The South African Forces Institute (SAFI) has embarked on a major systems upgrade which will put point-of-sale and back-office administration systems in its 73 storefronts.
The project ties in with SAFI`s decision to upgrade its retail chain which supplies everything from food and clothing to electrical goods and household furniture to SANDF members and their families living on major bases and remote outposts. Due to SAFI`s size, it can operate as a discounter and shoppers are offered credit via hire purchase and monthly accounts.
The stores range from small convenience shops housed in converted shipping containers to large outlets competing with supermarkets and hypermarkets. They are situated at bases and camps throughout South Africa, and are serviced from three main depots in Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Pretoria.
Various suppliers have been involved in the upgrade. Computer Configurations supplied a four-processor Promaster 650 server, an Orca 3000 high-end external data storage system and an Orca communications server. Computer Site Installations (CSI) designed and constructed the main computer room in Pretoria and is involved in installing data cabling and networking hardware for this computer room and the depots. Oculus is supplying electronic archiving, document imaging and computer output storage.
SAFI financial manager Doug Young says Computer Configurations was chosen because of its reputation for service excellence. "I have collaborated with Computer Configurations on several projects and their expertise and knowledge on a project of this scale are indispensable.
"Our main intention is to upgrade to systems that will match the best available in the private sector," says Young. "Since it was established in 1916, SAFI`s role has been to provide members of the defence force with shopping facilities and consumer goods in remote outposts which the private sector would not normally service.
"Unfortunately, because of SAFI`s trade restrictions, it couldn`t modernise its operations as a commercial concern might have. The operation has been run on a mixture of manual and legacy systems, with little integration between point of sale and the back office.
"We need to offer a lot more than just product. Our customers compare us to the large retail chains and find us lacking in those areas where IT has impacted on client service. I would go so far as to say that without the upgrade, SAFI will probably not survive as a private concern," says Young.
Computer Configurations sales director Anne Tissiman says the new system is an ideal solution for SAFI. "The business processes are new and SAFI will need the assurance of a reliable, fast and powerful IT infrastructure. In addition, when SAFI grows as it anticipates, the systems will be upgradable. SAFI will get performance at a price within the reach of a growing business."
The first phase, to set up the infrastructure, is under way. The construction of the computer room has been completed and the servers and data storage systems and LAN installed. Backlogged data is being captured onto the administration system and a major document imaging exercise is under way to capture and archive all existing documentation.
Once the archiving exercise at SAFI is complete, all documentation pertaining to each individual client will be stored together so that point-of-sale staff can check status and history of customers.
Eventually all 73 stores and their main and regional depots will be linked via the Internet.
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