Fletcher O'Brien Ltd - Business Systems

TABS for Tools Press Release January 2009

Download Press Release As PDF

TABS for Tools is an Electronic Trading System for both the Tool Retailer & Distributor.

Fletcher O’Brien Limited has a mission which involves constantly looking at how new technologies, used by the major Nationals, can be developed for the benefit of Independent Retailers.

Fletcher O’Brien Limited has some very impressive credentials in the industry:

Specialising in Electronic Trading Systems and large Transactional Websites they provide and maintain the “leading edge” for a number of the industry’s top retailers such as D&M Tools, Buck & Ryan, Toolshop Direct and provide data links from suppliers such as Toolbank, Draper, Trend and more.

Their own background in the tool retailer market has given the directors a deep understanding of the challenges faced by their customers.

Tony Fletcher, Managing Director and co-founder of the company with Simon O’Brien says:

“We have spent many years working with some of the Top Tool Retailers in the UK.

TABS for Tools is built to their specification using our skills and their experience, so it really is produced By Tool Retailers For Tool Retailers and we are grateful for the patience, encouragement and support of our original customers who we now call friends.

It is essential in the current economic climate that the independent retailer uses every avenue available not just to survive, but to grow and prosper.

Both the Customer and the Market are changing, evolving, and retailers must change too, in order to meet their customer expectations, and to compete and be successful in business.

TABS for Tools will enable the retailer to improve productivity and cut costs, sell more and save money, by working smarter not harder, and to explore and develop new selling strategies and channels.”

Electronic Trading is not a brand new concept, but historically has only been affordable by the likes of the major supermarkets. That has changed with the introduction of TABS for Tools, and is now available to the independent tool retailer market.

Charles Darwin: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

TABS for Tools Detailed Editorial Release January 2009

Download Editorial As PDF

TABS for Tools is an Electronic Trading System for both the Tool Retailer & Distributor.

Fletcher O’Brien Limited have a mission which involves constantly looking at how new technologies, used by the major Nationals, can be developed for the benefit of Independent Retailers.

Fletcher O’Brien Limited has some very impressive credentials in the industry.

Specialising in Electronic Trading Systems and large Transactional Websites they provide and maintain the “leading edge” for a number of the industry’s top retailers such as D&M Tools, Buck & Ryan, Toolshop Direct, as well as providing electronic data-feed from Toolbank, Draper, Trend and many more.

Their own background in the tool retailer market has given the directors a deep understanding of the challenges faced by their customers.

Tony Fletcher, Managing Director and co-founder of the company with Simon O’Brien says:

“We have spent many years working with some of the Top Tool Retailers in the UK. TABS for Tools is built to their specification using our skills and their experience, so it really is produced By Tool Retailers For Tool Retailers and we are grateful for the patience, encouragement and support of our original customers who we now call friends.

It is essential in the current economic climate that the independent retailer uses every avenue available not just to survive, but to grow and prosper.

Both the Customer and the Market are changing, evolving, and retailers must change too, in order to meet their customers’ expectations, and to compete and be successful.

Electronic Trading is not a brand new concept, but historically has only been affordable by the likes of the major supermarkets. That has changed with the introduction of TABS for Tools, and is now available to the independent tool retailer market.

The principles are refreshingly simple, but the benefits can be astonishing with regard to both cost savings and productivity gains.

In essence TABS for Tools electronically links the retailer to a number of main suppliers and automatically replenishes stock, based on actual sales.

This has an immediate and substantial cost saving benefit in eliminating laborious stock checking and purchase order processing routines.

A purchase order will automatically go to a supplier, (error free) with absolutely no manual or human intervention, to replenish sold stock items up to a predetermined level, at a predetermined time.

If required, specials and promotions would be added and seasonal adjustments made. Powerful reporting on sales and purchase histories and trends can offer the retailer a useful and very relevant picture when studying performance or dealing with suppliers.

The most striking additional benefit of this aspect of TABS for Tools is that because the Purchase Orders are electronically received straight into the suppliers system, error free, the deliveries can be electronically booked-in by the retailer using a hand held laser terminal, in a mere fraction of the time once taken.

The labour time involved in identifying, counting, reconciling the delivery note to purchase order, updating stock etc is literally just a matter of moments, error free!

Discrepancies are immediately highlighted.

Furthermore, because the whole process is performed in logical electronic steps, the accounts office also benefits from electronic reconciliation of the purchase invoice, saving huge amounts of administration. Credit notes for any discrepancies can also be requested electronically.

Productivity gains from having the right stock available, (no more out of stocks) and improvements to cash flow by optimising capital committed to stock, (cash-in non moving stock) are obvious and can be very significant in real money terms.

Because the electronic communication is a two way link, the retailer always has the most up to date information on their suppliers’ whole product catalogue.

This provides a number of clever advantages, not least the elimination of errors relating to part numbers, descriptions & prices.

It also means that however the business makes its sales, whether it’s over the Counter, internally from the Sales Desk, by Mail Order from a Catalogue, or electronically from a Website, they are all handled in one place by

Geoff Lancaster, National Sales Manager says, “Could there be a better time to bring a product like TABS for Tools to the market, I don’t think so! With the present economic climate and pressure from the major nationals, the successful retailers will be those who take positive and decisive action to retain their existing customers and use every opportunity to develop and win new ones.

It has never been more essential to make the absolute most of what you’ve got.

Maximise every sale, sell to every customer, find new customers and new ways of selling, and make sure you keep them all coming back to you.

Couple this with introducing efficiencies that save time and put money in the till, and you have a recipe not just for survival, but growth and prosperity.

TABS for Tools is unique; it has been developed from a Tool Retailers perspective as a Trading System to do what Tool Retailers want to do. And it’s making some retailers with the right commitment, incredibly successful”

So now that Electronic Trading is available to the independent retailer it should not be seen as giving up control to the machines, but harnessing technology to do the routine jobs, leaving the retailer free to do what he does best, negotiate the best deals, promote his business, look after his customers and enjoy the rewards of his labours.

Charles Darwin: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."