FILLED (ref # DM4148) IT Systems Review - Stoke

IT Systems Review - Interim, 4 - 6 Weeks, Based in Stoke

Role Summary

Our client is a design led manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer, selling through their own shops, online and wholesale (primarily UK).

The company's factory and Warehouse are in Stoke where they have a factory shop and a visitor centre and the other shops are in Edinburgh, Fulham and Marylebone.

They have a 3-year plan to grow sales by 50% to £20m, with growth in all three revenue streams but with emphasis on online.

They are looking for a consultant to review their IT systems and make recommendations for improvements to meet their growth.

The main systems used by the company are:

Microsoft Office (Exchange server) for email and general office applications

Apple Macs for product development

Microsoft Dynamics for EPOS (implemented 2010)

Lakeview for accounting and stock management

Qlikview for commercial reporting and analysis (implemented 2011)

Venda proprietary website and back office (implemented 2009)

Microsoft Access for production management (rudimentary)

Some of these systems are working effectively (EPOS and Website) so the changes required may be limited in these areas but an understanding of the overall system performance is required.

Details

They require a consultant who can:


* Review the current systems and processes of the business.

* Assess the future network, hardware and software requirements of the business particularly whether the software can deliver or whether alternative suppliers are required.

* Make recommendations for a strategic roadmap of systems development to match the business plan with documentation of the "as is" and "to-be" architecture and a roadmap of the route from one to the other, recognising certain given assumptions/milestones in the business plan.

* This should recognise the needs for constantly improving customer service and responsiveness to sales trends, improved product development speed and greater manufacturing and logistics productivity and agility.

* Review the company's telecoms capabilities and make recommendations on future developments.

Key skills and Requirements

* A consultant with a good understanding of IT systems and business processes, particularly in the manufacturing area.

* Someone with a manufacturing production IT background who can review the sales forecasting and production planning processes and systems and suggest improvements.

* A consultant who will fit in with a smaller business and who has practical experience of IT systems in similar sized organisations.