Myriad conference keys on technology, growth
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, April 5, 2004
SAN DIEGO — Despite a lagging economy and a so-so year in furniture, retail technology provider Myriad Software had what co-owner and President Carolyn Crowley describes as an "awesome year."
Speaking at the San Diego-based company's users conference here last month, she said its sales grew more than 20% in 2003.
"We are not only adding a good number of companies to our client base, but for the last eight years we continually have been adding bigger midsize companies that have a much larger operations and larger user count," she said.
She indicated that furniture retailers still seem a little reluctant to invest in technology because of uncertainly over the economy, the stock market and imports. But she said the company's theme of "getting connected" has sparked a willingness to invest.
Crowley said Myriad's Internet-based module, or wireless interface with its Eclicktic product, "had loads of clients purchasing the POS portion of it, and ready and waiting for the Inventory part of it. The PDA's, WEB pads and tablet PC's are definitely a strong vision of the future, and we've already built the product to integrate these awesome tools."
She added that .NET technology, wireless and instant response are paving the way to easily integrate with manufacturers' systems in the future.
Crowley and co-owner Russell Higgins briefed conference attendees on Myriad's new technology, and said the past year was one of the most prolific in the company's 14-year history. Some of the top technological achievements:
-
An expansive wireless product in its Browser edition of Eclicktic.
-
Myriad's Customer Relationship Management module, built into the Eclicktic product and not integrated with other third-party products.
-
A robust Service Module, enhanced in the past year with considerable help from its service base.
-
The Container Module, which tracks shipments coming in containers. This also has been enhanced, with clients able to link their purchase orders and products to the containers and make sure all freight and extended fees are passed on to the inventory and financial side of the system.
-
An enhanced Foreign Exchange module, so that paying with another currency can be reflected throughout the inventory and accounting side.
-
Merchandising reports, which allow a retailer to show its recommended order quantities on its best sellers, can be based on minimum/maximum levels or on sales history. Myriad's program also creates purchase orders that can be edited.
