http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/ Retail news and views from Paul Mason Consulting, The Retail Systems Experts http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/pmc-icon.gif http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/ http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/131.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/131.htm Huw Thomas, previously COO for retail systems experts PMC is appointed managing director. Thomas states: "I relish this new challenge at PMC, working to strengthen its proposition portfolio of complementary retail-specific services and provide market-leading products to support PMC's continued growth. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/129.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/129.htm Shoppers no longer tolerate a poor online experience. Today, every online experience must be positive - in fact it should be a pleasure for the shopper. Unfortunately, too often web sites remain hard to navigate and riddled with bugs, far from 'user-friendly' many are 'user-hostile'. The result is the same, users leave and head for more readily accessible competitor sites. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/127.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/127.htm PMC uses leading edge eye tracking technology to help flooring retailer improve web site usability and understand how shoppers navigate, use and react to web sites. Key to this was PMC's use of eye-tracking software to identify how people used and reacted to the sites. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/124.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/124.htm Joining thousands of local people from across Vadodara (Gujarat, India) a team from PMC-I will take part in the city's marathon on 22 November 2009. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/123.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/123.htm "During the last few months many retailers have adopted the 'back-to-business' mantra. This does not mean that everything in the garden is rosy. Far from it. Doubtless this will be a slow recovery that's why the phrase 'cautious optimism' is most appropriate." Huw Thomas, COO, PMC http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/120.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/120.htm Huw Thomas, COO of retail systems experts PMC, believes that although the principle behind the PCI standard is correct, its execution, especially during a recession, leaves something to be desired. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/119.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/119.htm PMC's India-based subsidiary PMC-I donates student management software system to local school for hearing impaired children in Vadodara, India as part of it's ongoing support for The Akshat Trust. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/118.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/118.htm Raising funds for PMC's chosen children's charity Adoption UK, in September 2009 six PMC personnel will take part in tandem and solo freefall parachute jumps from 10,000 feet. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/114.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/114.htm "In the current economic situation it's crucial to get the best possible value from your suppliers. That's not always easy. To be effective it involves benchmarking your costs against other retailers, and understanding the way suppliers think." Paul Mason, CEO, PMC http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/112.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/112.htm PMC-I, the India-based subsidiary of UK retail systems experts PMC, offers a 'real-world' internship programme to help Indian students to overcome the traditional 'catch' facing graduates. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/111.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/111.htm "Travel may broaden the mind but with offshore solutions it's vital to success. To build a good offshore relationship you have to travel. Not only for meeting, greeting and being a 'presence', but also in getting to know the people that you're working with." Paul Mason, CEO, PMC http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/109.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/109.htm PMC, has today announced a further donation of GBP1,000 for its chosen charity Adoption UK, to help with the continuing development of their Online Community web site. Paul Mason, CEO, PMC confirmed: "We are particularly pleased to help Adoption UK develop key areas of their Online Community, such as 'Children Who Wait' Online. This important service features photographs and profiles of children looking for adoptive families, with e-mail links to social workers." http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/108.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/108.htm "To make a success out of an offshore operation, do not see it as a 'fit and forget' low-cost solution. It will demand time, effort, planning. It will mean understanding a different culture, and it will demand getting involved." Paul Mason, CEO, PMC http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/106.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/106.htm "In an ideal world the IT team should be represented across all departments of the business. IT should attend senior management meetings and be part of their business performance reviews. If you want to improve a critical service, how can you expect IT to really deliver a great solution if they don't understand in detail how your business processes work and what your strategy is?" Huw Thomas, COO, PMC http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/105.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/105.htm Paul Mason, CEO, PMC, believes that a retail-focused, offshore solution is the sensible option for many UK retailers but there are some important issues to overcome - and understanding is key to ensure you get the 'A' Team. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/104.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/104.htm Paul Mason CEO of retail systems experts, PMC states: "Despite the existence of tough times, retailers should protect their proposed investments in multichannel over other investments. And that has to be the right strategy. If you're not doing that, your competitors will gain a serious march on you over the next year or two. The multichannel world is where customers expect you to be - so you had better be there." http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/103.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/103.htm Offshore solutions offer far more than cheap and reasonably cheerful software development. Adopt that position and the whole basis of an offshore solution is wrong. The result is often a poorly managed operation that does not deliver effective solutions, has difficulty in finding the right skill set and a constant management problem. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/101.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/101.htm Huw Thomas, COO at retail systems experts PMC, agrees retailers must make cuts when the need arises, but smart retailers make the right cuts and maintain important functions - even in tough times http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/100.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/100.htm If there remains no end in sight to the problems facing recession-hit UK retailers - the answer lies in doing something rather than nothing. Huw Thomas, COO, PMC states: "Surely, the impetus should be to drive up confidence, not drive it down. That does not mean blind optimism it means assessing all options available to you and taking the right action. Many organisations are just turning everything off. And that's not the right action." http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/99.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/99.htm Paul Mason, CEO of PMC: "Why choose India for off shoring? India has some distinct and clear advantages. First, there's the cost advantage. Second, the quality of English is already high and it's easily improved. Finally, there is the impressive level of technology resources from Indian universities." http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/98.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/98.htm "For retailers, getting IT right typically boils down to delivering the right service to the business for the best possible cost, making the right investments and delivering change well. These principles don't change in tough times. However, the difficult operating context means delivering against them is harder. The reality is that it takes extensive real life experience to truly understand what you are dealing with...and how to tackle it. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/97.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/97.htm Retailers continue to state that shrinkage is unavoidable but Huw Thomas, COO at retail systems experts PMC believes that retailers should refuse to accept the inevitable. http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/95.htm?src=rss http://www.paulmasonconsulting.co.uk/articles/95.htm Retail systems specialist PMC has today announced that its India-based offshore development subsidiary, PMC India (PMC-I), will support the Akshar Trust, in Vadodara, India www.baroda.com/NGO/Akshar.html - in its work to help hearing impaired children.