Case Study: Bagel Factory
Business Analysis
A client of around 20 head office users on an internal network and 45 retail and storage sites across the UK consisting of kiosks, storerooms and small offices.
We were recommended to this client because they had been encountering major outages, specifically with their email, sometimes for days at a time. Their existing EPOS system which was used to control the tills and collate sales figures was creaking due to the growth of the business and was proving rather inefficient. The company had reached a point where the resources needed to perform their semi-manual HR, stock control and ordering processes were becoming prohibitive and the time had come to computerise and streamline these processes. At head office they were using a Novell platform running GroupWise as their email server and were very keen to migrate to a Microsoft platform.
Procurement process
It had been decided by Bagel Factory to introduce an alternative EPOS system (along with new HR and ordering/stock control systems). We were asked to be project managers for the client in all aspects, including finding prospective suppliers of software & hardware to fulfil their requirements.
It was decided which EPOS & ordering systems were to be purchased after extensive trials by the client and ourselves and we designed the new server platforms in conjunction with the relevant suppliers. This finally resulted in the proposal for four new servers in a new cabinet rack and added UPS battery backups, broadband Internet failover and a cartridge based backup solution. As minimal downtime and reliability were paramount we recommended SCSI based disks to be used in the new servers in RAID 5 configurations. These types of storage have a reputation for stability and a greater lifespan. RAID configurations ensure minimal downtime in the event of hardware failure.
It was also recognised that whichever EPOS solution was chosen, the new tills would be Windows based and have Internet access for stock ordering, management and sales log transfers; therefore the client needed to ensure productivity was maintained at a high standard without temptation to use the computers for other activities. Having discussed this with the client they specified that they wanted these PC-based tills to be locked down so that staff could only access the functions that were needed.
Testing and Development
A key requirement was to trial the preferred EPOS solution in a live situation. To this end, six sites were chosen to trial one of 2 EPOS solutions. We provided the broadband circuits needed for this and were involved throughout the testing and refinement process.
We chose to join all of the tills and PCs on the sites to the head office’s Windows domain, allowing us excellent control over their operation. Once the EPOS, HR and stock/ordering systems were chosen, we refined the lock-down policies for the tills and manager’s PCs so that only pre-determined software or websites could be accessed.
The chosen EPOS solution runs on purpose-built Windows-based tills and communicates to a server at head office to report sales figures and acquire any changes to the menu or pricing. The HR and stock/ordering systems are web-based systems with the data held by a 3rd party.
Project implementation
A new computer area had to be allocated at the head office to house the new cabinet and systems comprising of four servers and the supporting network infrastructure units. A new fully structured Cat5e infrastructure was installed throughout to cope with the relocations & additions of equipment. Most of this had to be done overnight so disruption was kept to a minimum during their peak day trading, however our installation teams are very flexible and were able to work within the clients requested time frames.
Broadband circuits had to be supplied to all remote units which were supplied and installed by SCS, leveraging our relationship with a suitable Internet Service Provider. New tills were also rolled out to replace their existing legacy system tills; this part of the project was staggered over a 3 month window in pre-defined blocks of units. Every remote unit had to be visited & cabled uniquely before the pre-determined time of changeover. During the changeover the old systems had to also be kept active to allow access to transaction and stock control data. New PCs for managers in various sites and storerooms were also added at the same time along with new printers.
During this time we worked very closely with the other providers involved, especially the EPOS provider, to ensure all systems worked together and were implemented as seamlessly as possible.
Conclusion
The changeover was carried out flawlessly and came in under budget. We were highly praised by the Bagel Factory directors for the work undertaken. Bagel Factory now enjoys >99% uptime and the peace of mind a stable WAN solution, solid infrastructure across the head office and retail sites.
Ongoing Support
Due to the success of our extensive upgrades, SCS was employed to provide on-going support services for the head office network, servers, broadband connections, routers and the Windows Domain services that control the outlying tills and PCs. To aid the support process, a procedure for call reporting was put in place, along with the rollout of a monitoring system (accessible by SCS, the client and the EPOS provider) to provide all concerned with an easy overview of any outages.
SCS continues to enjoy an excellent relationship with Bagel Factory and has been involved in subsequent projects with them, notably a major reorganisation and redecoration of the head office premises. Bagel Factory has continued with the same EPOS, HR and stock/ordering systems since the original project, indicating that the goal of providing a lasting solution was met.
