Cash Crusaders, a major retailer of new and quality second-hand goods operating via 154 outlets countrywide, has chosen the WyseTalk social business software (SBS) platform for enterprise-wide knowledge sharing and collaboration.
CEO Sean Stegmann says the franchise group began to investigate a range of solutions at the beginning of 2012, including Yammer, Jive and locally developed WyseTalk.
“WyseTalk offered the best combination of open collaboration, broad device integration, a service offering and local support. It offers efficient, compelling use of social and collaborative elements to get the corporate conversation going.”
Gys Kappers, WyseTalk CEO, says SBS is essential to promote ideation and corporate teamwork in the modern enterprise through structured, inclusive brainstorming. “The bigger and more distributed a company is, the more value there is in that.”
Stegmann says knowledge sharing improved with the WyseTalk implementation. “Franchisees have good ideas that are not easily shared across the group unless we use a platform like WyseTalk.”
Innovative ideas raised by franchisees on the forum included a method to prevent credit card fraud and obtaining individual tax rebates by combining franchisee companies into a single entity.
“WyseTalk has also enabled sharing of training material, and sales data is regularly disseminated and discussed. We’re using it to manage franchisee performance enhanced by the external triggers from customer service platforms like Hellopeter. Cost-saving and efficiency-producing ideas suggested by staff that we’ve implemented are great for rewarding staff resulting in improved morale.”
Stegmann adds that the tool also came into play as a platform to engage franchisees about opportunities and issues of concern to all.
“The dialogue sometimes gets challenging, but at least franchisees feel their issues are being heard and we’re able to solve problems a lot faster and share learning’s from one store to the other. We are definitely still learning decorum and how to be constructive in our feedback and approach to the conversations.
“Initially some franchisees were hesitant to participate in conversations but our view was to embrace transparency and give integrity to the platform. We chose not to delete any conversations, but rather hear concerns and respond proactively, rather than let things fester.”
Kappers says social software can cut through inefficiencies and set the tone for the company culture if management commit to it fully and integrate it with day-to-day business operations.
“WyseTalk offers implementation and adoption support to make sure social business interaction serves to support the company’s vision, mission and goals.”
Currently, Cash Crusaders uses WyseTalk’s native mobile apps, which Stegmann says have benefited from continuous enhancements to the graphical user interface and functionality. The apps allow easier content sharing, for instance uploading photos for group discussion from anywhere in the world – a useful capability in retail.
Apps are available on Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Blackberry 10 and Windows mobile.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership of innovation with WyseTalk. They have created a connected world of knowledge sharing and issue resolution between my franchisees and head office staff,” concludes Stegmann.
