Specialised outsource software developer, UCS Software Manufacturing (UCSSM), has announced that ARgility's Microsoft-based ActiveRetail software has officially been rolled out at 33 branches within the UK-based homeware retailer, The Pier. With its head office based in Abingdon, near Oxford, The Pier boasts a total of 36 stores situated throughout the UK.

UCCSM, which is regarded as the software factory of its parent company, the JSE-listed UCS Group Ltd, was contracted by Argility as their outsource development division and has been responsible for the production of ActiveRetail, an packaged in-store management retail solution.

At UCCSM, we spoke to Michael Degé, Outsourced Product Development (OPD) Executive. He said his company had worked closely with Argility's UK partner, Arnel, to “ensure that the roll-out went smoothly”.

"Things have gone exceedingly well. This is our first UK-based roll-out with a channel partner, so the progress we have seen is tremendous… And the client is very happy with the system!" he added.

Degé believes the roll-out shows that "if you have a good channel partner coupled with a well structured stable product, overseas roll-outs can be conducted without any serious technical or support issues. We were really only called upon to provide normal maintenance during the roll-out of the stores”.

“The whole philosophy behind OPD,” he explained, “is to deliver outsourced product development services that meet our clients’ business and product needs across the value chain. Given that this is our first go-live in the UK since clinching the outsourced product development deal with Argility, it augers well for the future of the newly-established value-chain: USCSSM as the Outsourced Product Developer; Argility as the independent software-product vendor (of ActiveRetail); and Arnel as the ActiveRetail channel partner for The Pier.

Lester Aderem, CEO of Argility added “ARgility made the decision to appoint UCSSM as our product developer because of the professional approach that UCSSM employs. ActiveRetail has been successfully deployed locally and we had confidence that together with UCSSM we would be able to support the international market.”

Arnel is well on its way to rolling out to the remaining three Pier stores by the end of this year.

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