CeX (Complete Entertainment Exchange)
CeX was formed in 1992 by group of gadget lovers who,
disappointed by the ignorance of existing high street retailers,
vowed to bring quality second-hand technological and entertainment
goods to the public. Today, CeX 140+ global stores where you can
buy, sell and exchange everything from mobile phones and video
games to computers and DVDs.
The journey
FD Emma Best joined CeX in 2009. Over a year on, and she's a
woman on a mission: to transform the quality of accounting systems
at CeX and to provide management with the information they need to
drive the business forward.
"When I joined, CeX was already using Access," says Emma. "The
Dimensions business system
is a good one, and I was keen to maximise its potential by linking
as much of the business into the accounts as possible."
The first area to come under scrutiny was payroll. At the time, CeX was
using a bureau service. Each month, staff had to re-key data
manually from Google Docs into a spreadsheet in readiness for the
payroll run.
"This proved very labour-intensive," says Emma. "Plus, there
were no real checks to ensure mistakes hadn't occurred. And the
reports we got back didn't allow us to easily journal the
information into Dimensions, making it impossible to get hold of
information quickly." Payroll was becoming a full-time job, tying
up valuable resources that could've been used more effectively
within the accounts department.
The discovery
As existing users of Dimensions, Emma began her search by
looking at the Access payroll product, SelectPay. Sufficiently impressed by
the demo, she decided there was no need to look elsewhere.
"SelectPay did everything we needed and at a cost that was easily
justified," she says.
Key purchase factors included greater data accuracy gained
through integration with Dimensions, which would, in turn, save
time and reduce errors across the business.
"That SelectPay posts straight through to the finance ledgers
was the key benefit," says Emma. "And when our HR people saw it,
they were amazed - not just because it's so easy to maintain new
starter information, but because it provides a central database for
employees with all information in one place."
Timesheets
"We've seen a ROI of six months by simply eliminating bureau
costs... and reduced payroll administration by 90 per cent." Emma Best
Financial Director
Another crucial purchase factor was the seamless integration
SelectPay offered to CeX's timesheet application. CeX collects data
on hours worked via its EPOS system, which is then exported into an
Excel spreadsheet. This
information can be quickly loaded into SelectPay and easily
reported on.
"There were no extra development costs required at all," says
Emma. "That SelectPay can easily link to timesheets from our
existing system was a real bonus."
Implementation
Decision made, SelectPay was implemented in under a week.
"You can't not run payroll - everyone was paid accurately and
promptly first time. And the Access helpdesk is very good; we've
only had one small issue, and the technician stayed on the phone
until it was resolved," praises Emma. Moreover, the system was
delivered on time and in budget.
The result
Having implemented SelectPay, CeX has seen many benefits
including:
ROI of six months
In her initial proposal, Emma calculated that SelectPay would
quickly pay for itself - which it has! "We've seen a ROI of six
months by simply eliminating bureau costs. And there are more
significant, long-term savings too."
90% reduction in payroll admin
Because SelectPay posts everything through to the finance
ledgers, rekeying has been eliminated and so has the need to check
information. This in turn has meant that payroll preparation takes
a fraction of the time it once did. "Before, we were relying on a
full-time person to prepare the payroll. Now, it's possible to
complete in two days - we've reduced payroll administration by 90
per cent." This has allowed Emma to re-deploy staff on value-adding
tasks and to drive the business forward. "For this reason alone, I
would definitely recommend SelectPay."
Epayslips cut paper trail
Using the epayslip function has also contributed to the
efficiency gains. "We employ a lot of students, who frequently
change address," says Emma. "Before, we'd have to ask the bureau to
re-send hard copy payslips to us, which we would then forward to
the employee. Now, we can easily stay up-to-date with any changes
and deploy payslips at the click of a button. It's a two second
job."
No need for training costs
Because SelectPay is based on the familiar Dimensions look and
feel, the learning curve was minimal. "All CeX staff found it easy
to get up and running with SelectPay," says Emma. "It's really easy
to use - and it's very flexible too, enabling us to easily
accommodate fluctuations in staffing levels and accommodate
contracts for seasonal staff. It's very easy to add new starters
too; our HR people love it."
The future
With payroll sorted, Emma has since turned her attention to
other areas of the business and is in the process of implementing
the following Access products:
Dashboard
This product will enable Emma to deploy the very latest management information to
franchisees and other decision-makers across the business. "Most of
our transactions are held within our EPOS systems, and we wanted an
easier way of getting this information out," says Emma. The
Dashboard module does just that by gathering information held in
any database or system and presenting it in a series of charts and
graphs. Each graph can be tailored to show the KPIs relevant to the
business. In CeX's case, this will enable franchisees to
interrogate key information relevant to the retail environment.
"We have a lot of questions," says Emma. "For example, 'How many
vouchers have been issued, by store, and not redeemed?' 'How many
thousands have been redeemed, in our stores or others?' 'Which
employees have the highest sales?' - with Dashboard, we're
confident we'll have the answers at our fingertips." It's not just
the functionality that's impressed. "Compared to similar products,
Dashboard offers outstanding value for money and is fast to
implement so we can start using it pretty much straightaway," says
Emma.
Service manager
CeX also has a booming property arm in the form of its 140+
stores. "We're keen to gain visibility of all our leasehold
properties, and Access Service
Manager will help us do this," says Emma. This product will
provide a central property database from which comprehensive
reports can be run, such as when leases are due. CeX has also
ordered the Call Logging module, which will enable the company to
manage a detailed planned maintenance schedule and easily track all
the purchase orders passing through. "We're looking forward to the
implementation and the efficiencies that it'll provide," says
Emma.
Summary
By taking control of payroll in-house, CeX has seen an ROI of
just six months as well as reducing payroll administration by 90
per cent. Moreover, the extensive Access portfolio has allowed CeX
to improve efficiency in other areas of the business. "We've found
a complete software solution in Access," says Emma. "When I need
new software, Access will be my first port of call. When Access
does everything, why go anywhere else?"
Make mistakes when you're paying staff and you'll quickly realize you have a real problem on your hands. Compared to other areas of your business, payroll is often seen as a purely back office, operational function, something that's 'just there.' The problem with payroll is people only notice it when it goes wrong.
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