When Furniture News invited us to participate in a Q&A session for their Retail Technology edition in September, our very own Duncan Fergusson readily accepted.

We were delighted to share our thoughts on the most recent trends and advances in retail technology. During the workshop, we covered a wide range of subjects, including the use of AI and machine learning in retail operations, the advantages of cloud-based solutions, and the value of data analytics in understanding customer behaviour. Our goal was to provide useful information to assist merchants stay competitive in a fast changing sector.

We believe that publishing this key material on our website would be a good move so that those who visit this site might benefit from the knowledge and expertise we shared.

Q – Can you tell me briefly what your product does?

A- Simply put, Sci-Net’s ERP>Retail makes running a furniture business much easier. It has been built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the world’s most popular ERP system, and we developed ERP>Retail exclusively for the furniture business.

Q – Could you please provide the names of any furniture retail clients you’ve recently signed?

A – We are onboarding Housing Units and Arighi Bianchi, and we have recently acquired another significant national furniture shop as well as the new Carpetright business. We setup our ERP>Retail flooring solution with Carpetright, enabling them to provide proposals, accept orders, receive payments, and place supplier orders with one week’s notice.

Q- What does Sci-Net have to offer retailers who are struggling to understand the costs and implications of modernising their information technology systems?

A-Sci-Net provides our clients with a detailed step-by-step strategy with timelines to help simplify and comprehend the process of upgrading their systems.

We specialise in furniture retail and have designed our ERP>Retail specifically for furniture retailers, so we are quite familiar with their operations and needs. Most furniture retailers can benefit from substantial capabilities that they may not now have access to. This allows them to weigh the costs and benefits of an investment like this.

After spending time with the store, we provide a quote for the work and expense of implementing the system in their business. We also thoroughly describe the implementation’s methods and steps.

Q- Do you picture ERP>>>Rapid as a standalone solution, a bridge to ERP>Retail, or something else?

A- ERP>>>Rapid is a best-of-breed templated setup and deployment of ERP>Retail that will work for most small to medium-sized furniture stores.

The product is exactly the same: ERP>Retail, but ERP>>>Rapid enables smaller stores to benefit from ERP>Retail without incurring the higher implementation investments that larger businesses could afford.

The setup can still be customised and adjusted for each customer, but supplying the great majority out of the box saves time and money while still providing significant benefits to the furniture business through ERP>Retail.

Q- How do you envision the relationship between in-store salespeople and technology progressing beyond tablet-based interactions?

A We are changing the tablet sales experience to be far more visual. Beyond that, I believe the relationship between in-store sales staff and technology will evolve through more interactive solutions, particularly the use of augmented reality (AR), which allows customers to visualise products in their homes using mobiles, tablets, and even headwear. These innovations will enable salespeople to provide more customised, efficient, and engaging customer experiences.

Q- How are retail management systems, including yours, evolving?

A – We discovered that retail management systems, notably our ERP>Retail solution, are evolving to meet the increasing demand for integration, real-time information, and improved consumer experiences.

We have observed an increase in omni-channel retailing, which necessitates strong integration between e-commerce, marketplaces, point of sale, back office, and any third-party warehouse. The customer must be able to communicate and transact with the retailer via any channel or device.

Our ERP>Retail software has grown to give a genuine omni-channel experience via a variety of channels, including traditional brick-and-mortar stores, ecommerce sites, customer portals, online marketplaces, social media platforms, and mobile apps. This enables companies to provide a seamless purchasing experience across several touchpoints.

Q- Given the global disruption of Microsoft’s cloud services in July, how can you assure that your system can withstand similar events?

A- To protect our ERP>Retail solution against disruptions like as the recent global outage of Microsoft’s cloud services, we use comprehensive backup procedures and have a solid disaster recovery strategy in place. Regular testing, proactive monitoring, and tight engagement with Microsoft help us respond fast and effectively.

We also contact with our clients as quickly as possible and provide fast support updates to keep them informed and safe if a crisis occurs.

Q What benefits can clients expect from new partnerships like the one with DispatchTrack?

A Sci-Net’s increasing partner ecosystem is one of its key strengths. The relationships we develop with third parties such as DispatchTrack ensure that we have tried and tested solutions that are readily available to our clients, which may not be common in Business Central. Working with well-known partners saves time and money for both the customer and the team. It ensures that our client service remains at the highest level by giving the best solutions for their individual requirements.

Q- In a few phrases, describe why furniture dealers should use your system.

A Sci-Net’s ERP>Retail is a game changer for furniture stores. It allows you to streamline your operations, manage inventories more effectively, and improve customer service, all of which will keep you competitive now and in the future.

ERP>Retail provides real-time data and insights, allowing you to make more informed decisions. It also connects various aspects of your firm, improving overall efficiency.

Sci-Net and our entire team are extremely passionate about furniture retail and our solutions, which are pushing fresh innovation and attracting fascinating new customers with whom we enjoy working.