Color, Inc. saves 60% on IBM maintenance with tekservePOS’ Maintenance & Repair Solution
In addition to cost savings, Color, Inc. gained better response times and a true strategic partner.
Business / Technology Challenge:
Color, Inc. runs 50+ specialty retail stores across the country, all with different regional themes and needs. The stores have a small footprint -- between 200 and 1,000 square feet on average--and run a single IBM Surepos 500 or 600 series register, so downtime is not an option.
How tekservePOS helped:
After switching over from an IBM maintenance plan to tekservePOS’ totalSTORE solution, Color, Inc. helped reduce the cost of maintenance for its locations across the country. “We saved about 60% the cost we were incurring for maintenance with IBM and gained a relationship that will support more than just the maintenance of the registers,” said Beth Cox, Director of Technology for Color, Inc.
In addition to finding cost efficiencies, Cox said Color, Inc. has also improved service levels since switching to the tekservePOS totalSTORE solution. “Once we got over the initial change in service response and the method of repair, we have found that service has improved greatly. The field techs are top rate from tekserve and the depot maintenance is quick,” Cox added. “The switchover was easy. We had one month of overlapping coverage, but found once I started using tekserve I did not make another call to IBM.”
Specifically, Cox said service level metrics have improved around response times and time to resolution for repairs. “The time to resolution is the most important aspect of the repair because with our stores we can be hand writing sales until the repair is done,” she added. “With IBM we did not know when the tech would be coming and when the part would be shipping. With tekserve, we have extra equipment in each region to pull for the tech to use once he is on site. The communication is better and I am never left wondering what is going on with the stores.”
Background:
Color, Inc. operates an array of regionally-themed specialty retail concepts which continue to experience record sales volumes and growth. Color, Inc. concept stores offer a broad cross-section of product categories, from regional gift items to sports collectibles, from packaged local food products to imprinted sportswear and apparel.
Color continues to grow, currently to fifty (50) locations nationwide. Color’s specialty retail concepts now include The Destination Stores, The Best Of Stores, The Making History Stores, The Out Of Left Field Stores, The Varsity Stop Stores, The Candy Crate Company Stores and several other regionally-themed concepts always in development.
Mission Statement:
The mission at Color, Inc. is to provide a range of profitable specialty retail solutions in centers and locations with significant “visitor” traffic. Color, Inc. stores very productively celebrate the unique character, background, personality and icons of the city or region in which they are located.
