Weekly industry insights from Kerridge CS

When you invest in new software, you know that your staff will need training to get the best from the system.  Most suppliers offer expert trainers who will train your employees at your business premises.  Face-to-face training is valuable: your staff are fully engaged in the training, they can question the trainer and get one-to-one support with any difficulties. However it can be hard to organise, especially if you have more than one site. As well as getting the relevant staff together, you have to find an appropriate training room, and arrange other staff to cover for them, which can be disruptive.  Given this, it is not surprising that many companies are using an approach called ‘blended learning’ which supplements face-to-face learning with e-learning.  

What is a mobile responsive website?

A mobile responsive website is one that is designed to work just as well whether it is viewed on a PC or laptop, tablet, mobile phone or other device; either the layout or the content or both respond and adapt based on the size and orientation of screen on which they are presented to the viewer.

Mark Steggall, Head of Product Management at Kerridge Commercial Systems, explains the benefits of using a modern ERP system to manage supplier rebates.

Sterling has depreciated against the US dollar and the Euro since the referendum in June, hitting a 31 year low against the dollar in October.  At time of writing, the exchange rate had climbed following hints from Theresa May that she will be looking for a transitional Brexit deal that will favour British businesses.  However sterling is still comparatively weak, which presents some challenges for merchants and distributors. For example, the price of imported construction materials is predicted to increase by 3%. It also means that inflation may increase, which adds to the uncertainty we are facing.

But challenging times also present opportunities. Here are five things that merchants and distributors can do to mitigate against, and even benefit from, the economic situation:

It may seem that the Christmas period offers marketing opportunities primarily for retailers with consumer customers; people don’t tend to buy building, industrial or automotive supplies as Christmas presents. However there are seasonal opportunities for merchants, distributors and wholesalers too, and especially for those with a B2B ecommerce solution.

 If you're a regular reader of our blog, you will know the advantages of ERP systems to your business. But how do these advantages translate into cold, hard data? 

Managing your business’ accounts is not always an easy task, especially when you have to make sure that all of your numbers add up. Incorrect reporting could be the difference between you reporting a profit or a loss.

With one report suggesting that customer delivery performance expectations are higher than they were two years before, it is imperative that you provide your customers with a smooth delivery process.

As a company that manages the movement of stock, you will be fully aware of the importance of stock control in being able to provide great customer service. This is backed up by the fact that UK brands are estimated to be losing up to £15 billion annually due to poor customer service. We all know how annoying it is when an item you want to buy is out of stock!

Shopping cart abandonment is one of the main issues for online traders. According to recent research, three quarters of the world’s online shopping carts are abandoned, which means that you are potentially losing a lot of business.

Tony Pey, Head of Sales Engineering at Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), defines the advantages of SaaS and explains how it could work for your merchant business.

When implementing ERP software, one of the most important questions to answer is where you would like your system to be hosted.

Previously we discussed the many advantages of using an ERP system. However before you get to reap the benefits of the software, it needs to be successfully implemented. With one report suggesting that 21% of companies’ ERP projects had failed, it’s not always a straight forward task.

Having an efficient warehouse layout, (alongside a fully integrated warehouse management system) could be the difference between processing your customers’ orders quickly or not.

Tony Pey, Head of Sales Engineering at Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), explains how using multi-channel ecommerce software that is fully integrated with your ERP system delivers a more satisfying experience for your customers and makes life easier for your staff.

Most people would agree that the internet has changed the world we live in immeasurably. But who created the first ever blog post? Which domain was registered first? What was the subject of the first ever blog post published? The below infographic by SSLs.com answers these questions and provides more extraordinary internet firsts.

Recruiting in the automotive aftermarket trade can be tough. With a large number of people choosing to go to university, attracting top talent in your trade can also be a big challenge. That’s why we have put together a list of five automotive aftermarket recruitment tips to help you attract the best possible candidates.

According to Gartner, the cloud computing market is forecast to reach £155 billion in 2016. But what are its origins as a concept? Below is a history of cloud computing timeline, detailing its key milestones over the past 50 years and more.

When working in an environment with large machinery, pallets and racking, warehouse safety should be considered a priority. According to a HSE survey, the estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions is £14.3 billion.

Having accurate data that you can analyse is crucial to making informed business decisions. Here are some truly inspirational data quotes which give great insight into why having accurate numbers at your fingertips is so crucial.

Technology is constantly evolving and this is certainly the case in warehouses. Not only are companies moving from paper based systems to warehouse management software, (according to recent research,) they are also looking to get the edge on their competitors by taking advantage of the latest innovative warehouse technologies. We list 5 of the latest technology trends that are currently being used in warehouses.

Recruiting in the builders merchants’ trade can be tough. With a large number of people choosing to go to university, attracting top talent in your trade is a big challenge. That’s why we have put together a list of five builders merchants’ recruitment tips to help you attract the best possible candidates.

Whatever industry you're in, offering an excellent customer service is crucial to your success. In a previous blog, we outlined the top omni-channel customer service experience and in this one, with the help of Provide Support we detail the essential customer services skills that you should master.

With one report suggesting that the ERP software market is expected to be worth £27 billion by 2020 and Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) predicting a doubling in cloud-based ERP investments by the end of 2016, now is the time for your business to invest in a fully integrated solution. Need convincing? Here are 5 advantages of using an ERP system.

For the fifth year, BCS, (The Chartered Institute for IT,) has run a survey looking at the needs of the digital leader. Here are some of the biggest IT concerns raised in it, shown in a lovely infographic.