Background
In 2002 Gig Gear was a well established, single store musical instrument retailer with a solid business foundation. Fuelled by a determination to expand their operations Gig Gear recognised that they could use modern technology and the internet as a great opportunity to expand their market.

Challenge
Russell Dodd (the owner) wanted more than EPOS; he wanted a complete management system that could scale at the same rate as the companies ambition. It would need to handle all the complex tasks of a regular music store: repairs, commission sales, rentals, hire, customer accounts etc. and in addition the system needed to provide the expected suite of EPOS tools (sales, purchase ordering, stock control etc.). 

With one eye on the future Russell recognised that a strong mail order and e-commerce facility could become key ingredients to the expansion of his business. This required a system that could handle the new procedures that Russell was introducing (warehousing, customer accounts, web links, etc.). Gig Gear required an EPOS package that could cater for these varied businesses, spread across multiple locations and integrate them into one system, capable of delivering real-time information to any part of the system. Quite a challenge, as this had to be brought in within a practical, small business budget.

Solution
After studying all the competition Russell chose MI-Store for a number of reasons.

• First of all, he wanted a technology that was as futureproof as possible – MI-Store was built from the ground up using the latest distributed technology.
• Secondly, to get up and trading his business needed an easy to use system that required minimal training, MI-Store was the perfect partner as it’s intuitive interface could be mastered within minutes, or as Russell phrased it:  "Although the features are in-depth, the system maintains a familiar ’Windows’ feel making it easy to train staff on the finer points of more complex transactions” adding that  “The purchasing section is also very easy to use allowing even the more basic of users access to key supply information".
• Finally, the whole system had to be able to grow rapidly in line with Gig Gear’s plans. Mi-Store’s ‘Plug and Play’ technology allowed him to do just that. He could seamlessly plug in another till, a new location or a website – as simple as that.

Result
After 5 years with MI-Store Russell Dodd could not be happier: "Buying this EPOS system is the best purchase decision I ever made."

Visit the Gig Gear Website (with live Web Link)