idea that with Attix5, the backup happens automatically and routinely at a specified time of day,” says Lees.
Extending the value of the solution, he explains that IronTree also provided a data consolidation and reporting facility in terms of which all the daily backups from the stores are combined. “This gives head office the facility to access and analyse this data through a Web console. Reports can be drawn on a daily basis, which shows any one of a number of valuable metrics - such as which items sell more readily in certain areas, the impact of promotions being run and the performance of individual or even groups of stores. On top of data protection, this made the solution very compelling.”
Stegman explains that the ability to consolidate all backups in a single location provided a substantial benefit for Cash Crusaders.
“Each store has standalone point-of-sale systems, which act as 'islands', gathering data as day-to-day business takes place. Achieving consolidated data would have meant rewriting our POS system for a centralised backup; this would have meant extensive effort and cost.”
Historical data provides a point of reference against which head office can measure performance. “We also track performance of individual stores as 'Centres of Excellence'; the ability to collate all information, report on it and analyse those stores that are performing well, provides input to boost the performance of other locations,” he continues.
Previously, Stegman says, such reports could only be drawn at month-end - and only once all franchisors had submitted their reports. “By this time, the information has lost at least some of its value; for example, it's too late to see how well a promotion is running or take action to improve it.”
He adds that through the process of implementing the Attix5 solution, it was discovered that some reports from franchisors were incorrect, with items incorrectly marked. “This provided the opportunity for correcting the reporting process for improved accuracy.”
The benefits are not only felt by the organisation's head office, says Lees. “The store owner now has complete peace of mind that their data is protected. In addition, those franchisors operating more than one outlet can compare the performance of their stores in detail.”
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