Case Studies: Retail

Giant Eagle, one of the largest food retailers and distributors in the United States, instigated a corporate cost-saving initiative to transition 700 of its employees to home-based offices. To ensure that these teleworkers stay well connected with their colleagues in Giant Eagle offices, stores, and warehouses, the company implemented a unified communications solution based on Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 with Unified Messaging. Integrated voice over IP, instant messaging (IM), Web conferencing, and presence helps employees stay productive and streamlines communication. In addition, the company experienced a fast, easy adoption process in which employees were conducting online conferences and communicating with IM on the same day of the deployment.

Weight Watchers International wanted to learn about technology options for a point-of-service solution that would streamline operations and a data warehouse solution that would improve business intelligence. The company attended two separate Microsoft® Technology Center engagements and came away with clear technology decisions, specific architecture recommendations, cost-effective solutions, and the ability to deploy those solutions quickly.

MW Brands is one of Europe’s leading seafood brands, and a growing force in the global seafood business. Spun out of the H.J. Heinz Company, MW Brands inherited a dated and expensive IT infrastructure that could not adequately support their supply chain network or plans for expansion. Recognizing the need for a new management and connectivity environment, MW Brands deployed a unified platform based on Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV, Microsoft® BizTalk® Server, Covast’s B2B Suite, and the GXS Trading Grid. The new system helps MW Brands reduce costs, adapt to new customer requirements in hours rather than days, reduce errors and plan inventory better than before. MW Brands' managers predict this new infrastructure, powered by Microsoft technology, will help the company grow its business, improve customer service and enter new markets.

Quelle is a major German mail order firm and part of the Quelle Neckermann Spezialversand Group. The firm supports its customers with a team of field service staff responsible for providing information and ensuring payment arrears are settled quickly. To support these employees, Quelle historically provided customer-related information using an Oracle-based system, which was difficult and expensive to manage. To address this issue, and reduce the time required to send key customer information, the company cooperated with Impetus Unternehmensberatung to roll out a new solution based on Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005. As a result, it has cut licensing and system administration costs by 40 percent. Customer data can also be compared, synchronised, and exchanged between head office and field service notebooks in real time, maximising sales opportunities and enhancing the decision-making process.