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For Your Approval ... more
Assign of the Times ... more
Who’s Who at KWI? ... more
A Moment of Urban Zen ... more
Short Cuts – Fast, Helpful Hints ... more
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KWI Initiates 'Breakthough' Formal Approval Process
KWI understands that many retailers need a formal framework that provides accountability during the purchase order process. Therefore, next month KWI will enhance the architecture of its current purchase order functionality, initiating a formal approval procedure to help retailers keep track of spending and stay within budget. This is truly a breakthrough with regard to segregation of duties for those customers who want the ability to oversee purchase order requests.
The KWI program allows purchase orders to be completed, but not booked until a manager approves it. There is a separate approval screen, accessed via the Security menu, that allows a manager to see all of the outstanding POs waiting to be approved. The manager can approve or disapprove a range of POs by highlighting them:
�● Once a PO is approved, it is marked with the user ID of who approved it and the date it was approved.
�● If a PO is disapproved, there is a space to enter a reason why.�● Once an action is taken, an email is sent to the person who built the PO
letting them know the status.
Additionally, the security will be set up so that different people in the approval process can only approve a PO up to a specific dollar amount.
This latest development provides KWI clients with a degree of supply chain accountability. Problems and non-essential activities can be flagged by both KWI and its clients in a partnership approach towards cost reduction and service level improvement.
For more information, please contact Jodi Solotoff, VP of Client Relations, at: [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 310.
KWI Adopts Just-in-Time Purchase Order Attitude
In retail, it's all about the 3 Rs: getting the right merchandise to the right store at the right time.
But retailers know that predicting inventory in this volatile economy can be dicey, particularly if you are ordering merchandise several months out, and that it makes better economic sense to make crucial allocation decisions closer to the receive date. In response, KWI is enhancing its Purchase Order processing this month to allow retailers to
place an order now, but define the distribution at a later point in time.
Previously, when clients used KWI's Ordering by Pre-Distribution process, they would have to assign the store and quantity at the time the purchase order was built. Now, as the receive date gets closer, retailers can use Assign Pre-Distribution to enter a PO number and then quickly assign the entire quantity on order to the desired stores. The warehouse will be able to see the new distributions in reports and use them to create an automatic distribution. Additionally, the program will keep a running track of the quantity already distributed by store, so that you can't make a mistake and over-distribute.
The speed with which management adjusts inventory to meet changes in the marketplace is vital to a company's profitability. KWI wants to enable its retail clients to maintain minimal inventory levels by ordering materials as close as possible to the actual time of need.
For more information, please contact Jodi Solotoff, VP of Client Relations, at: [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 310.
Meet the Development Team!
These are a few of the many software developers on the KWI staff. Name: Rey B. Agtuca
Position: Developer
Joined the KWI team: July 2007
Credentials: 7 years' experience in software development, most recently as a Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman in Bethpage, N.Y., working mainly in research
and development; B.S. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University.
Most interested in - at work: Java programming
Most interested in – at play: A round of golf
Most memorable work experience: Training with a KWI senior developer
Most memorable personal experience: Wedding day
Favorite movie: Pay It Forward
Favorite book: The History of Physics by Isaac Asimov
Most prized possession: My health and well-being
Personal motto: "Live long and prosper."
Name: Syju David
Position: Developer
Joined the KWI team: January 2008
Credentials: Over 8 years' experience in software development using J2EE Technology, having worked at Accenture and Computer Associates; M.S. in Computer
Science from St. Peters Engg College, India.
Most interested in - at work: Getting work done timely and efficiently
Most interested in – at play: Cooking, gardening, music
Most memorable personal experience: The birth of my two little girls
Most prized possession: My family
Personal motto: "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." Name: Kijung Park
Position: Developer
Joined the KWI team: February 2008
Credentials: System Developer for Thomson and UBS Financial for 8 years; B.A in Computer Science, Queens College, N.Y.
Most interested in - at work: Implementing the right solutions and getting jobs done.
Most interested in - at play: Playing with my two daughters
Most memorable work experience: Developing real-time financial portfolio tracker and running it on an Internet financial technology company's web site.
Most memorable personal experience: When my children were born
Favorite movie: The Godfather
Favorite book: The Clash of Civilizations by Samuel P. Huntington, the Bible
Personnel motto: "Don't get too good at the wrong stuff."
Name: Arvind Shankar Krishnaswamy
Position: Developer
Joined the KWI team: March 2008
Credentials: Consultant for Satya Marg Solutions, Inc., for 3 years and KWI for 1 year; M.S. in Computer Science,
UMKC; B.E. in Electronics and Comm., Madras University, India
Most interested in - at work: Software design, debugging and technical discussions
Most interested in – at play: Reading novels (mostly science fiction), gaming in my PSP and enjoying nature
Most memorable work experience: When I took over and enhanced the loader tool that was initially developed by a previous KWI developer.
