A growing specialty retailer outpaced the capabilities of its home-grown POS solution. They had added new product lines and services over the years and current systems could not keep pace with the requirements. After assessing “build versus buy” options, they decided that buying would not fit their needs. The vision was to have one system, at the Point of Sale, to support all product sales, loan servicing and regulatory requirements.
Impact
This project touched almost every aspect of the client’s operation. They started as a pawn shop and moved into product retail sales which grew to over 50 percent of their revenue. They then added gun sales, bringing another level of complexity. The vision was one POS system that performed all types of transactions. It needed to be audited and approved by two regulatory agencies: the OCC because it was a financing system where the client could loan money, and the ATF to support gun sales.
Solution
The initial phase of the project was an architectural and design assessment with the purpose of understanding the nuances of the executive sponsor’s vision and defining complexities of the transaction flows. This understanding allowed us to design creative options for the solution architecture, technical and database architecture. The subsequent construction phase was complex technically and due to the integration of the transaction flows. For example, for a customer wanting to pawn an iPhone 7, the store associate had to use their best judgment for the value of the device. CG Infinity implemented an automated, data analytic based, guided process so the associate would have access to the up to date market value for that item. The system would also determine what the recommended loan value should be, as well as to audit and escalate any additional approvals required.
Result
The client re-defined and transformed their retail processes, focusing on the interoperability of transactions. The customer experience and efficiency of the store associates were significantly improved. In addition, they were able to refresh their technology infrastructure, introduce new analytic – driven processes, and consolidate multiple applications into a single user application experience. The end result created leverage to scale the business.