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| Success Stories -
KINGFISHER |
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| Castorama Kingfisher implements ibs
DEALS from Soft Solutions |
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| Castorama, a subsidiary of the
Kingfisher Group, the leading European DIY retailer, has implemented ibs
DEALS from Soft Solutions to improve their enterprise-wide vendor
management process. From initial vendor negotiation through to the posting of
vendor allowances, ibs DEALS has provided Castorama with a measurable
return on investment and competitive advantage in a fast-moving market. |
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| The
Business Challenge |
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| Shortly after its merger with the
Kingfisher Group, Castorama began to evaluate the need for improvements inits
supplier negotiation and deal management processes. Driven both by its
mergerand the increased competitiveness in the market, the company realized
that its partially automated process needed to be replaced. The Supplier
Performance Project was launched to address not only the business functionality
required for improved vendor management, but also to provide a common
information platform across all business units so that negotiations and
purchases could be better consolidated. |
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| "We needed a solution that could
position itself as a ‘meta-referential’, over and above the two
application environments maintained within our company,” states Philippe
Meurillon, Castorama’s Director of Information Systems. |
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| The
Solution: ibs DEALS from Soft Solutions |
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| After defining business
requirements, Castorama began evaluating alternatives available in the market.
"There were few viable options, given the fact that many software developers
have not addressed the specific requirements of our global activities. ibs
DEALS was the system which addressed our needs most effectively," explains
Philippe Meurillon. |
Before final selection of the Soft
Solutions applications, Castorama thoroughly tested ibs DEALS with a
selected team of users.
The product was then implementedin a pilot project
that confirmed its ability to address the business requirements. The final
decision to implement ibs DEALS enterprise-wide occurred in May
2004. |
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| "Soft Solutions brought not only a
product, but deep retail industry expertise gained from implementing ibs
DEALS at other clients. This was very valuable for our project. ibs
DEALS is an expert tool, integrating real and tangibleknow-how in the
retail business; that was a deciding factor," concludes Philippe
Meurillon. |
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| As a decision-support tool, ibs
DEALS supports both planning and simulating deal terms with suppliers,
includingcontract and discount management, and it provides audit trails to
ensure proper completion and accounting forthese activities. |
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| For example, a system of
analytical reporting verifies thatcommitments between Castorama and their
vendorsare met in terms of quality and timing. The tool also integrates to
other corporate systems such as accountspayable, so that invoices for
off-invoice payments and allowances are issued promptly and payments are
properlyrecorded. |
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| Based on Castorama’s specific
business requirements, Soft Solutions delivered the fully configured ibs
DEALS application for testing in November 2004. The company’s
operations in France and Italy used the new tools fortheir annual negotiations
for 2005. The roll out for Poland was completed in 2005. |
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| "Thanks to the accounting module
of ibs DEALS , we will be able to ensure that we account for and receive
allpayments due from our suppliers with no exceptions. We will certainly be
more productive than with the formermanual system and expect measurable ROI for
the business," anticipates Philippe Meurillon. |
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| E-Learning and online training:
A well -managed process throughout the implementation |
| One of the challenges of
implementing ibs DEALS was the prospect of deploying a single solution
in threecountries. A common set of specifications was created that reflected
the needs across all business operations,and a single solution was chosen that
could be tailored for each country. "Planning was a stressful affair underthe
requirement that contract management be operational by the beginning of 2005.
Soft Solutions was able tomeet this requirement, and we were delighted,"
observes Philippe Meurillon. |
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| In conjunction with the solution
implementation, Soft Solutions continues to facilitate change management
atCastorama through user training. Training is spread out over a period of
eight weeks, in parallel withimplementation, enabling users to immediately
start applying their newly acquired knowledge. Following initialdeployment, the
ibs DEALS standard module for e-learning will be provided allowing each
user to learn the systemand make necessary changes in how their work gets
done. |
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| About
KINGFISHER and CASTORAMA |
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| Founded in France in 1969,
Castorama operates over 100 DIY stores in France, Italy and Poland with
combinedrevenue of 2.5 billion Euros. Castorama was purchased in 2002 by the
UK-based Kingfisher Group, one ofEurope’s largest DIY retailers and third
in the world in that sector. With over 11 billion euros in revenues,Kingfisher
has more than 60,000 employees, and operates over 600 stores in six
countries. |
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| About
Soft Solutions |
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| Soft Solutions is a leading
provider of web-based retail merchandise management and decision support
software.Our customers are multi-divisional, multi-format Tier 1 retailers and
suppliers including Carrefour, CVS, CanadianTire Retail, Capelli New York,
Auchan, Group Louis Delhaize, B&Q, Kingfisher, Pinault-Printemps-Redoute,
andGaleries Lafayette. Soft Solutions ibs SUITE conforms to the latest
industry and technology standards, includingGS1, and is compatible with
multiple databases and industry application server packages. With consistent
deliveryof measurable top and bottom line business results, Soft Solutions is
uniquely positioned to provide global bestpractices and industry-leading
solutions for the fast paced, competitive environment of retailers worldwide.
Formore information, please connect towww.ibs-softsolutions.com |
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| For more detail information,
please view the following PDF: |
| - Castorama Kingfisher - Soft
Solutions : ibs Deals |
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