Tristan & America

In April 1997, Tristan & America, an apparel retail company based in Montreal, was considering the purchase of StaffWorks, an automated labor-scheduling system marketed by Campbell Software. The M.I.S. director of Tristan & America, was concerned about whether StaffWorks fit his company's need, how the software related to other information systems currently used by the company, and what constituted a good scheduling package. This case illustrates the use of decision support systems (particularly the scheduling system) and store traffic data in retail management. It also describes the considerations in scheduling retail store staff and the complexities of organizational buying in the retail context.