Most memorable personal experience: My first rafting trip and college days in India
Favorite movie: The Matrix
Favorite book: A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
Most prized possession: Friends
New KWI Client Urban Zen
Inspires Awareness and ChangeRenowned fashion designer Donna Karan has long had an impact on American sportswear with her system of dressing and her seven easy pieces, where a handful of interchangeable items work together to create an entire wardrobe that goes from day to evening, weekday to weekend, season to season.
But in 2006 Karan turned her attention from “dresses” to “addresses,” as she was once quoted in Women’s Wear
Daily, and embarked on a new initiative that aims to raise awareness and funds for some of her lifelong passions – fostering wellness, preserving cultures and empowering children.
Karan, along with British designer Sonja Nuttall, launched the Urban Zen Foundation, which aims to “create, connect and collaborate” and inspire change globally in three ways:
�● To change the current healthcare paradigm to include integrative medicine and promote patient advocacy, combining western science with nutrition, yoga and eastern healing practices.
�● To help cultures maintain their natural essence and identity in the face of globalization and to preserve their unique cultural and spiritual values.
�● To care for children and give them the tools they need to face obstacles and opportunities with love, compassion and strength.
Last fall, the Urban Zen initiative was translated into merchandise with the rollout of Urban Zen boutiques, the first of which opened in New York City. Defined as an “exotic nomadic retail experience,” the stores offer apparel, objects of desire, art for the home, books and videos for the urban traveler.
KWI, which will provide Urban Zen with its standard suite of technology solutions, is honored to have a part in bringing this “mystical destination” to the retail
marketplace.
For more information, please contact Gary Brill at: [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 325.
This Month’s Short Cuts
Time-saving tips and ideas that are right on the money – from the staff of KWI.
1. CRM Tip of the Month … from Jubin Thomas, CRM Services Manager
The E-mail Solution
E-mail has changed the way we communicate. It combines the speed and efficiency of the telephone with the written word, and there are virtually no time or place barriers – you can write and respond whenever and practically
wherever you choose. Plus, it is one of the least expensive methods of communication available.
But have you taken the essential step of acquiring your customer's e-mail address?
Retailers need to give customers' e-mail addresses just as much importance as their postal addresses. Trickle-polling, an established feature of KWI's POS solution, gives retailers the opportunity to send out an e-mail immediately to a customer who has just made a transaction. Imagine purchasing a jacket and then going home to already find a 'thank-you,' details on product care and a coupon/offer to encourage your future return to the store!
Now that's thinking ahead. And it costs you next to nothing.
For more information on e-mail messaging and marketing, please contact KWI-CRM at: [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 367.
2. LP Tip of the Month … from Kimberlee Woo, Director of Loss Prevention, West Coast
Shoplifting: What You Need to Know, Part I
According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, more than $25 million worth of merchandise is stolen from retailers each day. And no matter how big or small your retail store, you are susceptible to shoplifting.
Unfortunately, there is no typical profile of a shoplifter. Thieves come in all ages, races and from various backgrounds. There are some signs, though, that should signal a red flag for retailers, particularly when shoppers:
�● Spend more time watching the cashier or sales clerk than actually shopping.
�● Wear bulky, heavy clothing during warm weather or coats when unnecessary.
�● Walk with short or unnatural steps, which may indicate that they are concealing lifted items. (Hiding merchandise is the most common method of shoplifting; others include price label switching, short changing the cashier and phony returns.)
�● Seem nervous and possibly pick up random items with no interest.�● Frequently enter the store and never make a purchase.�● Enter dressing room or restroom with merchandise and exit with none or
only one of several items.�● Are part of a large group entering the store at one time, especially juveniles
(often a member of the group causes a disturbance to distract sales staff).
Also keep in mind that shoplifters learn to take advantage of stores during peak hours or busy seasons, or they may hit at times when employees are less alert, such as during opening, closing and shift changes.
For more information, please contact Kimberlee Woo at: [email protected] or (516) 403-2442. 3. KWI Merchant Services Tip of the Month … from David Drucker and Phyllis Gricco
Setting Up More Merchant Accounts
While it’s true that most merchant accounts can be set up in a few days, sometimes it takes longer. Therefore, you should start thinking about setting up your account approximately one month before you plan to use it. Trust us, you will have plenty of other challenges in those last few days before you open for business, and we want to ensure that your merchant account is set up … and set up properly. There are two things to keep in mind:
�● Using credit card processing experts for your credit card processing needs
ensures you get the best advice. Most banks and superstores that do not specialize in merchant accounts can never be as up-to-date with the current trends as specialists, such as KWI and the Merchant Services division.
�● Online credit card processing may have a few different fees than a retail merchant account. Make sure you understand all of your fees and that everything is fully outlined.
Remember, be thorough when you review your merchant account application, and ask questions about anything you don't understand. Taking the time to go through the process carefully can save you from surprises when you get your statement.
For more information on setting up additional merchant accounts, please contact David Drucker, President, KWI Merchant Services, at: [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 720.
