Case Studies
Brittany Ferries wanted to enhance the Departure point, the moment when the passengers arrive at the port and check in. The process was to be the same as an airport check-in...
The shops branches needed to be able to order jewellery items on-line from Watch This Space, to perform normal Point Of Sale routines (ie. a check-out system) and also to...
The NHS wanted to obtain the most accurate income tax quotations and assesments to enable NHS employees to obtain vehicles with known tax implications, so each...
Winters Marine wanted a centralised system that needed to be built from scratch a module at a time, ensuring that training of staff kept pace with implementation of...
Their spare parts location service needed to streamline the supply and delivery of spare parts, so as to match their commitment to the Honda owner...
King Harry Ferry required handheld computers, capable of withstanding rugged use outside in all temperatures and weathers, with...
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries, operates one of the most modern fleets on the Channel, with a total of 8 passenger ships. The Pont-Aven is their luxurious £100m flagship ferry setting new standards in passenger ferry travel. They sail from Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth direct to Brittany, Normandy and Northern Spain. As well as taking you across the water, they cater for your whole holiday experience on dry land as well.
What were the company trying to do?
They wanted to enhance the Departure point, the moment when the passengers arrive at the port and check in. The process was to be the same as an airport check-in, except that with Brittany Ferries passengers arrive in their cars and drive them onto the ship, whilst other passengers board on foot, and commercial vehicles drive to the commercial vehicle area. The Check-In point was to be a company Check-In Manager who would be anywhere in the port or on the ship, checking in passengers at any location within this area – as opposed to getting them all to queue up at a check-in point.
What did the company need?
The Check-In Manager needed to have a hand-held computer which connected via wi-fi direct to the company's bookings website, to make sure the right passengers boarded the right ship at the right time.
How did Forever Software help?
Forever Software provided the software link between the handheld computer and the website, ensuring that both the Check-In Manager and the website are kept up to date with the latest check-ins, so that passengers can board with no fuss, and the ships can sail on time.
Jewellery Stop
Jewellery Stop sell handmade jewellery. Drawn from a wide range of natural materials, including resin, shell, wood, silk and freshwater pearls, their jewellery incorporates both traditional and unique handmade techniques in order to create their ranges of stunning jewellery and accessories.
What were the company trying to do?
Their sister company, Watch This Space Ltd, designed the jewellery and imported the items from Asia where they are made. They already had a Forever Software program handling purchase ordering, sales ordering and invoicing to shops and sales agents. They wanted to open a chain of their own shops at a number of towns and cities in the Midlands.
What did the company need?
The shops needed to be able to order jewellery items on-line from Watch This Space, to perform normal Point Of Sale routines (ie. a check-out system) and also to perform the shops' daily sales totalling and cashing-up routine on-line and send the results electronically to the head office each evening after the shops closed for the day. At the head office, the sales results from all the shops would be collated for the head office staff to monitor. The system was also to calculate proposed replacement deliveries for each shop based on what they had sold, and to enable new lines to be sent to the shops as well. By shortly after 6pm every day, the head office staff should know exactly what each shop has sold and how much they would bank the following day.
How did Forever Software help?
We provided exactly what they required, and were able to suggest enhancements to the original specification at no extra cost. As well as normal check-out activities, the shops system handles gift vouchers, credit notes, offers, and discount types. Stock-taking and individual stock checking are also catered for. The system uses bar codes throughout the whole system, and produces new labels for the new items on sale.
NHS Shared Services
NHS Shared Business Services provides a wide range of comprehensive, innovative and reliable services, delivering value to the NHS by:
- sharing best practice
- improving financial control
- maximising purchasing power
- providing service excellence
- leading-edge technology
With over 100 clients and state-of-the-art centres of excellence, NHS SBS today is the preferred choice for NHS Trusts seeking to modernise their back office processes.
What were the company trying to do?
They wanted to obtain the most accurate income tax quotations and assesments to enable NHS employees to obtain vehicles with known tax implications, so each buyer could make a choice based on the best information.
What did the company need?
They needed a complex income tax calculator.
How did Forever Software help?
Forever Software provided them with a tax calculator with changeable annual input criteria and a very specific set of responses. These would be printed out and sent to the employee so a decision could be made on the intended purchase.
Winters Marine
Winters Marine Ltd is a prestigious boatyard situated in the beautiful Salcombe Harbour in the picturesque South Hams, Devon.
What were the company trying to do?
They had a boat sales and service operation, selling new and used boats of all types and sizes. They wanted a simple and straightforward invoicing program which would store details of customers and their boats, and also raise invoices for work done – maintenance, laying up for the winter – and to facilitate the ordering of spare parts from the relevant manufacturers.
What did the company need?
They wanted a centralised software system which allowed the various parts of the business to function cohesively.
How did Forever Software help?
Forever Software built the system from scratch, a module at a time, ensuring that training of staff kept pace with implementation of new processes. This project started life as a 'DOS' (ie. pre-Windows) program on a computer equipped with just two 5.25 inch floppy disk drives and no hard disk, and went through several permutations via the first Windows operating system (Windows 3.1) to end up as a program using the latest Windows version on the latest PC.
Honda Cars
The car manufacturer was established by the 1960's, and has the strap line: "The power of dreams."
What were the company trying to do?
Their spare parts location service needed to streamline the supply and delivery of spare parts, so as to match their commitment to the Honda owner. Honda say, 'You drive a Honda. And as an owner you'll want to keep your vehicle as safe and trouble-free as possible. That's why you'll want high-quality, high-performance Honda Genuine parts and the best in servicing.'
What did the company need?
A system for rapid location and retrieval of the correct part at the right time, using the latest generation of hand-held scanning equipment designed to quickly find the correct storage bin for the relevant part, which could be anywhere in the warehouse. They needed to be able to pick multiple parts from multiple bins from multiple orders in one picking session.
How did Forever Software help?
We provided the software element for handheld scanning equipment which was used to locate and track parts movements in one of the warehouses. The handheld scanner was connected to the database using radio, and was one of the first type to display requests and responses on its screen immediately they were received from the database.
King Harry Ferry
The King Harry Ferry is an iconic part of Cornwall's history. Established in 1888, it connects St Mawes and the Roseland Peninsula with Feock, Truro and Falmouth by avoiding the alternative 27 mile route through Truro & Tresillian.
What were the company trying to do?
To make collecting the passenger tolls easier and more accountable.
What did the company need?
Handheld computers, capable of withstanding rugged use outside in all temperatures and weathers, with the ability to produce tickets printed with the correct tariff and service from special printers worn by the ticket collecters and controlled from the handheld computer by wireless communication. At the end of the day, the handhelds would be docked in their cradles for recharging and upload of the day's sales. The head office would receive this information, downloaded overnight ready for the head office staff to look at in the morning. New prices, new tariff structures and new ferry services would be introduced or shelved (depending on the time of year).
How did Forever Software help?
We provided the software for the handheld terminals, the printers, the uploads and downloads and the full range of data handling in the head office.
