Stock Maintainance

The proposed solution should allow for a system generated invoice, created once deliveries are confirmed, to be posted to the Purchase Ledger on the Back Office.
For stores that receive deliveries from local suppliers, the solution should provide functionality to key invoices directly onto the back office manually

Flag product on promotion so visible when managing promotion stock holding

Impact on margin when making changes to recommended retail pricing

Hold zero/value expense items

Modify product information (e.g. product attributes)

Change prices (cost and retail) for locally supplied items

Manually send new product to the POS

Create new items e.g. locally supplied items

Stores would expect to be able to run a Perpetual Inventory process to manage stock levels based on a
calendar at department and sub department level. Data would need to be reviewed and accepted on the
back office.
Stores will either use a Hand Held device or count the stock manually and then use their back office
system to confirm and apply to stock levels.
The proposed solution should allow for functionality to process perpetual inventory counts.
When full stock takes are undertaken, stock levels will be set to zero and updated once the count is
complete.
Where external stock takes are undertaken either the store Hand Held device or a compatible device
supplied by the company carrying out the count will be used.
The proposed solution should allow for integration with third party stock take companies.

Configure operator prompts for specific products/departments

Maintain menus for non-barcoded products

The Symbol Brand stores do not currently have a system solution for transferring stock.
The proposed solution should provide functionality that allows and captures relevant inter-store stock transfer data, creating relevant stock documentation (EDN) for use by receiving store.

Maintain weighted packaged items, weighted loose items and weighted deli items

On a weekly basis stores will receive two files relating to product:
 a product catalogue file containing updates and deletions
 a price change file
These files sit in a “background” database. Where relevant, products are configured with various attributes e.g. ‘British/Irish made’ and the stores then have the functionality to ‘make live’ and choose all products that are specific to their store, therefore maintaining the store version of their product file.
Ownership of product data is divested to the retailer once product lines are ‘Live’ in the store.
The proposed solution should provide, but not be limited to, the following functionality:
 Create a stock item – align to product hierarchy, set VAT, set pricing and relevant attributes
 Amend a stock item – amend pricing (Cost & Retail), attributes e.g. promotion, auto-replenishment, manage margin, etc.
 Extract Products from the background database
 Prepare stock file for download to handheld device
 View a product image
 Re-assign barcodes – local lines only
Allow products to be flagged as Seasonal, allowing retailers to report on stock levels, sales and profitability.
Currently retailers have the ability to set-up Price Groups to give a group of similar items the same price. This means they can easily change the price of all the items in one go, rather than individually. This functionality should be available in the new solution.

Orders
Currently Symbol stores have functionality to place orders by:
 Creating manual Musgrave orders on the Back Office
 Creating Musgrave Orders using a Hand Held Device, followed by upload to the Back Office
 Using the Back Office suggested ordering function
 Accessing the on-line “Web Shop”
 Order stock from Local suppliers by Phone or E-mail
The proposed solution should offer stock ordering capabilities, intelligence to link with product information e.g. current promotion, wastage, stock on order and produce a data file that can be accepted by Musgrave.
Replenishment
Stores receive stock from Musgrave, typically 2 or 3 days per week and balanced across ambient and chilled deliveries.
Stores also receive stock from local suppliers where they have placed local orders and understand delivery times.
Once stock has left the Musgrave warehouse, an EDN (Electronic Delivery note) is created, printed and sent with the delivery, in addition to being sent electronically to the back office.
All Musgrave stock is delivered to the store and typically processed using the following steps:-
 Manually checked for damage, standard and substitutions
 Manually matched to the original order on the back office system, accepted and stock updated
 Stores will review VAT on goods received and ensure the correct VAT code is set
 Invoice created posted to Purchase Ledger on the back office system
 Claims raised manually for faulty goods, following completion of a Goods For Return note
 Credit notes raised where applicable
 Products relating to substitutions set up on product file
 Local deliveries will be keyed onto the back office manually
The proposed solution should provide functionality that facilitates replenishment across departments and the supplier should provide details of functionality relating to both manual and auto replenishment capabilities.

View future price changes not yet effective

In the back office, stores have the facility to search for products in their product catalogue.
Product can be scanned or intelligent search criteria can be used to display information about that product and then allow maintenance and management of the selected stock items.
Non-editable fields should be locked down to prohibit local changes.
The proposed solution should provide intelligent search functionality to be able to quickly locate products for maintenance and management.
The details shown should include:-
 PLU code and description
 VAT details
 Price details – Master Retail Price, RRP
 Cost details – Pack cost, unit cost
 Pack information
 Restrictions – Age
 Stock information – actual, minimum, days to stock
 Margin information

Maintain future price changes with effective dates

Configure what fields can be amended and which are locked down

Link products for up selling prompts

Copy a product, link with similar and add to Price Group

Set products as unavailable to order

Manage stock costs taking Wholesale promotions into account

Set pack size for products

Configure item to be handled in either unit or weight

Set minimum required stock holding for products on Automatic Replenishment (to calculate Suggested Order Quantities)

Link like products for auto ordering purposes e.g. Coke + Coke 15% extra