Our stand at the International Jewellery Fair in Sydney was all set for a busy day when the photo was taken yesterday at 8:30am … and a busy day it was too, the first day of a three day event.

On the stand we have our jewellery software being demonstrated live.  Our technology is backed by a team of jeweller experts who talk to our solid market penetration and the latest enhancements in our software.

Our first visitor for the day was a happy client from FIJI.  This got us off to a good start and the first day moved along at an excellent pace.

We have served the jeweller marketplace for eleven years.  Sales are increasing thanks to excellent software developed by our skilled in-house software development team.

Adorn Jewels have taken the opportunity of our in-house gift card design service, producing beautiful gift cards which can be used with our jeweller software for sale to customers.  Each gift card has a unique barcode which ties back to the customer account to which the value of the gift card is easily loaded using the software.

We realised early on after developing our gift card / gift voucher facilities that we needed to offer our customers an easier way of leveraging this beyond the software.  Our in-house gift card design and packaging service has achieved this with many Tower Systems customers taking up the service.

We back our card design service up with a Chins based printing service.  This results in high quality cards at a low price.

We also provide training an support on implementing gift cards into the business.  We are lucky to have been exposed to gift cards across a number of retail channels, providing useful broad experience from which we can draw when asked for advice.

Tower Systems is one of several companies offering jewellery software - software designed specifically for managing retail jewellery businesses.

Our software covers Point of Sale, customer management, LayBy, repairs, manufactured goods, secondhand goods, sales tracking, business reporting, theft management and a range of other facilities.

We back our software with personal service - installing the software personally in each business purchasing it, supporting it with friendly telephone and even in-store support, regular software updates (included in the price) and support for industry initiatives.

We prefer to sell the software through personal demonstration to the decision maker.  This is done in the business considering implementing the software.   While we will agree to an online demonstration or providing a demo CD, the absolute best way to assess our software, or any jeweller software for that matter, is to see it live in your shop.  This is why we offer a personal in-store demonstration service.

We have jewellers using our jeweller management software in Australia, FIJI and New Zealand.  This provides with hundreds of reference sites who can vouch for the software, our software updates and for our customer service.

We entered the jeweller marketplace in 2000 when we acquired another software company.  While we continue to support that old software today, our core focus for some years has been in enhancing our own jeweller software.  We have been able to do this thanks to the guidance from our customers.  So many have freely given of their time to suggest enhancements and comment on these as we release them for field testing.

Jewellers using our software can expect to achieve practical business benefits – without the need to pay hefty consulting fees.  We have developed software that any professional business person can use. 

It has been important to us that the owner of the jewellery business can access business reports and key business data with which to make financially rewarding business decisions.  We facilitate this through secure to access professional reports and analysis tools.

While easy access to key business data is a hallmark of all of our software, this is vitally important in the jeweller space as it is a key point of difference for Tower Systems. 

We enable our jeweller customers to make better quality business decisions without the need to pay for additional consulting services to access and decipher business data.

Jewellers choosing Tower Systems can enjoy peace of mind that our commitment to continuing to enhance our software to meet the evolving needs of the marketplace is absolute.  In 2010 alone we have already released two major updates to the software containing key enhancements requested by jewellers.

Retail jewellers often think of software for their business in the context of Point of Sale facilities, how the software can help the business at the front of the store.

There are many back office facilities which can help today’s jewellery retail business from an operational and organisational perspective, facilities which can considerably add to the profitability of the business.

One such area of considerable value to a full service jeweller business is that of repairs management.

Customers often bring in watches, rings, necklaces and other jewellery items for repair. These items need to be professionally tracked for workflow management as well as for customer service.

Good repairs management software developed specifically for jewellers will help with customer service, protecting the piece itself and with overall jeweler business management.

State of the art repairs facilities are helping jewellers (and other businesses undertaking repairs) profit more from repairs. They cut management time, reduce mistakes and make it easier to bill for each task in a repair job and thereby more completely cover the business costs with appropriate margin.

