The MD of Xpos, Claire Fraser, talks about plans to move the software into the cloud this year, including the time-saving automations and integrations that retailers can access from anywhere in the world.
Claire Fraser is the managing director whose vision is taking Xpos into the cloud this year. In this month's March Pro Shop, Claire talks about her business philosophies, the reasons behind the big move online and why it's such an exciting time to be an Xpos retailer.
"A lot of companies say they put the customer first but to do that properly, you’ve got to live and breathe it. Our teams really do that"
If a customer emails me with a concern, I won’t just ask someone to fix it. I’ll discuss it with my teams and we’ll work out a plan. We’re only happy when we get the thumbs up from the customer. We won’t get it right every time, but we’re persistent and do our utmost to find a resolution that works for our retailers.
That level of tenacity is also key when it comes to the technology. We have testers in-house who literally just run the same transactions over and over again, which means we’re catching bugs and glitches before new features go out to customers.
"When you’re heading up any business, you need to be brave and moving Xpos into the cloud is absolutely the right thing"
It means we can develop features and products faster, that will ultimately help our retailers. We’re pushing forward now to do the right thing because it’s right for them.
"We’ve always championed independent retailers. It’s what drives us as a business and is reflected in the decisions we make"
We provide the tools to help retailers run their businesses so they can go on to achieve the things that larger retail operations take for granted.
From the start of the pandemic, most of the big supermarkets could open but smaller shops had to close. Our teams worked around the clock to build the Xcaddie app, whose Reserve and Collect feature meant golf professionals could continue to sell stock while the pro shop was shut.
I’m very proud that we were able to help many businesses stay afloat during such a very difficult period.
"Golf professionals wear many hats"
We appreciate how time-pressured they are and aim to design products to give them more freedom, as well as make more money. With Xpos online, stock creation is instant and other new automations mean you can spend more time away from the pro shop to focus on other areas.
"Xpos stands out from other epos providers because we specialise in golf"
There are many features in the software that are unique to the industry – such as selling third party vouchers and managing competitions.
Automated stock creation is powered by Xcodes, our centralised product database, which now houses over three million industry products from over 150 brands. Everything is barcode-driven in the cloud so, once scanned, new products automatically appear in Xpos and the Xcaddie app. Xcodes is totally unique and it’s something we’re especially proud of.
Xpos gives pro shops an online presence - something most retailers couldn’t benefit from, due to time and cost restraints. The Reserve & Collect feature in the Xcaddie app provides a digital extension to their shop and works within the brands’ rules about online selling.
"Everything we’ve built to date gets better in the cloud"
Our retailers need the freedom to work wherever they want to. With Xpos online, PGA Pro’s can access any aspect of Xpos from anywhere in the world.
With a cloud-based system, our development is faster and retailers will be able to integrate easily with great apps to help them run their business - Not just our apps, such as Xapp, Xcodes, Xmail and Xeft, but also with third party apps including Shopify and Xero.
The ability to collaborate with “best of breed” providers will open new doors for golf shops.
"It’s early days but the cloud roll-out has begun. We’re excited"
After successful trials last year, I’m confident in the software and in my teams. It’s a bold move but it’s absolutely the best thing for our retailers.
If you’d like to learn more about your pro shop’s upgrade to the new Xpos cloud software, visit www.xpos.co.uk/cloud-benefits/ or email hello@xpos.co.uk
