Real-time Store Management with JDA

Real-time Store Management with JDA

We discussed earlier that JDA WinDSS, although considered a top-notch point of sale system, allows corporate management access to store data in a non real-time manner. We also discussed that it is possible to get real-time access by using programming tools (eg, WinDev, ODBC) to obtain transactional data contained on the store registers (Win/DSS as well as data in JDA MMS) at any time of day, without having to wait for the polling to be done.

Now, let’s do a brief overview of the different ways to use these programming tools with WinDSS and the benefits they provide. The software you will be able to develop with such tools will enable access (read and/or write) to your data, in real time, allowing you to:

• Do close performance monitoring by getting sales readings at store or item level at any given time and from virtually any platform: PC, web or a smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile);
• Avoid or limit costly pricing errors and improve customer confidence and satisfaction by performing quick checks and make the necessary corrections, if required. You can remotely validate that store prices are correct once the data transfer and update process is complete. This may be scheduled and automated or performed on an ad hoc basis following a manager’s request;
• Improve efficiency at point of sale and service counter by facilitating status verification of customer orders (SODA) and / or layaways (when these functionalities are incorporated into Win/DSS). In order to better serve customers, various information must be made available through JDA’s management system, such as:
  • Customer details (required for accurate delivery);
  • Items ordered (avoid waiting after an order that is not present in the system);
  • Information on customer deposits.
• Reduce multi-site management. For example;
  • By allowing sales associates to be transferred from one store to another just by completing a single form of employment that gets propagated to all sites;
  • By allowing you to change a retail price in all stores, due to a data entry error in MMS;
  • By allowing you to reproduce or propagate a specific configuration to some or all stores.
• Improve store efficiency and customer satisfaction by facilitating the verification of stock availability. Consequently:
  • This will help avoid redirecting a client to another store only to discover that store is also out of stock on that particular item;
  • This will help avoid making one or multiple (unproductive) calls to other stores in order to perform an inventory check on high turnover products;
  • Your procurement experts will make better decisions with regards to allocations and store transfers in light of strong demand.

The ability to make massive changes to many stores or to perform readings / stock verifications in order to identify stores that have not been properly updated becomes increasingly important as the store count increases.