Wickes Drives Improved Customer Service Levels with New Workforce Management Solution

Published 11th April 2008

11th April - Wickes, one of the UK’s leading home improvement retailers with over 170 stores across the UK, has invested in a workforce management solution from WorkPlace Systems to improve customer satisfaction and increase revenues by delivering better customer service. The system produces accurate staff schedules for each store, as well as helping them with attendance management and assists with the labour budgeting process.

“We knew that if we could get a better match between our staff and our customer requirements this would make a significant contribution to our performance,” stated Craig Pickett, Stores Productivity Manager. To do this effectively Wickes had to refine and automate its current scheduling process.

The legacy system produced the number of labour hours by store and was not driven by store activity or a customer service proposition, it also could not produce forecasts that were granular enough to provide accurate daily employee schedules. “It was clear that to get the most from our intended investment in a new Workforce Management system, we would need to improve the way we generated Workload Demand at store level,“ continued Craig Pickett.

Wickes chose WorkPlace Systems to provide the Workforce Management system and engaged LSI Consulting to review all store processes, produce a set of labour standards and develop an accurate operating model. This enabled the Workforce Management system to generate an accurate forecast of Workload Demand. As part of the project, LSI was also engaged to review, streamline and document all store processes, including customer service and management activities and subsequently produce standard timings for all activities

Time standards were developed for each of the documented processes. For this, LSI utilised RetailEASE™, a pre-determined time system developed specifically for the retail industry. Recognised as the world’s leading system for retail standards development, with over 11,000 stores worldwide running on its output, RetailEASE improves accuracy over traditional stopwatch time studies and provides a more rapid method of development. It is also a simple to learn application ensuring easy maintenance of the standards.

The resulting labour standards were easily integrated with the WorkPlace Budgeting and Forecasting modules to generate annual labour budgets and daily demand forecasts to enable the Scheduling module to produce accurate schedules.

“Once the standards had been developed, the acid test was to apply them to our operating model and evaluate the Workload Demand they generated. The co-operation between LSI and WorkPlace paid dividends, giving us an integrated approach to standards development and demand generation. The accuracy of the standards ensured a quick validation and sign-off from the Retail management team”, explained Craig Pickett.

Wickes are continually looking for additional ways to refine and improve their operations. The investment made in Workforce Management and a flexible labour standards solution, now provides it with the ability to implement changes quickly in its processes and to understand how these changes need to be staffed to maintain their high levels of customer service.


About WorkPlace Systems

WorkPlace Systems was founded in 1986 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (WSI). WorkPlace is a world-leading supplier of Workforce Management software and of Consulting Solutions which increase customer service significantly and reduce labour costs, leading to improved store performance and customer experience.
Retail clients include: Argos, Focus (DIY) Ltd, Country Road, Metro Cash and Carry, Next, Morrisons, Travelex, WH Smith Travel, Woolworths (South Africa) and World Duty Free.
WorkPlace Systems is based in Milton Keynes with regional offices in the USA.
For more information visit: www.workplacesystems.com

Current Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward looking statements which are not historical facts, but are based on certain assumptions and reflect WorkPlace Systems’ current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. WorkPlace Systems disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance of forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.


For Further information please contact:
Emma Easterbrook or Tanya Pring
Fieldworks Marketing
01435 873080
emma@fieldworksmarketing.co.uk/ tanya@fieldworksmarketing.co.uk