The Toy Shoppe of London Stays on Track with P.C. Consulting

“We’re better organized on our shelves, we’re saving money on inventory and we’re able to answer customer inquiries quickly and accurately. Am I pleased with our BusinessVision upgrade and P.C.  Consulting? Yes, very pleased,” says Clyde Walton.

In a world of big-box sameness and mass merchandisers stocking retail shelves full of this year’s latest fads, The Toy Shoppe of London stands out from the crowd. Owned by Clyde Walton and his wife Rose, The Toy Shoppe has been in operation for over 15 years and is one of the oldest and most successful retail stores in northwest London.

On the advice of a friend, Paul Lambert, president and founder of P.C. Consulting, visited The Toy Shoppe in the fall of 1996 to buy Christmas gifts for his children. While standing in line to pay, Lambert overheard a customer being told that she couldn’t have her receipt reprinted. Coincidently, when it was Lambert’s turn to pay he noticed that the software being used was BusinessVision, an accounting and business management program he had supported for a number of years. He also knew that BusinessVision could have printed that extra receipt and told Walton so.

Frustrated with the person who had originally sold BusinessVision to him, Walton was happy to have met someone who could help him get more out of the software he’d purchased to run his store. From that serendipitous meeting a long-term and rewarding relationship was born.

The Train Keeps on Rolling

The successful growth of The Toy Shoppe of London is testament to Walton’s commitment to his vision and principles. He sources quality products not generally found in chain stores. Walton, dressed in his trademark pinstripe overalls, red t-shirt and train engineer’s cap, knows just what he’s doing when it comes to branding his business. Behind his big smile and affable exterior is a man who is very serious about his business, the products he chooses to stock, and the service his customers receive.

Ten years later, The Toy Shoppe was in its third location, in facilities five times the size of the original store, and Walton was notified that Sage Software was retiring the old DOS version of BusinessVision that had served him so well for all those years.

“It was easier to keep track of things in the early days,” explains Walton. “It was just my wife and me in a small store. We saw each other every day, talked about what we had and what was selling, or not. We kept track of general operations at the dinner table.

“So, although that early version of BusinessVision served us well for the time, I wasn’t surprised when they notified me that support for it would cease by the end of the year. The timing was good since the business had grown so much we really needed to upgrade our computer system.”

With floor space of 9,000 square feet, The Toy Shoppe now offered over 27,000 products, purchased from over 350 suppliers, and employed 17 staff. The increased demands created by this growth meant that a new system had to meet the challenges unique to the toy business, streamline the administrative workload, and provide up-to-the-minute reporting to keep the business competitive and profitable.

Walton called Shelley Sanderson, a senior manager and business technology advisor at P.C. Consulting. Walton had worked closely with Sanderson for several years and was confident she could help him decide on the best course of action.

As a result of an initial meeting with Sanderson, Walton came to the conclusion that implementing the latest version of Sage BusinessVision, with some customization to tailor it to his unique requirements, was the best decision for his business.

Walton recalls how upbeat Sanderson was as she described the benefits the new program would deliver. “Shelley is a very positive person. In fact, if we were on a sinking ship, Shelley’s the kind of person who would remain calm and suggest that it might be a good time to learn how to swim,” says Walton with his trademark smile.

Sanderson explained how software modifications would allow for daily “pick lists” to be created so staff could quickly find and pull new stock for the shelves. The ability to automatically find “holes” on the shelves and fill them quickly would translate into increased sales as the reduction in time required for this work would mean more time spent helping customers and selling toys.

Proper reporting would also ensure that the right product was ordered in a timely manner so that it would be available in the warehouse when needed.

All Aboard!

Walton was sold on the benefits of upgrading, but the planning stage was just the beginning. To implement the new software meant a complete overhaul of his entire system, including a new server, point-of-sale workstations, custom programming, and of course, comprehensive training for the staff. Fortunately, P.C. Consulting could provide a turn-key solution; everything from the hardware installation to project management, software programming and staff training would be looked after.

The complete package required a significant investment for The Toy Shoppe. “The best thing Clyde did during this process was take the required time to review his business practices and plan for what he needed,” says Sanderson. “He engaged every employee and gathered valuable information from all of them. Then we got the staff together for a day-long review of the new system to get more feedback from their point-of-view.

“This information provided me the necessary details to create the customized elements that would ultimately ensure Clyde’s satisfaction and help him manage his business more effectively.”

When asked if he feels all the time spent in the planning stage was a worthwhile expense his response is clear. “Absolutely. I would do it again, no question. Proper planning meant we got it right, and involving the staff in the planning helped us see challenges from their point-of-view, and helped them to understand we were creating processes that would help them. We didn’t experience any resistance to the upgrade from the staff.”

Staying on Schedule

The project was scheduled to be completed, with the system fully functional and the staff trained, by September. In spite of some unexpected challenges, the deadline was met. Walton grins when he recalls those days. “Not only did P.C. Consulting deliver a great product, on time and within budget, but they did it while we were literally rained out of our store.”

Things went off the rails when a contractor hired by the landlord decided to remove a major portion of the roof on the same day a heavy rainstorm was forecast. The rains came and the store was flooded and closed for clean-up and repairs for six weeks during a major part of the implementation of the new system.

“Shelley spent several weeks completing our staff training in a motel room across the street. But our new server and point-of-sale stations were installed right on schedule. We re-opened the doors ready to go.”

Is Walton pleased with the way things turned out? “We continue to be extremely pleased with the system and the ongoing support from P.C. Consulting. It has worked out perfectly.”