Your company, Analysts R Us, has been asked by the Edwards to come and investigate the
possibility of developing a computer system for Stitch in Time. Fred, one of the senior
consultants interviewed the Edwards but shortly afterwards was made an offer he
couldn’t refuse and took a job in the City with a blue-chip firm of management
consultants. Consequently, your team has been given the responsibility of taking over the
project. Helpfully, before he left, Fred produced a transcript of his interview (he always
tape-recorded his chats with clients. Something to do with ‘plausible
deniability’ he said.)
JOHN: Fancy a drink?
FRED: A cup of tea would be nice, thank you.
JANE: I’ve got some nice filter coffee if you prefer.
FRED: No, tea’s my drink thanks. No milk or sugar, just how
it comes out of the pot. Now then, I was wondering if you could start by describing the
main jobs you need to do to run Stitch in Time? What about your first contact with the
customer, for example?
JANE: We meet them when we take the order, or at least we tend to
speak to them on the phone, which is a real pain because it can take so long. Also, the
customers tend to be rather chatty and want to know about the business and what we stock
and then we have to explain about the different sorts of leggings and how the kits work,
and so on. I try to get them to pop in so that they can see the fabrics for themselves,
but often they don’t want to, which is understandable given that most of the
customers are pregnant women who feel ill, or tired or both. Usually the women end up
ordering several pairs of leggings because they’re so relieved to find a product that
is just what they need. But it’s awkward dealing with large orders over the phone,
especially when they choose a mixture of styles and fabrics.
FRED: So what happens when they ask you detailed questions? Do
you have all the information in your heads, or do you need to keep looking things up?
Also, could you tell me how you keep all the information about legging designs, prices,
fabrics etc?: So what happens when they ask you detailed questions? Do
you have all the information in your heads, or do you need to keep looking things up?
Also, could you tell me how you keep all the information about legging designs, prices,
fabrics etc?
JANE: We keep a list of the designs and fabrics we offer on a
regular basis taped to the wall by the phone. Generally we can remember what the design or
fabric is like just from the name so we try to describe them as best we can. : We keep a list of the designs and fabrics we offer on a
regular basis taped to the wall by the phone. Generally we can remember what the design or
fabric is like just from the name so we try to describe them as best we can.
FRED: Is there a separate list of prices, or what?: Is there a separate list of prices, or what?
JANE: Yes, there is as it gets updated more often than the
catalogue. We keep it by the phone as well. : Yes, there is as it gets updated more often than the
catalogue. We keep it by the phone as well.
FRED: Ok, so is this how you keep information about suppliers
too? I notice your price list has the name and address of another company on it.: Ok, so is this how you keep information about suppliers
too? I notice your price list has the name and address of another company on it.
JANE: Well, sort of. You see we only have one supplier at the
moment, the materials wholesaler over in Nottingham. We’re hoping that we can start
getting fabrics directly from the manufacturers as we’re starting to buy in quite
large volumes, and that should increase too, especially if we’re able to expand the
way we’d like. But it will also mean having to deal with more than one supplier.
FRED: Fine, ok. So tell me, how do you record a customer’s
order?
JANE: Well, when they tell us what we want, we take it down in
triplicate using carbon paper on our order forms.: Well, when they tell us what we want, we take it down in
triplicate using carbon paper on our order forms.
FRED: Why three copies?: Why three copies?
JANE: Ok, well, two copies are sent out with the order. The
customer keeps one as a kind of delivery note and the other one acts as an invoice which
the customer sends back with the payment. We keep hold of the third copy until the signed
copy comes back with the money. At the moment everything’s cash on delivery, though
obviously it might be better, or even necessary, to allow credit accounts and other things
like that.
FRED: How about pricing? Do you work out the cost when you take
the order, or do you do it later?: How about pricing? Do you work out the cost when you take
the order, or do you do it later?
JANE: Well, some customers want to know how much they’ve
spent, but others aren’t really bothered, so it sort of depends. We prefer it if we
can work it out later as it means one of us can do it when we’ve got a moment.
FRED: What happens next?: What happens next?
JANE: The orders go into the orders file which is kept in the
that box on the shelf over there. We put them into the box in the order we receive them,
unless someone wants something especially urgently. Usually, we tell the customers that it
will take up to 28 days before they get their leggings.: The orders go into the orders file which is kept in the
that box on the shelf over there. We put them into the box in the order we receive them,
unless someone wants something especially urgently. Usually, we tell the customers that it
will take up to 28 days before they get their leggings.
