ARAMARK Chooses BCP?s Accord ? Retailer for MOD Stores

Business Computer Projects Ltd (BCP), the UK retail and supply chain solutions specialist, has implemented its Accord ? Retailer retail management solution at a number of MOD stores on behalf of managed services supplier, ARAMARK UK.

Stockport, UK April 29, 2005 -- Business Computer Projects Ltd (BCP), the UK retail and supply chain solutions specialist, has implemented its Accord ? Retailer retail management solution at a number of MOD stores on behalf of managed services supplier, ARAMARK UK.

ARAMARK UK is the UK arm of the US based ARAMARK Corporation, a world leader in providing managed services to business. The company services many industry sectors ? Education, Healthcare, Hotels, Leisure, Custodial, the MoD and Offshore, to name but a few ? with an extensive array of customised facilities management services - cleaning, grounds and buildings maintenance, reception duties, janitorial services, etc. - as well as the traditional food service solutions on which the company was founded.

BCP is one of the UK?s leading suppliers of specialist Retail and Supply Chain solutions to the Food and Drink industry.

The new retail systems encompass the complete Accord ? Retailer Point of Sale and Back Office solution. The modern Windows front end ? Accord ? PoS ? provides the full range of point of sale functionality necessary for successful retailing, including integrated EFTPoS, multicurrency and comprehensive in-store promotion control. Designed to provide fast, reliable, resilient processing, it ensures customer service and store efficiency are optimised. Accord ? Back Office provides complete control over store operations, from product and price maintenance and auto replenishment to stock control, sales reporting and cash control, delivering focussed management information for monitoring peformance and proactive decision making.                                    
The systems at the MOD stores utilise a range of different hardware including IBM, Compaq and the latest J2 touch screen terminals for the checkouts at some of the stores.

The implementations also include AIMS, BCP?s Internet messaging service for high performance, cost effective communications and data transfer, and Piccolink RF hand held terminals. These are being used with Accord ? Retailer to improve accuracy and productivity across a whole range of activities, including stock counting, price verification and goods received.

ARAMARK chose BCP?s Accord ? Retailer for the MOD stores because it offered a cost effective, flexible solution with an impressive track record in convenience retailing. Specially tailored for the supermarket and convenience sector, it satisfied ARAMARK?s precise requirements without the need for any additional bespoke work.

The first system was implemented in October 2004, with the other stores going live around the turn of the year, BCP successfully meeting ARAMARK?s aggressive implementation timescales in all cases.

Users at all the stores have found the system intuitive and easy to use. Operational benefits from the new system are already coming through, particularly in terms of improved efficiency based on information generated by the system. Automatic Ordering and improved stocktaking are delivering significant benefits while detailed sales information, previously unavailable, has confirmed presumptions about good and bad selling goods and prompted plans for re- merchandising of the store to increase sales.

Mike Pugh, Business Development Manager at ARAMARK, concludes: ?The new Accord ? Retailer systems at these MOD stores are more than living up to our expectations in terms of the benefits they are already delivering ? particularly at the initial store. One of the biggest benefits to date has been the transformation of the monthly stock taking process. Previously we had to close the store, but now these can be completed in a fraction of the time and while the store is open. This is delivering huge operational benefits. We expect to see further improvements and, particularly, an increase in store turnover, as we make use of other information generated by the system to tailor our product ranges and re-merchandise the stores.?

About BCP - www.bcpsoftware.com
Founded in 1979, Business Computer Projects Ltd (BCP) is a leading systems house specialising in supply chain solutions. Our Accord® systems offer end-to-end, web enabled supply chain solutions for delivered wholesale, cash & carry and retail distribution. Dedicated versions are available for the food and drink sector where we are regarded as one of the market leaders.

All our systems have been developed using Progress 4GL ensuring they are user friendly and easy to tailor, with powerful, flexible reporting and management information facilities. Their OpenEdge(TM) architecture makes them suitable for use on a wide range of platforms, giving clients maximum choice and flexibility in hardware and operating system platform selection and allowing easy integration with many other technologies, such as .NET, Java and Web Services.

As a technology innovator, BCP systems are in the forefront when it comes to applying new technologies to the Food Industry Supply Chain. Recently these include Voice technology in the warehouse, using Web Services and EDI-INT for Supply Chain Integration and keeping abreast of new developments in the industry, such as ?Chip and Pin?. We also operate a number of managed services for our clients, including AIMS (Accord Internet Messaging Service) for passing information reliably and securely between sites, an EFT Bureau and an EDI Bureau.

BCP clients include SPAR, Musgrave, BWG, Woodward Food Service, William Morrison Supermarkets, Pets at Home.

About ARAMARK ? www.ARAMARK.co.uk

For further information please contact Pauline Higgs at BCP:
Tel: +44 (0)161 355 3000
Fax: +44 (0)161 355 3001
Email: e-mail protected from spam bots
www.bcpsoftware.com

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