Homwares supplier OneWorld Trading implement CALIQ business software system

As a growing homewares supplier to major retail chains and independent stores, OneWorld Trading (OWT) needed a reputable web presence to improve accessibility for their existing trade clients across the UK and Ireland and allow them to reach new clients in other regions.

Limited by their existing software system, OWT recognised the need for a more comprehensive, robust and proven back office solution to effectively manage the order and fulfilment process of their multi-channel business – including the new e-commerce website with which it would have to be tightly integrated.

Having looked at several solutions, OWT chose to implement the CALIQ business software system company-wide across two warehouse locations and their showroom for order processing, purchasing, inventory control, CRM and financial and management accounts. CALIQ would also have to integrate with the new B2B e-commerce solution and with IPAC hand-held terminals from Trisoft which are used for customer service and remote ordering by sales agents and for order taking at trade fairs.

The result is a single integrated business system that automates the order-to-cash cycle, improves stock allocation and customer service.

OWT is a family owned wholesale business started in 1990 with a showroom and two warehouses in the UK as well as operations in Australia and New Zealand.

OWT pride themselves on sourcing products that posses the aesthetic and durability to last as well as being practical. With over 3,000 active product lines, the range extends across furniture, lighting and accessories for the home and garden and was previously only promoted at trade shows.

Traditionally, trade customers for homewares like to touch and feel products, but with the general growth in online retail, OWT recognised the need to create a web presence that would reflect the quality of the premium products they sell. They commissioned a new website to provide a user-friendly store experience that enabled customers to easily purchase products and access new ranges and featured items.

To provide OWT customers with the same quality in customer service, CALIQ software provides the integrated back end processing for all orders received whether via the website, from retailers, from showroom sales or via handheld units used at trade shows and by sales agents on the road.

Jason Bensohn, who heads up Business Development at OneWorld Trading, comments: “ CALIQ software handles the whole order to cash processing cycle – customer orders, inventory management, stock allocation, despatch and invoicing. CALIQ is configured around our business processes and e-commerce website and has now become central to our business.”

OWT import their products mainly from India and China with regular, multiple shipments. With their previous system, they lacked visibility of what was in stock at any particular time for order picking and fulfilment and what was on order and in-transit.

This aspect of functionality was of paramount importance in system selection since other systems considered did not provide the flexibility and control that OWT required in their particular market sector.

CALIQ built new allocation screens on top of their existing comprehensive allocation process which now provide the users with full visibility of their entire order pipeline, goods in stock and in transit which means they can quote delivery dates, allocate and pick stock more efficiently, get products out to customers quickly and thereby reduce the time taken to turnaround stock and receive payment.

In conjunction with the e-commerce developers, an “order top-up” facility allows CALIQ to send emails to customers warning of impending shipments and inviting them to “top-up” their order on the website prior to the order being sent into picking and despatch, thus increasing sales and optimising delivery charges for customers.

In addition to more efficient processing of customer orders, CALIQ software provides real time information on order status and stock availability to answer customer queries. CALIQ provides self-service interrogation for customers to view their order history and status of outstanding orders by providing a direct feed of all orders to the e-commerce site, whether the orders were placed via the site, by telephone, trade fair, showroom or agent.

Hand-held terminal integration provides the same level of enquiry and enables orders to be taken at trade shows or by field sales agents calling on customers, which are transmitted back to the CALIQ system for processing and fulfilment.

The integrated system data means that OWT can tap into information for pro-active management of their business. For example, by identifying slow moving stock, they can make the necessary adjustments to reduce stock holding and optimise sales margins.

With CALIQ, customers deal directly with the people who design and write the software. CALIQ software encompasses customer-defined work-flow functionality to meet specific business needs, ensuring that all clients share the same common evolving system yet can tailor the processes to fit their business. Through regular face-to-face meetings, CALIQ work with customers to evolve their system to ensure that they remain competitive in an ever-changing business environment.

Jason concludes: “As a small but growing company it was important for us to deal directly with a product author who was experienced with e-commerce integration and willing to develop specific areas of the system for us, such as our specific requirements for stock allocation. CALIQ took the time to understand and interpret our business requirements and handled the whole integration project, which addressed our concern about dealing with different suppliers. We cannot fault the service and support received from the CALIQ team and the system is now the hub of everything we do.”