SOHO Coffee Co. Adopts "HQ on Demand" from Lolly Systems
About SOHO Coffee Co.
SOHO Coffee Co. is an independent, privately owned coffee shop business determined to grow through a strong reputation with its customers and partners alike. The company prides itself on great service and excellent food and coffee above all. In today's tough and competitive environment, SOHO feels strongly that its customers are its most important asset.
The Search for a Modern Reporting System
When it became apparent that the back-office reporting and analysis system was no longer able to provide the information required to manage a growing estate of stores, the Cheltenham-based company asked its IT services provider, Converge, to source a reliable new system.
The requirements were specific: like its predecessor, the new system had to be touch-screen based and capable of serving as both a front-of-house tool and a head-office reporting and control system. Ideally, it needed to be HQ-based, offering access and control via a browser on a smartphone or tablet. Converge contacted Lolly Systems and arranged a demonstration of their information system, HQ on Demand.
The Need for Real-Time Data
With 10 directly owned stores and 27 tills in total, SOHO Coffee Co. required real-time information across the entire estate without having to take tills out of service to retrieve historical data.
Specifically, they needed live data on till sales, profits, margins, wastage, best sellers, and stock movement. This level of insight was essential to ensure the business could be continually monitored and optimized across every restaurant and product line.
Seamless Implementation
Peter Manuel, Operations Manager at SOHO Coffee, noted: "Lolly engineers arrived on site at the end of March 2015, ready to install the HQ on Demand system carrying only a USB stick. The data transfer took place both quickly and seamlessly while our operators observed the demos. We were up and running by early April; it was a transition that never prevented us from processing transactions."
Since the system went live, the company has experienced zero downtime across its sites. The stability has been described as "phenomenal," finally giving management access to deep reporting information at their fingertips.
Functionality and User Experience
In practice, the new product offered considerably more flexibility and efficiency than its predecessor due to modern design and programming techniques. However, a major benefit for the staff was that the Graphical User Interface (GUI) remained similar to the old system.
This allowed the management team to use the software with immediate confidence. The combination of an intuitive interface, easy till maintenance, powerful search functions, and archived history made the rollout an instant success.
Testimonials
“I'm delighted with the professional attitude and the conscientious approach adopted by Lolly. Their customer support engineer, Mike Morris, was particularly helpful in ironing out any teething problems to give us exactly the sort of system and reporting detail that the business demanded.”
— Peter Manuel, Operations Manager, SOHO Coffee Co.
“We were delighted to work with SOHO Coffee Co. and provide them with the HQ on Demand system. This is one of our most successful products, and we are thrilled to see it delivering tangible business benefits.”
— Peter Moore, CEO, Consolis (Lolly)
Company Profiles
About HQ On Demand HQ on Demand offers total visibility over an entire estate regarding daily transactions and operations, accessible any time and from anywhere. It features detailed analyses, summary reports, and dashboards to help businesses run as efficiently as possible.
About Lolly Systems Consolis Systems (Lolly) is a market leader in providing powerful, affordable, and user-friendly point-of-sale and payment systems. Since 1997, the company has built a worldwide customer base covering pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants, and various retail sectors.
