The Carphone Warehouse Selects Kronos for Retail to Optimise Staff Scheduling in Seven European Countries
LONDON, August 11, 2008 — Europe's leading independent retailer of mobile phones, The Carphone Warehouse has selected Kronos for Retail from Kronos® Incorporated to manage the scheduling of 5,000 staff across seven European countries. Kronos will provide a fully automated employee scheduling solution that will analyse historical trading data, projected sales figures, labour standards, and employee availability before creating the optimum staffing schedule for each store.
The Carphone Warehouse conducted a proof of concept trial to test the correlation between schedule optimisation and customer conversion rates, and installed footfall readers at 15 stores to measure customer flow against sales figures. The concept demonstrated a direct correlation between the number of staff available in store and customer conversions. As a result, the company commenced a search for a scheduling solution to optimise schedules and maximise sales.
The Carphone Warehouse selected Kronos for Retail to implement the full workforce management solution. Mercedes Garcia, senior project manager for business change function, Europe at The Carphone Warehouse explained: "We selected Kronos for a number of reasons: the company demonstrates a sound understanding of our business; it has a track record in managing successful implementations across multiple European countries; and the solution is functionally rich, flexible, and able to manage the specific policy and legislative requirements of the seven countries in which it is to be deployed."
The Carphone Warehouse has complex rotas, fluctuating store opening hours and peak periods, which necessitate the utilisation of temporary staff. Using historical trading data and projected sales forecasts, Kronos will create optimum schedules to minimise under- and over-staffing, and subsequently reduce the dependency on temporary staff. The Kronos time and attendance module will allow The Carphone Warehouse to manage absence, ensure payroll accuracy, and reduce administration costs. Biometric terminals will be used to confirm accuracy of employee attendance data collected.
Garcia noted the key anticipated benefits: "Kronos will allow us to manage employee schedules by accurately matching staffing requirements to customer demand. We expect substantial improvements in customer conversion rates as a result. The time and attendance element of the Kronos solution will help us reduce payroll inflation, generate payroll management overhead savings, and give us real-time visibility to manage our labour resources. We expect customers to experience a greater level of service with more staff available to meet their requirements."
Keith Statham, managing director, Kronos UK, commented: "Given the current economic climate and customer confidence dropping to a record low, it is essential for retailers to consider optimising their employees to ensure that the right people with the right skills are in the right places at the right times to maximise on every customer opportunity and provide exemplary levels of service. The Carphone Warehouse has identified a direct correlation between optimising the workforce and customer conversions, and we are delighted to be able to provide the retailer with a Kronos solution to manage this process."
About Kronos Incorporated
Kronos Incorporated empowers organizations around the world to effectively manage their workforce. At Kronos, we are experts who are solely focused on delivering software and services that enable organizations to reduce costs, increase productivity, improve employee satisfaction, and ultimately enhance the level of service they provide. Kronos serves customers in more than 60 countries through its network of offices, subsidiaries, and distributors. Widely recognized as a market and thought leader in managing the workforce, Kronos has unrivaled reach with more than 30 million people using a Kronos solution every day. Learn more about Kronos at www.kronos.com.
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