What Do JEM Stand For?

At the recent Retail Week Technology Summit several visitors to our stand described us as "agnostic" on the grounds that we were not representing a product. So what we were doing there and what do we provide?

Taking an Exhibitor stand at the Summit was an interesting experience for many reasons but principle amongst them was that we were the only people there not promoting a specific software or hardware solution. In fact, despite having experience of implementing over 20 different systems between us, we have never worked on the same one twice.

This is not because none of these implementations have been good experiences, quite the contrary, but more due to the fact that each situation, each project, has been unique and has required a solution that was made to measure for the circumstances.

Our expertise is in listening to the sponsor and other stakeholders, understanding their requirements and working with them to determine and implement the best solution. We are clear throughout the programme that we represent the organisation we work for rather than any particular supplier.

The fact that we have spent so much of our careers working as Directors and Heads of Department in our respective disciplines has a lot to do with this approach.

"Agnostic" we may be, but only in the sense that we don't take any supplier on faith but believe that the best solution can only be found by understanding and responding to what the client wants.

Written by Mike Gamble: Director JEM Retail Consultants.