TJ Hughes buys into email to slash admin costs

Discount department store chain TJ Hughes has managed to save more than £10,000 in administration costs by using an email alerts system to communicate tasks to store managers.

The system, supplied by Vodat International, replaces a process of updating store managers with sales and merchandising information with a twice-weekly pack delivered by fax and post.

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The technology provides managers at the retailer's 49 stores around the country with a central digital repository where they can pick up information about fast-selling ranges or merchandising changes on a daily basis. The network is run on a private broadband data network managed by Vodat.

Additionally, messages can be directed by head office managers to particular stores to do specific tasks. These messages are fired directly into the store manager's diary and require them to acknowledge receipt of the message and allow them to automatically notify head office when the job is done. This gives head office a much better view of when store-wide strategy changes are being performed and spotlights laggards.

TJ Hughes central operations manger Colin Rockliffe told silicon.com: "For instance, the good weather we have had over the last few days has meant some products have had a spike in sales. We can learn how certain stores have achieved that lift and send a message out to the others to replicate that merchandising."

Rockliffe explained stores can receive that message and react to it in 20 minutes, rather than the few days it took to send out a communication previously.

The system was rolled out last May and TJ Hughes is currently looking at version two, which will allow store managers to respond with feedback along the same system. At the moment, they are restricted to putting a telephone call through to head office, keeping them away from the shop floor.