Tileflair

Success Stories

Tiles

Tileflair

Customer: Tileflair

What we did: Implemented K8

Challenge

Tileflair is the largest, privately-owned tile distributor in the South of England. It offers an extensive range of high quality tiles - sourced from around the world - and has been supplying the trade, contract and retail sectors since 1972. Tileflair has nine outlets, an online shop and a central warehouse located in Bristol.

Moving with the times

Tileflair’s initial need was for a system to handle inter-branch trading, to replace a previous system where processes were cumbersome. It was also looking for an IT partner that really understood the tile business. It opted for a distribution system, rather than an EPOS product, and Kerridge Commercial Systems was chosen from five short-listed suppliers. The system went live in December 1998 and, in 2007, Tileflair upgraded to K8. Then, in May 2015, it upgraded to the system’s latest version.

“Our aim is to get the best return that we can from K8 - to enhance our efficiency and service. Each branch now has its own dashboard, which provides better insight into the business, not just in terms of sales but also customer trends, margins, stock turnover, etc. The fact that we’ve got access to this information - and can access it from the sales screen – means that we’re always ready for a sale.”

“The data warehouse module is promising too, giving far more information than we’ve been able to access in the past, without having to run multiple reports.”

Resilient, reliable and responsive

“Crucially, K8 has proven to be very resilient; it’s never frozen or locked-up! And, we’re now looking forward to exploring other system features, in addition to the most used ones, so that we can gain full advantage from K8.”

“From a partnership point-of-view, we’re committed to Kerridge and we have a great relationship with them. They are very responsive and are good at seeing things from the customer’s point of view.”

K8 goes mobile - and other efficiencies

Tileflair’s next upgrade will include browser access. iPads have become key selling tools for its sales team and it will enable them to access the system in a truly mobile sense, rather than steering customers back to the counter to check stock, etc.

“Having browser access will enhance the whole customer experience. And, we’re now also trialing the delivery management system and will be testing the warehouse management system from January 2016. Our aim is to continue to enhance our internal productivity, to really understand our customers’ needs and to continue to work closely with Kerridge to make our business as efficient as it can be.”

Gains and benefits

Complete reliability and enhanced efficiency.
Intuitive, menu-led processes that can be instantly accessed from the sales screen. Easy to use – more time can be dedicated to the customer.
Flexible sales order processing, accessible from one screen.
Inter-branch trading capability – better stock utilisation, improved customer service.
Accurate reporting and management information – effective decision making.
Forecasting tools invaluable – improved ordering, saves time, more effective use of working capital.
Quick and efficient automated processes – smoother, controlled and more efficient operation.
A platform for expansion of branch network – minimal IT investment impact.
Online support calls via secure extranet – issues recorded without delay, saves time.

K8 is a fully integrated Trading and Business Management solution for distributors, wholesalers, merchants and retailers. Combining a suite of modules, it helps you source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably and service competitively.

K8 is designed to help you get closer to your customers, build profits, and manage your margins. From your sales team, to your back office, K8 has been developed by distributive trades experts to improve the day-to-day performance of your team.

To find out more about the solutions that we offer, please contact us today.

Our focus is on service, as reflected in our ‘Create something beautiful’ slogan. K8 has enabled us to enhance this, giving us access to a wealth of information at a single click.

- Matthew Johnson, Managing Director, Tileflair