Company Background

An unrelenting dedication to the environment was a personal objective for Mick Quinn and Heinz Frye when they founded Raft in 1999. Back then there was never any expectation for a company to be sustainable, but this modest, family-run corporation never considered taking the easy way out. To put it simply, they filled a market need that they had envisioned as consumers by using their commercial acumen. 

Now 23 years later, business couldn’t be better. 

No two products are the same at Raft, and authenticity is displayed “warts and all.” Their expert team of craftspeople in Indonesia and London respect the natural beauty of teak by not over polishing it and by being true to the material’s origins. Raft’s furniture combines common sense, ethics and a dash of creativity

Requirements

Mick Quinn, Director of Raft, first came across Optimise Solutions 17 years ago through the recommendation of former CEO of New Heights and Sofa.com – Gareth Williams. Mick and his team were seeking a system that could first and foremost keep track of their sales but also hold data of business information.

“I’ve always had a very fruitful relationship with Gordon and the team at Optimise Solutions. The team goes above and beyond to action or help with any request I have regarding Raft’s evolving business requirements. 

When I was first introduced to Optimise, I wasn’t familiar with the options offered to me. However, I wouldn’t look back. It’s great to see how far both Raft and Optimise have grown over the years. By working together we have been able to mutually receive the benefits of a stronger software system and even better working relationship.”

Solution

The furniture industry’s capacity to service clients more efficiently through furniture shop point of sale has undergone a significant transformation. Nowadays understanding and implementing an efficient POS system for a furniture shop can be a game changer. It enables you to cater to clients who might otherwise avoid purchasing.

As a company like Raft grows, it’s important to employ every strategy available to boost efficiency. This is especially true for furniture enterprises, which rely largely on efficient shipping and prompt customer service. A furniture shop software such as ours overcomes this issue by automating many procedures in your supply chain as well as on the retail side.

Naturally Raft’s requirements changed over the years and we worked together to implement the following:

Franchise Models 

Today, Raft proudly owns five sofa factories in Wembley, six showrooms nationally and a reclaimed teak factory in Indonesia.  Due to the nature of their business and having operations overseas, it was fundamental to have software that captured information about all aspects of the business regardless of the location. We worked with Raft to:

1. Increase productivity : Specially built franchise software solutions that optimise and accelerate daily business activities. 
2. Keep track of franchisee performance : Use real-time analytics and data to assess the performance of your existing franchise partners. 
3. Maintain contact : Provide a system that allows you to simply interact with your other franchisees.

Container Loads 

Shipping has always been a crucial component of the current e-commerce business, making effective container management critical. With a large part of Raft’s business overseas, using a container organisation platform was one of the best ways to track and improve product transport procedures. 

By utilising a simple inventory management system, all stakeholders can easily access container information and follow the delivery process using a sophisticated container management system. Shipment suppliers are always aware of the state of their containers and can offer extra or remove excess empty containers to enhance transportation operations. 

Why choose Optimise?

Quality, rapport and forthcoming – these are all qualities you will benefit from by working with the team at Optimise, Mick adds. 

“Throughout the years we have been approached by other competitors to use their POS software system, however, we have always felt that Optimise Solutions was the better option. 

Think about it like this – if you buy your first iPhone by Apple and you appreciate the quality, cost and experience, you will continue to buy their products in the future. The same methodology applies here.  After working together for so long, we’ve both invested a lot of time and energy into one another and it wouldn’t make sense to go to another brand. We appreciate brand loyalty and have a great relationship with Gordon and the team”.