Retail Stores
28
Devices Per Store
3
from RGIS
Support
With U Count, the retail company retains responsibility for conducting its inventories while RGIS provides the technology and expertise behind the process. This gave the customer greater flexibility and control while ensuring specialist support is available when required.
THE CHALLENGE
A Danish retail company specialising in affordable, colourful and Scandinavian-inspired products, including home accessories, stationery, toys, gifts, party supplies and seasonal items required the support of RGIS.
Following challenges with a previous equipment rental provider, the retail company required a reliable inventory solution that would allow its own employees to complete store inventories while benefiting from modern technology and responsive local support. RGIS worked closely with the customer to identify U Count as the most appropriate solution, providing a flexible and cost-effective approach to managing inventories across its Swiss store network.
The retail company decided to rent inventory counting devices from a provider based in the Netherlands. However, the experience highlighted several operational challenges. Equipment did not arrive on time and the level of support available was insufficient during a critical inventory period. The retailer therefore began searching for an alternative solution in Switzerland and discovered the RGIS U Count service.
The customer wanted to retain the cost advantages of using its own employees to perform inventories but required:
- Reliable inventory counting technology.
- Simple, easy-to-use equipment.
- A dependable local partner.
- Responsive support during inventory events.
- A solution capable of being deployed consistently across its Swiss store network.
The challenge was to find the right balance between maintaining control of inventory costs and ensuring the retail company had the technology and support needed to confidently manage its own counts.
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Why RGIS?
The retail company’s experience demonstrated an important difference between simply renting inventory equipment and implementing a supported self-count solution.
RGIS was able to offer the customer a choice of inventory models and work collaboratively to determine which approach best matched its requirements rather than applying a standard solution.
With U Count, the retail company retains responsibility for conducting its inventories while RGIS provides the technology and expertise behind the process. This gives the customer greater flexibility and control while ensuring specialist support is available when required.
The combination of proven inventory technology, local expertise and a solution configured around the customer’s requirements made U Count a strong fit for the retail company’s Swiss operations.
Our Solutions
RGIS took a consultative approach, initially presenting the retail company with three potential inventory models: A fully outsourced option, a hybrid solution and U Count.
Together, RGIS and the retail company evaluated each option against the customer’s operational requirements and cost objectives. U Count was selected as the most appropriate model, enabling the customer’s own employees to perform the physical inventories using RGIS technology.
RGIS configured the U Count programme specifically for the retail company and allocated three RM3 inventory devices per store.
A structured implementation programme was then developed to prepare the customer’s management team for rollout. This included:
Initial Teams meetings to understand requirements and introduce the solution.
A face-to-face meeting with the Retail Manager.
A demonstration for the Retail Manager and four Regional Managers at the RGIS office.
Configuration and preparation of the U Count programme.
Final training at the retail company’s headquarters.
Local RGIS support during implementation.
The thorough preparation ensured the retail company’s management team understood both the technology and inventory process before U Count was deployed across the store network.
Results
The implementation achieved the retail company’s primary objective of establishing a reliable self-count inventory process while allowing the company to continue using its own employees.
Following the difficulties experienced with its previous rental provider, the first RGIS U Count inventory delivered a significantly more positive experience, with customer feedback during the post-inventory debrief described as very positive.
Most importantly, the retailer was able to retain the financial and operational advantages of conducting inventories internally while gaining greater confidence in the process.
The project demonstrated that a self-count model does not need to mean compromising on reliability or support. The retail company identified three factors as particularly important to successful inventory events:
Reliable hardware.
A simple system.
Fast local support.
Conclusion
The successful implementation of U Count has established a new inventory model for the retail company, combining the cost efficiencies of self-counting with the technology and specialist support of RGIS.
The relationship is also expanding alongside the customer’s business. The retail company’s Swiss network has grown from 28 to 31 stores, yet the existing U Count solution requires virtually no changes to accommodate the additional locations, demonstrating its scalability.
The project provides a strong example of how U Count can bridge the gap between fully outsourced inventories and standalone equipment rental, giving retailers greater control over their inventory programme without sacrificing reliability, technology or access to expert support.