FRED: How do the leggings get to the customers?: How do the leggings get to the customers?
JOHN: Well, if they’re local then I pop them round in the
car after work. Otherwise we just stick them in the post.
FRED: Fine. I think I’ve got a good idea as to how you
handle orders. We can always come back to this later. I’d like to know how you deal
with your stock now.
JANE: I usually go and buy fabric about once a month. Or, we can
have it delivered, but that costs quite a bit. These days, the wholesaler has agreed to
deliver the stuff free if we spend more than £400. Obviously, it’s not convenient or
affordable go and get just a few items we’ve run out of so I try and wait until I can
go and put a big order together on which I can get the free delivery. When we’re
running low on supplies I see if I can put a big enough order together to get the free
delivery. But occasionally this has meant that I have ordered stuff we didn’t really
need and, as it turns out, we couldn’t use it all up either. We’ve got yards and
yards of Euro ’96 material lying around!
FRED: So how do you decide what to order then?: So how do you decide what to order then?
JANE: Well, like I said, it’s not always very scientific. I
have a look round to see what’s running low, especially with the more popular fabrics
like the blacks and dark blues. Then I’ll have a look through the orders we’ve
taken to see what we’re likely to need. Ideally, I’d like to order so that
everything runs down at the same rate.
FRED: What happens if you do run out of something and you
can’t supply a customer’s order within the 28 days?
JANE: We tend to tell the customers that what they want
isn’t in stock and they’ll have to wait a bit. They’re usually ok about
this, as long as we tell them when they place their order. If we don’t find out until
later on, then if we have their phone number then we’ll give them a ring to explain.
I get John to do this as he’s got a nice calm voice and he’s good with the
customers. Usually they’re very good about it. In fact, he can often persuade them to
order something else instead. Though I guess that’s more because a pregnant woman
can’t wait too long! Really, we’d like to get the 28 day wait down a bit too for
the same reason. We always try to cover our backs by saying everything is ‘subject to
availability’ when they place the orders, but we do forget sometimes.
FRED: So, you give orders to your suppliers a bit irregularly,
but about once a month roughly speaking. What happens when the stuff arrives? How do you
pay for it?: So, you give orders to your suppliers a bit irregularly,
but about once a month roughly speaking. What happens when the stuff arrives? How do you
pay for it?
JANE: The wholesaler sends a delivery note with the goods.
I’ll check everything is there and sign for it. Then they invoice us and then I pay
them by cheque.
FRED: What do you sign?: What do you sign?
JANE: Oh, it’s the bottom copy of their delivery note.
FRED: Do you record customers’ payments?
JANE: Of course. When a payment arrives we take our copy of the
order out the filing box and put it in the past orders box. A note of the payment
goes into the cash book. John tends to bank the money every week.: Of course. When a payment arrives we take our copy of the
order out the filing box and put it in the past orders box. A note of the payment
goes into the cash book. John tends to bank the money every week.
JOHN: Yes, on a Saturday morning when I go to fetch the
newspapers.: Yes, on a Saturday morning when I go to fetch the
newspapers.
FRED: What else goes into your cash book?: What else goes into your cash book?
JANE: Oh, pretty well everything. We keep track of all the money
going in and out, such as payments to the wholesaler and running expenses as well as the
customer payments.: Oh, pretty well everything. We keep track of all the money
going in and out, such as payments to the wholesaler and running expenses as well as the
customer payments.
FRED: Do payments every go to the customer?: Do payments
ever go to the customer?
JANE: Sometimes, if something’s faulty or just doesn’t
fit then we do give refunds.
FRED: Great! I think I’ve got a good idea of your set up
now. What I need to do is go away and run over things in my mind a bit and then I’ll
come back to you just to make sure I’ve got everything right. Before I go, is there
anything else you think we need to cover?
JANE: No, I suppose not, but it’s a bit difficult to say. I
just know I’ve got this feeling that if we don’t make things more efficient then
we’ll have real trouble keeping on top of everything when we expand. We’re
hoping to employ some people too, and that will mean it’s even more important to have
things running properly as they won’t know everything backwards like we do. I’m
worried about being disorganised and know that a computer system will help us deal with
the larger orders we’re going to get from the department stores. I know we’ve
got an excellent set of products but I don’t want to blow it by looking amateurish.
FRED: Well, that’s what Analysts R Us is here for.
We’ll be in touch soon and I’m sure we’ll help get you
organised.
JOHN: Brilliant. By the way, your tea’s cold.