Here are some of the features you can expect to see in a jeweller repairs management facility incorporated in jeweller software:

• Scan receipts or job card to find a repair in the system. Alternatively, quickly find repairs based on customer details.
• Track repairs by customer.
• Support multiple repairs per customer.
• Accommodate multiple repairers per job.
• Easily schedule in-house or outsource repairs.
• Store quotes for later reference when it converts to a job.
• Manage partial payments of an account.
• Track repairs by repairer.
• Track repairs by courier.
• Automate pricing for popular repair jobs.
• Allocate staff and repair instructions.
• Allocate existing stock used for a repair job.
• Print bar-coded job cards and receipts automatically.

The sophistication now available in good repairs facilities plays out in other parts of the jeweller software. It’s like the NASA mission to the moon - there are many side benefits along the way for all of jeweller customers.

Given the excellent margin for jewelery repairs work and the high cost of infrastructure for providing the service, it is appropriate and necessary to have high quality management tools in place to ensure efficiency, protection of the customer items and management of all resources and assets deployed in the task.

Repairs management software can add between 25% and 50% to the return achieved by an existing jewelery repairs operation. This is done through better workflow management, more accurate billing and more complete customer service. Jewellers can expect to win more repairs business, get the work done with fewer mistakes and to charge more for the service.

Today’s full service jeweller needs to manage every part of the business for efficiency, profit and repeat business. This is where repairs management software plays a vital part in the mission of the business.

Jewellers are loving the Pandora jewellery work we did to help jewellers process Pandora electronic invoices.

As a major supplier to jewellers, Pandora is an important business for us to support for our excisting customers as well as new customers.

The Tower Systems Jeweller software helps jewellers better manage their business, increase sales, improve customer service and cut mistakes.  With now more than ten years in this marketplace we have earned a position of respect among jewellers large and small.

Our drive and economies have seen robust software programs developed, setting new international jewellery retailing software standards, and a whole new level of support supplied to the industry.

With well over 300 jewellery retailers across Australia and New Zealand using our Point of Sale software, Tower Systems is committed to the jewellery retailing industry, helping jewellers do more in less time, and better.

Thanks to our work with suppliers across a number of different retail channels, we have developed excellent tools for connecting retailers and their suppliers. This work makes it easier for suppliers to send jewellers electronic invoices and stock files and for jewellers, if they want and it it is appropriate, to send suppliers files of sales data.

Through a more efficient jeweller / supplier relationship, facilitates by our Jeweller software, efficiency improves and better decisions can be made.

With more jewellers joining our user community, we are extending our jeweller supplier reach and this delivers even more benefits to our customers.

Our interest in facilitating the jeweller / supplier connection is to drive open standards for all channel stakeholders. We have found this to be a better approach in other marketplaces.

Tower Systems serves hundreds of jewellers in Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific Rim countries.

The new Tyro broadband eftpos solution approved for release last month for Australian jewellers will save the retail channel considerable costs.

Integrated with the Tower Systems jeweller software solution, Tyro delivers hassle free and fast eftpos access at the sales counter.

Outside of competitive fees, the Tower / Tyro solution is better than  the usual bank terminal since it eliminates mistake-prone keystrokes.

So, jewellers now have access to faster eftpos approvals, fewer mistakes and a fee-competitive solution.  The Tower Systems jeweller community is ready to reap excellent rewards.

The Fast Sellers Report in Tower Systems’ Point of Sale software is highly regarded by jewellers and others using this to better manage stock opportunities. Understanding when an item is moving faster than usual is important to any retail business. The information can reveal opportunities in the business which might have otherwise remained hidden.

Click on the image above to see a copy of one page from the Fast Sellers Report using sample jeweller business data.

The stock turn, average days shelf life, sales, GP, mark-up and other data for each item is most useful in analysing the performance of stock where time on the shelf is important in analysing the performance of stock within the business.

The stock turn calculation is made using industry standard formulas.

The value of the report is enhanced by listing the quantity of stock on hand, the quantity of stock received and the quantity of stock on order.

Retailers typically produce this report monthly when assessing the performance of the business. The screen through which the report is requested provides useful options for narrowing the focus of the data analysis. This is important since some businesses would otherwise see a report covering hundreds of pages.

Tower Systems developed this report by working closely with a group of retailers who relied heavily on fast Seller analysis. We have continued to enhance the report to ensure that it remains relevant and genuinely useful.

Access to the report is through the full stock control facilities module of our point of sale software.

