Context
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is a fashion, food and home ware retailer with 600 stores throughout the UK and 240 stores worldwide, including over 210 franchise businesses, operating in 34 countries. With an extensive postal order services, M&S has warehouses all over the UK.
Challenge
M&S asked the cScape mobile experts to evaluate improvements made to their Hand Held Terminal (HHT) by Cap Gemini. The HHT is a mobile PDA device used for scanning product codes, filing returns and checking availability across warehouses. The project was an opportunity to improve the efficiency of M&S' stock taking and distribution processes. M&S wanted a streamlined process for ordering stock to warehouses and to track products around the UK. A central aim was to avoid over-ordering and to enable staff to handle the stock easily so they could provide even better customer services.
Solution
After Cap Gemini defined the HHT device interface and fulfilment processes, cScape evaluated the solution, recommending improvements that would ensure staff could easily understand and use the device. This meant an in-depth analysis of product documentation and best practice guidelines. Suggested improvements included an assessment of the device’s physicality, the potential for audio feedback, the colours and onscreen typography of the interface, and making sure it would continue to be usable in different environments—including low-light store rooms. Other factors considered were how well the HHT complied with Windows mobile interface guidelines.
Outcome
After cScape’s recommended design improvements were implemented, M&S took on the improved device for an initial three-month test period. cScape emphasised simple solutions, minimising clutter and creating design consistency. This meant typical upgrade overheads such as staff re-training could be kept at a minimum. The work carried out by Cap Gemini and cScape demonstrates that M&S is at the forefront of ensuring systems are both technologically advanced and well designed.