Stoke-based tile and bathroom company, Hyde Park Tiles, have transferred their business software to K8 Trader by Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS). A family business with stores in two locations, Hyde Park Tiles offer a tailored range of products to meet the tastes of an ever-changing market.
When Hyde Park Tiles’ incumbent software provider announced it would not host their system from December, change was required. “We needed the complete package,” says Kerry Lowe, Hyde Park Tiles’ joint owner, as she describes what she wanted from their new software. “But with many of the systems, you have to buy add-ons, and I didn’t feel comfortable with that.” After a thorough demonstration, however, it became clear. “With K8 Trader, we don’t seem to have to tailor our business to fit the software. Instead, the software fits us!”
Kerry also had good memories of using KCS at her previous company. “I actually implemented KCS software with our previous business,” she explains. “The whole process was really smooth, and the training was fantastic. The ease of transition was also fantastic. Moving to KCS – knowing that we’d already done it with a much larger company that also had a distribution centre – made me feel much more comfortable.”
She also knew she could trust KCS with the IT side of the business. “We’ve got two shops with no server of our own. So, if things go wrong, we need to know we can pick up the phone and get that sorted in a quick turnaround time. But if we do struggle with anything, I know KCS will be able to support and guide us.”
K8 Trader also has many core strengths that helped Hyde Park Tiles make the decision. “We wanted a system that could encompass all of our selling measures without the hard work of setting it all up. With K8 Trader, the stock side and the flexibility are there, as well as the tile calculator. Plus, many tile companies already use KCS.”
“The reporting from KCS is also very good. Once you set up those reports, they make the management accounts every quarter easy to produce. And it’s good that you can make staff screens more user friendly,” she adds, enthused at how K8 Trader helps businesses introduce employees to the software at their own pace.
Kerry is optimistic K8 Trader will help Hyde Park Tiles as it grows into the future. “I’m looking forward to dealing with a company again that will support us if we’ve got issues. And I’ve got confidence, knowing what K8 Trader can do and how it can help us.”
K8 Trader is a fully integrated trading and business management solution from KCS. Combining a full suite of modules in a modern and easy-to-use solution, it provides a range of innovative features to meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses.
You can find out more at www.hydeparktiles.co.uk or www.kerridgecs.com