The jeweller software from Tower Systems is helping jewellery businesses to grow sales and improve profits in five measureable ways. This is not sale hype, it is what our customers tell us. They are thrilled at the benefits they are achieving. They are banking the results and enjoying the experience.

Here are five of the many ways our software helps jewellers:

1. Reduced mistakes. Through workflow planning and management from the counter to the back room, our software cuts double and triple handling of information. Take an eftpos transaction – our software eliminates the need for using a separate bank terminal.
2. More sales. Thanks to our marketing tools, our retail partners are able to target marketing to customers based on past purchases. Smart jewellers are using this for carefully targeted campaigns – with success.
3. Greater sales efficiency. Getting existing customers to spend more is achievable thanks to facilities which drive structure around managing this in the store.
4. Better return on investment from stock. By ordering based on real sales data and to stock levels set by the business owner or manager, the jewellery business is less like to find itself carrying too much stock. In some jewellery businesses, the saving can be as high as $30,000 in a year.
5. Reduced theft. Thanks to robust theft prevention and theft tracking tools, jewellers can expect to lose less money as a result of theft.

Each of these ways puts money in the pocket of the business owner, easily paying for the technology investment. This is what we do – make retail businesses stronger, healthier and more profitable. The owners benefit as do employees as well a customers.

Tower Systems has been serving jewellers since 2000. Its jeweller point of sale software is being used in hundreds of jewellery businesses in Australia and pacific rim countries.

Tyro broadband eftpos is now approved for jeweller use.  We are bringing to jewellers, the tremendous benefits of Tyro including:

• Faster eftpos processing.  Approvals are achieved in one or two seconds.
• Fewer mistakes.  Fewer keystrokes means fewer mistakes.
• Lower eftpos costs.  The Tyro fees are usually considerably less than for a regular bank eftpos service.
• Cleaner counter.  The Tyro pinpad is setup in such a way to de-clutter the counter.

Retailers using Tyro tell us that they love these benefits.  For more information on Tyro broadband eftpos for Jewellers please contact us.

Our new second hand goods software is about to move into the next round of testing.  Using this software, retailers will be able to buy and sell second hand goods and meet the latest electronic reporting standards for second hand goods.  The software has been developed in a way to work for all types of businesses in the second hand goods area.

Our plan is to release the second hand goods software for commercial use within the next six weeks.

The Tyro broadband eftpos solution which is integrated with our Point of Sale software is now available for jewellers following a decision by the Board of Tyro last week.  We are the first software company to bring this to the jeweller space.

Using Tyro and Tower Systems Jeweller software, jewellers can expect:

• More accurate eftpos transactions.
• Better customer flow at the counter.
• Cost savings.
• Enhanced customer experience.
• Better security.
• Sales growth opportunities.

Jewellers keen to unlock these benefits should make contact with Tower Systems.  The Tyro integration is part of our Tower Advantage ^TM offer.

We have shipped the latest version of our Repairs software to beta release following the completion of the in-house Quality Assurance process.  Jewellers will particularly benefit from this latest repairs software as it includes suggestions directly from those using it every day.  Further beta test sites will be added next week.

The synergy between the key marketplaces using our Point of Sale software – newsagents, jewellers, bike shops, gifts shops and homewares businesses – has been on show in several ways recently. The most valuable is the bulk price change facility for handling the tobacco changes last night and this morning.
This facility was developed for one channel and has now been of significant use in another channel.

Smart management of new facilities and opportunities across multiple channel helps helps us produce better software with unexpected benefits.

Our large customer base positions us well for leveraging these opportunities.

We have completed, tested and published advice on handing changes to the Pandora stock codes for jewellers.  The changes made by Pandora could have thrown systems into chaos.  We have made it easier for our customers by completing a change and making this available along with useful advice.  Advice sheet G21.1 at our website covers how to complete the Pandora supplier stock code renumber.

We have published advice which helps jewellers load electronic invoices from Pandora directly into their jewellery software from Tower Systems.  Thanks to recent changes by Pandora, it is now easier than ever for jewellers to receive electronic invoices.  Our jeweller POS software makes it easy to load these and thereby save time and improve accuracy when it comes to brining new Pandora stock into the business.

The popularity of Pandora products means that the new facility will help many jewellers.  Less time spent arriving stock means more time is available for customer service and other value-based facilities.

