Three Cheers for CATAPULT at Sleeman Brewery : An Interview with Denise Magee, Retail Store Management and Accounting

Sleeman is all about quality and brand, and this philosophy is clearly stated on their company website: "You'll see that we cut no corners in our commitment to brewing great beer". it can be stated that this same approach was taken by the Sleeman POS committee that unanimously agreed and selected Armagh Cash Register and ECRS CATAPULT as the best solution available to serve its customers, enhance sales, and manage at times complex inventories

ECRS: Please tell us a bit about Sleeman and the products it provides.

Magee: Sleeman has been brewing great beer in Canada since 1834, the year that John Sleeman arrived from Cornwall, England. The first brewery was estabilished in 1851, here in Guelph, Ontario, and the current facility was constructed in 1988. Sleeman is the third largest brewery in Canada, and we continue to produce and sell premium beer across Canada. The retail store at the Guelph brewery is where we use the CATAPULT system.

ECRS: Prior to switching to CATAPULT, what retail POS system did you use or have in place?

Magee: Basically we ran an "old cash register" system with no inventory control or POS capabilities.

ECRS: Why did you make the change?

Magee: We needed to update our overall systems with technology that would enable us to provide POS-based cash register functionality with inventory control. This type of system would allow us to serve our customers quickly and manage our inventory effectively based upon real-time... it is never pleasant to advise customers that we have run out of a particular product.

ECRS: What were the major factors that influenced your decision to purchase CATAPULT - Price, Training, Ease-of-Use, Savings?

Magee: To be perfectly honest, all of the above played a role in our choosing the CATAPULT system. CATAPULT was a solution that was within our budget, but most of all our two businesses seem to have the same commitment to our customers. This is very important to us. We also found the software user-friendly and the customer service provided by Armagh was also very important in our decision to purchase the CATAPULT system.

ECRS: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent, how would your rate Armagh Cash Register for service, price, after service followup and overall in terms of dealing with them?

Magee: 9

ECRS: How do you use CATAPULT within your business?

Magee: Since we are a reatil operation located within the brewery, we use CATAPULT as an inventory and cash register system...and yes, it has saved us money in providing us with timely reports along with effective inventory through sales, ordering and receiving, and our many types of inventory adjustments.

ECRS: What prompted the change in your current system?

Magee: We needed to better manage our inventory and case sizes and have better cash management controls.

ECRS: Tell us about yoru customers and how CATAPULT helps you serve yoru customers

Magee: Well our customers are people who enjoy a great Canadian brewed premium beer. As to how CATAPULT helps us and our customers, it allows us to manage our inventory to ensure that we know what products we have in stock for immediate delivery to our retail customers. CATAPULT is very fast and our customers love our gift cards.

ECRS: What are the key features and benefits of CATAPULT that prompted you to change?

Magee: In reviewing various pos systems, we wanted a system that provided user-friendly software, inventory control and management with user-built securities. CATAPULT delivered on all three counts.

ECRS: Tell us about your customer base and how your serve them.

Magee: The majority of our customers are retail purchasers who come in and purchase their beer and other products, and need to be served quickly and efficiently. CATAPULT does this very well.

ECRS: Overall, are you pleased with the CATAPULT system?

Magee: Yes.

ECRS: Do you feel that CATAPULT will serve your needs as your business and/or locations grow?

Magee: Definitely yes.

What made you choose Armagh over competitors?

Magee: We found that both companies, Armagh and Sleeman, work well together. Armagh had a good understanding of our business and needs and provided us with a superior product and application set. Also, the salesperson (Larry Wolfe) was very personable and knowledgeable.

ECRS: Was the training provided helpful in getting your staff"up and running" with the new system?

Magee: Armagh provided excellent training and followup to ensure that our operations and employees were running smoothly. Their 24-hour help line has also been very helpful given that we are the busiest during off-business hours.

ECRS: Would you recommend Armagh and CATAPULT to other retail businesses?