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RMS

A Scheduling System for Retail Merchandising

The Intro

Retail Merchandising Services (RMS) work with some of the worlds’ biggest retail brands providing outsourced merchandising, display and POS installations, store conversions, store openings and closures and other support services as required. These services are delivered via highly-skilled teams who offer consultancy, advice and in-store services. RMS utilise the skills of more than 1000 merchandisers, available for round-the-clock deployment to retailers throughout the UK and Ireland.

There is a continual expectation from their retail customers that all projects are delivered on time, in accordance with budget and to a high level of customer satisfaction, placing a requirement on RMS to ensure that their internal business, staffing and deployment practices are as efficient and effective as possible, with the ability to measure performance and delivery of projects.

Their Needs

Having identified risks and inefficiencies in their existing business and technology infrastructure, RMS had a vision for a new scheduling solution with enhanced functionality and which would also be more robust, secure, reliable and scalable.

Areas identified for improvement and enhancement were as follows:-

1. Operational - To develop a scheduler that could deliver against job metrics and to manage staff performance, skills training and analyse behaviours.

2. Staff - The standard of service and information provided to staff needed improvement in terms of branding, communication, usability, functions and support.

3. Partners - To provide visability of RMS performance metrics, jobs project chart and ability to initiate job requests

4. Training - Interview, induction, training and performance records to be used to help retention of staff and also to improve return on investment in people.

Our Challenge

To develop a process flow for all projects from the moment it’s raised by client, through the staff scheduling, work in progress, sign-off, and invoicing
To ensure that each stakeholder in the process had the right access and permissions for each stage
To develop a highly scalable software solution that would not only meet the current business needs, but provide the foundation upon which future developments could be implemented
To reduce & mitigate risks identified in their legacy system
To offer an improved scheduling, communication and reporting solution for staff to receive and accept jobs

The Work

Research

Research into current practices helped understand the challenges within the existing business model; and to provide the insight needed to develop a new, efficient system.

The Work

UX

With multiple stakeholders involved it was important that user experience (UX) and customer experience (CX) was given prominent consideration through the design, to ensure we created a system that improved overall usability.

The Work

Engagement & Collaboration

To minimise digital disruption to the business, consistent engagement with all stakeholders was maintained throughout the process, conducting regular workshops, and taking an agile development strategy to ensure business needs were met throughout.

The Work

System Delivery

Through a combination of user-focused design and development the project delivered a new system with a user interface that’s seamless to use on desktop, mobile or tablet. Offering streamlined processes all operational users on both partner and staff side, the system met the key improvement metrics for a more efficient, accountable system.

The Outcome

Responsive interface has improved productivity thanks to ease of use on mobile and tablet

Behaviour and reliability is easily monitored to aid quality control and to reward more dependable staff with more work opportunities

Job forecasting improved significantly due to continuous project views

"We have been working in partnership with thinkBooker since 2016 to ensure we have a business fit for the 21st century. Modernising our legacy system and ensuring we have a sustainable, efficient and effective footing for future growth and development of the business has been the real focus. Our new system, which is continuously evolving, provides us with a more productive work flow and greater quality control that’s improved efficiency, enhanced the RMS brand, and reinforced positive relationships with our partners." Daniel O’Toole
Chief Executive Officer, Retail Merchandising Services Limited