Advice sheet S03 on our website explains how to import invoices from Pandora.

We have happily renewed our membership of the Jewellers Association of Australia and through this offer support for the national body representing jewellers on policy and other national matters.

We have been JAA members since we entered the jeweller space.  Membership connects with the code of conduct which jewellers themselves subscribe to.

The new version of our software for jewellers moved to an extended beta release late last week.  This new version takes a completely fresh approach to managing repairs, a curcial service in many jewellery businesses.

Managing repairs from the time a customer brings one in to when it is collected is complex from a management and accounting perspective.  Our new software takes repairs management to a new level and will drive good business for us.

We are adding more jewellers to the extended beta release this week and next.

Our development team is working with NSW Police on testing our new secondhand goods software. NSW Police are the leaders in this area and complying with their technology interface in crucial for any software company working with secondhand goods.

Our work is well advanced. Ensuring we are fully compliant is the next step before we contemplate beta release.

Integrated with our Point of Sale software, our secondhand goods facilities have been designed for jewellers, bike retailers and others trading in secondhand good.

We are receiving kudos for the real-time reporting in our jeweller Point of Sale software as it is helping jewellers make business decisions on up to the minute sales and other data. Jewellers love the immediacy of the data access as well as the breadth of data coverage in our reporting.

Just yesterday we received a call from a jeweller who was thrilled with these reporting tools compared to the system they had been running. They encouraged us to pitch our real time reporting as a point of difference. So, here we are.

Our jeweller software has more than eighty management reports with a range of facilities and options – thus providing comprehensive reporting tools. Good reporting is crucial to good business decisions.

A Sydney jeweller is using Tower Systems Point of Sale software for jewellers to control his retail business from an overseas base. Thanks to remote link facilities, excellent reporting and integrated theft management tools, such remote management of the business is easy.

Fast and secure, the remote link facilities are ideal for jewellers who work away from a retail business of travel extensively. Key decisions can be actioned quickly, as if you are still in the business back home.

Data integrity is not compromised by the overseas link. Further, local staff don’t have to know the extent to which the owner is watching over the business.

The same facilities helping this jeweller control his software are also helping Australian based jewellers to manage more than one retail outlet from a central location. The ability to monitor performance is exceptional, almost as good as if you are in the business at the time.

More than 300 jewellers use the current version of Tower Systems Point of Sale software.

Tower Systems is proactively helping jewellers using its jewellery business Point of Sale software to easily handle the significant change Pandora is introducing to their stock file.  The Tower Systems facility will make the change easier.  It will also cut mistakes a more manual process would cause.  This is being delivered free to Tower Advantage ^TM customers.

We are communicating with our Tower Advantage ^TM jeweller customer base on how to access our utility as well as advice for undertaking the change.

This is a significant one-off change for jewellers and if not done right the disruption to the business could be considerable.  We are pleased to be in a position to help.

Jewellers in our beta release program tell us they love our new software.  They are especially happy with our completely new repairs facilities as well as the new software look introduced with the latest update.  We are slowly rolling the latest jeweller software out to our marketplace.

We spent most of 2009 developing new facilities for jewellers based on excellent feedback from our customers.

We currently serve in excess of 300 jewellers nationally.

We have launched new software for jewellers and along with that new marketing collateral based around the theme of A fresh approach.

Developed by our marketing team in-house, this new collateral will start to roll out to jewellers across Australia from next week in several diffdrent forms.  The marketing reflects the considerable changes delivered in the new software and the fresh approach we take to helping jewellers get the most from their software investment.

The new collateral is part of a bigger story which will unfold in the coming weeks across all Tower Systems marketplaces.

We are taking the opportunity to refresh our collateral to reflect the development of the business in 2010.

Jewellers are set to benefit from the new software for Jewellers being released by Tower Systems in a few weeks.  The enhanced software delivers to jewellers new facilities and improvements to existing stock management, point of sale and repairs facilities.

Our development team has been in close consultation with jewellers to ensure that the new software meets their needs.  The next few weeks are about in-field testing of the new software prior to wide release.

The release of the new software will coincide with the release of a special package deal for jewellers to encourage them to join the Tower Systems jeweller community.

Tower Systems is a member of the JAA, the association representing the interests of jewellers.