Compass Product Description

    Compass is high reliability, real time POS and inventory management system. It provides the best of both worlds. It is a hybrid installed application as well as a web based client – that marries the power of web integration with the reliability of a standalone system. This unique hybrid can allow stores to process transactions and globally report on operations from any location. It supports payments via gift cards or credit cards in store. An integrated web store allows for online sales and the strong local mode ensures that  in store sales can always continue even in the event of a Net outage, which is a robust long term strategy that achieves reliable store operations.

    Compass provides users the ability to run locally with transaction synchronization to a main web based application that can provide reports to any Internet enabled PC thereby leveraging the power of the Internet without sacrificing the performance of standalone terminals by accommodating localized data processing.

   This is the most scalable and far reaching system. Even the smallest  retailer can now leverage this power and extend their marketing and operations management capability. Reports, information processing, organizational scalability, better inventory control, new sales channels, and better customer relationships are the result.

Supply Chain Features

   Creating additional stores and expanding a growing chain is simplified by Compass’ multi-store management and reporting capabilities. The purchasing modules calculate utilization dynamically and forecast near time purchasing decisions based on daily moving average that is directly tied to instantaneous sales rates. This is a highly accurate mechanism for supply chain management and allows for Economic Order Quantity and Just In Time support. Dynamic economic order quantity allows JIT enterprises to maintain a slim inventory. The Japanese have long used this strategy to a high degree of success in companies such as Toyoto and Honda. Just in Time requires a high degree of vigilance on the part of the retailer in order stay on top of stock level fluctuations as the supply chain is highly sensitive to product shortage since very little extra stock is carried. In a JIT model there are smaller, more frequent inventory shipments which allows for higher operating liquidity which is fiscally advantageous with a balance that has to be achieved between inventory carrying cost and shipping costs. The pivot calculation is the basis of determining the number of shipments and the shipping schedule. This calculation is continuously affected by instantaneous sales rates as this number influences the stock purchase quantities in order to keep just enough stock before the next shipment. If too much stock is carried there are increased carrying costs and if too many shipments are made there are increased shipping costs. These two competing forces are affected by the rate of inventory burn and the degree of demand fluctuation from the moving average. Higher demand fluctuations are indications of volatility which is a source of risk in JIT models. The rate of change of instantaneous demand and the second order demand acceleration are indications of volatility. Certain stochastic probabilities associated with the instantaneous outcomes are estimated based on historic results.

   Depending on sales sensitivity, retailers can opt to carry extra stock in cases where supply shortages are unacceptable or carry inventory at the forecast line and risk a shortage. In critical retail sales periods around the holidays the sensitivity to an outage is high since the rates of inventory consumption are sharply increased. Here the ability to send frequent shipments and have accurate inventory information is particularly important.

   Compass can send wireless alerts to any cell phone or hand held device in the world giving buyers awareness of stock levels in a proactive form of decision support where the computer intelligence continuously monitoring the system informs the user through a ubiquitous medium such as cell phone or any other hand held mobile device thereby ensuring that actionable information is proactively delivered on a timely basis. Compass personalized inventory alerts provide competitive advantage by supporting a JIT inventory model