Omnistore's Light SOA lengthens life of Stage's existing hardware

11 Jan '10

3 min read

Cornell-Mayo Associates (CMA) announced that Stage Stores has successfully implemented its Omnistore point of sale (POS) platform. The newest version of Omnistore features a browser-based back office that eliminates the need for client software installation and makes Store Systems Anywhere a reality for the retailer. Cornell-Mayo will showcase the new Omnistore release at the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 99th annual Convention and Expo in booth #1445, Jan. 11-12, 2010.

Stage Stores brings nationally recognized brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family to small and mid-size towns and communities through over 755 stores located in 39 states. The Company operates its stores under the five names of Bealls, Goody's, Palais Royal, Peebles and Stage.

The latest release of Omnistore features a modern, lightweight service-oriented architecture (SOA) that works on both new and old hardware alike. Stage Stores needed the enhanced functionality that new software could provide, but almost every option would have required a replacement of its hardware – which would have been very costly, not to mention disrupting the business. Cornell-Mayo's ability to offer the most up-to-date functionality even on legacy hardware was a key factor in Stage Stores' selection of Omnistore.

Omnistore includes full back-office functionality that is accessible via Internet Explorer, Firefox, iPhone and more for true platform independence and access from anywhere with a secure connection. New advanced features include touch screens, inter-store item location and sales, real-time trickling of information to the host, and numerous views of store and chain information including hyperlinks for easy navigation.

Because of the timing of the project, Stage required an extremely rapid implementation to be fully installed before the peak holiday season. The project began in earnest December 2008 and was completed November 2009 in all 760 stores and over 5,000 registers. The software was packaged for remote installation to avoid the cost of sending implementation staff to each of the chain's stores, so the entire roll-out was accomplished without the need for in-store installation.

In addition to replacing its store system software, Stage Stores has implemented the CMACentral host management and reporting suite, providing a role-based dashboard of important information to central office personnel. The dashboard provides real-time visibility into key details such as watch and audit panes, sales panes, and the ability to monitor key system metrics including credit status, trickled information, and file downloads. With store data constantly feeding the host system, CMACentral provides an up-to-the-minute view of sales information, communications status, store status, and other critical information in easy to evaluate graphical format.

“We have been extremely pleased with what we've been able toaccomplish with Cornell-Mayo,” said Steven Hunter, CIO, Stage Stores. “Their team delivered an excellent rollout and support plan, and CMA's solutions provided the functionality we needed without having to rip and replace our existing hardware installation. We definitely made the right decision by selecting Cornell-Mayo.”

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