Trader

Trader is a wholly integrated Business Information System, from the Point of Sale to the Balance Sheet. It is intended for use by:

Quite simply, Trader provides us with a complete environment through which we can run, manage and grow our business. It is completely reliable and we depend on it as much as we do our electrical supply and our phone system.

Roy Brooke, Brookridge Timber

Our clients gain the following benefits from using Trader:

In essence, Trader addresses all the key issues facing owners and managers of merchant and wholesaler businesses today, including those who are increasingly selling to the public. To achieve this goal, it emulates all the operating procedures of a typical merchant/wholesaler, handling transactions with ease.

Trader is different from other computer applications. Trader was designed as a wholly-integrated transaction system, managing the business processes from Point of Sale to the Balance Sheet. This is in complete contrast to accounting systems which have had other modules grafted on.

The heart of any effective business system is immediate access to all the information about every aspect of your business - when you need it. All the key functions of running the business (customers, suppliers, stock, pricing, accounts, fast and easy point of sale, and communications) are linked. There is no need to refer to others or other systems. It is all there on your desktop in a single application.

How Trader delivers business benefits

Improved Margins and Profitability

I carried out extensive research when looking for an application that would work in a logical fashion, the way our business operates. Trader is it and what’s more it continues to grow and develop with us.

Rob Stoneman, Stoneman Engineering Ltd

The key contributors to improving margins and profitability are:

Trader was designed as a wholly integrated transaction processing system, managing the business processes. This means that the elements of a transaction are linked in 'real-time'.

For example, an account customer's order is checked against the credit limit, and when the transaction is completed, the account is updated. This then means that the account information is completely up-to-date, so the next transaction for that customer is checked against the revised credit limit. In this way you don't unknowingly sell to someone who owes you too much money.

Because you can set up different prices for different customers (or groups of customer), they will always be given the correct price. The margins for each item and for the total order can be displayed on screen (in a format that your customers won't understand). This allows you total flexibility in pricing at the point of sale while optimising the margin. Controls can be built-in which only allow approved staff to go beyond defined pricing parameters.

The current stock position is also available for all branches, allowing an out-of-stock item at one branch to be delivered from another. This optimises the sales opportunity. The ability to create purchase orders 'back to back' for out of stock items provides the opportunity to complete a sale, rather than let the customer seek an alternative supplier. Also there is the ability to process 'special' orders, also with 'back to back' purchase ordering. Each customer's full history is available. This enables you to, for example, take an order for 'another one of these things I bought 6 months ago'.

The process of setting up the stock catalogue, determines the pricing structure. This ensures that you never sell below cost, and that your customers will have their prices agreed. When new stock is booked in, the current price is used. This means that the selling price is automatically updated. You can also globally increase prices, which can be immediately updated. So you always sell at the correct price. This contributes to improving margins. Experience also shows that it is acceptable to make small price changes globally thereby also contributing to increasing the margins.

Trader provides more accurate and complete information for its users whilst at the same time automating essential business processes.

Robert Morgan, Morgan Timber Ltd (Strood)

The speed of the system allows more transactions to be processed at the point of sale. The simple screen design and customised menu options where the operator only has those options relevant to his or her function deliver fast transaction rates.

Fast transaction rates allow more customers to be served, and waiting times reduced. Having all the relevant information immediately available and up-to-date at the point of sale enables transactions to be processed quickly without reference to information in the 'back office'. Also to this end, Trader allows you to use barcode scanning at the point of sale.

Trader customers have been able to achieve margin improvements in excess of 15%.

Increased Turnover

Increased Turnover is achieved through enhanced customer service and optimising the sales opportunities. Good service prompts referrals. Having all the relevant information immediately available and up-to-date enables customer queries to be dealt with quickly and efficiently. The timesaving attributes of Trader allow staff to have more time to spend on customer activities.

Customer sales history and Trader reporting and analysis tools allow you to be proactive in your sales and marketing with the objective of increasing the value of each customer to your business. The ability to supply products from multiple locations, accept special orders, process purchase orders 'back-to-back', and accept 'direct' orders, all contribute to enhanced customer service and optimising the sales opportunities. Clients have been able to achieve increases in turnover of 30% with more than a little help from Trader.

Reduced Debtor Days

We have a strong emphasis on DIY, with a focus on self-service. The quick and easy-to-use point of sale enables us to process typically 400 transactions a day. Using Trader has made the business easier to manage and with better controls. Overall it has made a positive contribution to the bottom line.

Peter Sharples, Hutchings Timber Ltd

A complete view of a customer's payment history enables you to exert greater control of credit issues and helps reduce debtor days. The reporting and and tools allow you to identify potential payment problem areas so that they can be pro-actively managed. Further, the credit control facilities prevent you from continuing to supply customers who owe you too much money and are not meeting their payment obligations. However the facility exists to enable you to continue to trade with these customers, but on a cash basis. Trader customers have been able to reduce debtor days to the low 50's.

Stock Management

This enables you to have an added dimension of business management. Reports will let you see which products are selling fast and which are slow sellers. You also have greater control over the pricing which impacts your stock management decisions. Further, having purchasing histories available by product and supplier can enhance your bargaining power with suppliers.

Time-saving

There is no re-entering of transaction data. The sales order is converted to an invoice. The speed of the system allows more transactions to be processed at the point of sale. The simple screen design and customised menu options where the operator only has those options relevant to his or her function deliver fast transaction rates. Fast transaction rates allow more customers to be served, and waiting times reduced. Bar code scanning at the point of sale further speeds up transactions. Having all the relevant information immediately available and up-to-date at the point of sale or in the back office, enables transactions and queries to be processed quickly.

Enhanced Customer Service

Trader stores significant amounts of information (customers, suppliers, products, prices, accounting etc.) for long periods of time. This means that you have critical information for managing the business always available. Significantly Trader is fast. This is because it uses the D3 Database. Trader is basic, fundamental, and solid. Information is stored in such a way that gives you confidence. Information is easy to get hold of.

Management Controls

Because Trader is an integrated software solution (including the accounts function), all aspects of managing the business are available from the desktop. With the appropriate security permissions, you are able to view in summary and detail form, sales, purchasing, stock, and accounting information from the Trader application without reference to other staff or software systems. This allows the owners or managers of the business to exert complete control from the desktop.