Testimonials

Our business has been using Cobalt for over 8 years. We were looking for a new software program that would help us manage the inventory in our growing business, as our previous off the shelf software didn’t have the capability to deal with things like consignment stock and dangerous goods management. We completed extensive research into the various options available and were very impressed with what Merlin had to offer. We love the fact that Cobalt is specifically tailored to the agricultural retail industry and keeps up to date with the ever-changing rules in the sector. The integration between Cobalt and our online buying group platform makes ordering stock very easy and efficient. The reporting capabilities of Cobalt are extensive and reports can be generated for any number of scenarios, which makes for effective data analysis. The customer service provided by the team is excellent. Their response to a query is fast, very helpful and effective. They know their program and are always looking for ways to improve the system based on customer feedback. The user group meetings are invaluable in that they provide direct contact with a Merlin team member and other local businesses who use Cobalt. We take so much away from these meetings, especially chatting to other businesses about how they use particular functions in Cobalt. We view Cobalt as an asset to our business and an investment in our future. We are confident in the security of our data and are extremely happy with how Cobalt complements our business.

My first introduction to Merlin’s Cobalt Retail system was when I was working with another rural outlet. When I decided to start up our own business, I didn’t look anywhere else. You certainly don’t need to be computer savvy to operate any of the system’s functions, which is a major reason we took this system on. When we get new staff or even work experience kids, they can all learn Cobalt Retail and operate it within a day. We employed a staff member to do office backend and sales tasks. She picked up the new system immediately. The accountancy functions are very easy to operate. It pretty much does our reports as it goes, so it is basically a check-off when it comes to BAS, payroll and supplier payments. At the front end of the business, the counter, it is very easy to look up products, customers, suppliers and so on. Raising a new product code takes literally 30 seconds. Updating a product takes less than that. Products can be split, sell into negatives or whatever. Sometimes we can’t always deal in black and white, and we need to work in to some grey areas, until we get it into the black and white. This system allows for that to happen. Not all customers make it easy at times, so being able to make adjustments at the drop of a hat makes life much easier. Having the ability to check previous product sales history whilst still on the invoice screen is valuable, as we can see what customers have bought before and either make the call to book at previous prices or current prices. The Cobalt system has many options at the point of sale that just make it easy to serve a customer. There are also constant upgrades to the system from Merlin. When an issue is found by their users, Merlin are more than ready to put something into place if needed. The tech guys are helpful, and I love the idea of them being able to access our computer, if we give permission, and sort out any issues with them whilst on the phone, as they can see what we are looking at. Words cannot explain how good Cobalt Retail is, compared to other systems. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is user-friendly, fast, accurate and does everything we want. We couldn’t ask for a better system.

The Merlin program works wonderfully across the board for our business and their support for us in using their system is exceptional.