Training to support the implementation of MLA’s Retail Technology Solution

Summary

Background
Commencing in 2003, the Retail Technology set of projects aimed to address two key areas:The development of advanced management tools and systems to assist retail butchers in the running of their businessThe collection of significant sales data from the retail butcher market. The projects were supported by MLA, AMIC (through the national retail council) and Queensland Department State and Regional Development.
Research activities
Via the MLA Donotr Company, MLA co-funded the development of hardware and software so as to provided butchers with new business tools including the infrastructure for the individual butcher to run a loyalty program for their stores and a solution for providing EFTPOS over the established data communication network, which reduced communication and transaction costs.
The system includes an integrated POS, weighing, loyalty and stock control system for butcher shops.  This initially used specialised hardware, but has now been implemented using low cost, off the shelf PC based equipment.  
MLA us able to access the central sales data to get aggreegated sales results.  Unfortunately due to the relatively low number of butcher retailers using the system MLA cannot get statistically significant sales information.
Facilitated adoption
The MDC project P.PSH.0173 enabled a subsidised roll out of the software and POS equipment across multiple butcher retail outlets.  
A.SCC.0025 funded training to support the implementation of MLA’s Retail Technology Solution.
Commercialisation
​AMC Retail (AMCCIT) is the developer and 100% owner of the Intellectual Property (IP) and continues to sell the system. As at 2013, the AMCCIT/MLA butcher retail management system has added a further 7 sites and it currently collects information from 84 sites.
The system has been introduced into New Zealand with the first site there.
Recent system developments have seen the implementation of two wholesale sites in which carton and product tracking using EAN/UPC barcodes is used.
Other recent developments have included:Provision and integration of butcher web sites tightly integrated with the retail management system.iPhone and Android mobile applications designed for both the consumer and butcher to use.All of the required HACCP forms have been incorporated into the system.
The mobile applications provide information on the butcher, recipes, product information, cooking instructions, the butchers specials, access to the butcher's loyalty system, shopping lists, how to find the butcher's location and how to get there as well as customer ordering.  The customer ordering allows the consumer to create a shopping list, store it and use it to send the order to the butcher for it to be made up for them.  An SMS can be sent back to the consumer when the order is ready indicating the price of the order to be paid when it is picked up. The mobile app integrates to the POS system creating a seamless process.
Development of the system continues to provide greater marketing intelligence and business management for the butcher coupled with expanding the potential public health and industry usefulness of the system's product reporting and tracking capabilities.
The AMCCIT/MLA retail management system has collected a very large amount of highly useful sales data available for data mining, marketing and trend analysis and education for butchers and industry level bodies.