ChainDrive

Retail software built around each customer's business model

ChainDrive is the retail management platform of Multidev Technologies, a software company that says it has supplied retail systems since 1997. The platform is aimed at small, medium and large retailers, online sellers and wholesalers, and the company's stated position is that one size does not fit all: each installation is tailored to the customer's market, business model, organisational culture and level of digital maturity instead of being sold as a pre-packaged bundle.

What the omnichannel platform covers

According to the vendor, ChainDrive runs the whole chain from the shop counter to the finance office. The modules named include the till and a mobile till, merchandising, day-to-day operations, product and stock control, planning, the warehouse, fulfilment of web orders and the finance ledger. Because the modules share a centralised database, stock, sales and customer information stay consistent between physical stores and online channels, and decision-makers can follow key performance indicators from the same source.

The current site groups the offer into several parts:

• A point of sale with live inventory visibility, customer profiles and product data at the till.
• A customer relationship tool that gives a single view of a shopper across channels, used for targeted campaigns.
• An order management layer for inventory, supply chain and synchronised fulfilment, so shoppers can buy where and when they choose.
• Analytics and reporting for cost and revenue decisions.

Sectors and delivery

The company names jewellery, footwear, apparel, sporting goods, specialty retail, home decor and department stores among the verticals where its software has powered brands and chains. It describes the system as built for demanding omnichannel operations that run around the clock.

Multidev says every part of the software is developed in-house, then tested, implemented, serviced and upgraded by the same company, with no middlemen, third-party agents or resellers involved. That direct model is part of how it positions the product against larger packaged suites.

Who it suits

Retailers with several channels to keep in step, such as a chain of stores with a web shop, are the natural users. Wholesalers get the same stock and order tools, and merchants that need extra flexibility around their own processes can ask the vendor to shape the platform to them. The vendor offers demonstrations on request.