Opticians Dollond & Aitchison is using a
next-generation network to deliver centrally held customer data to
401 UK branches, allowing customers to receive a personalised
service at any store.
Telecoms provider ntl:Telewest Business has installed an
Internet Protocol
Virtual
Private Network (IPVPN) using
Multiprotocol Labelling
System technology, with Digital Subscriber Line services to
each branch. The IPVPN connects all branches back to the company's
headquarters in Aston, Birmingham and mirrors data to a disaster
recovery centre in nearby Yardley.
The network allows new customer services, including the
centralising of all customer records so that glasses, contact
lenses and other products can be readied for customers at any
branch. Customers can also view products online in branches and
place orders.
"We aim to use technology as the enabling platform for driving
increased loyalty amongst our customers," said Paul Willows,
information services director for Dollond & Aitchison. "We have
invested in faster and more resilient data and internet services
that empower our branches with more sophisticated
communications."
"When our personnel in-store look up customer records, they now
get a single version of the truth, meaning they can deal with each
customer as an individual, and the customer knows we have done our
utmost to deliver the type of personalised service they cherish,"
Willows said.
The ntl:Telewest Business network is also being used to support
a new centralised electronic point-of-sale system that improves
sales reporting by quickly providing a single record of each day's
trading across the country.
"Many UK retailers are seeking an edge on the high street to
better compete with both their neighbours and the emergence of
online retail," said David Bell, business sales manager for
ntl:Telewest Business in Birmingham.
