Date:29/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/09/29/stories/2005092902810800.htm

Back Tesco software to reduce cash counter queues

Ajita Shashidhar

Mumbai , Sept. 27

TESCO Hindustan Service Centre (HSC), the global services arm of international retail major, Tesco, is all set to launch a series of high-end back-office solutions to step up the efficiency of its parent company.

Among the recent rollouts are a new software called `I don't Queue', which is meant to reduce long waiting hours at the cash counters.

The software reportedly has a thermal sensor, which counts the number of people queuing at the cash counters, and if the numbers are large suggests opening of more counters.

Speaking to Business Line, Ms Meena Ganesh, CEO, Tesco HSC, said, "Customer satisfaction is the key to our business.Long queues at cash counters could be quite irritating for customers, and this technology would help ensure minimum waiting time."

The company is also coming with a data warehousing software, which would help track customer behaviour by giving data on how sales of the various SKUs are progressing.

"This product is extremely time-saving and adds immense value to the retail chain as data which used to earlier take at least five days to be collated, can be done in 40 minutes," said Ms Ganesh.

"This product is in sync with Tesco's philosophy of making the shopping experience `better, simpler and cheaper'," she added.

Tesco HSC is also looking at new areas of technology such as planning the layout of its physical stores, for which the company is planning to hire CAD draftsmen.

The retail chain, that already outsources apparel worth $100 million from India, has also recently started outsourcing leather products, footwear and garden tools from India.