SPORT DEPOT improves business processes and customer service through Microsoft Dynamics & LS Retail

About the company

SPORT DEPOT is the largest sports retail chain in Bulgaria, established around 20 years ago and part of the global industry leader Sport 2000 International. Its numerous outlets serve over 200 000 visitors annually, offering them a lively gamut of more than 50 000 items from over 180 worldly renowned brands.

Situation

As time goes by, the company develops intensively, renting retail space in almost every large city in the country, while their product portfolio frequently multiplies. In order to satisfy the altering needs of its current and prospective clients, the sports magnate launches an interactive online store too. Nowadays, its numerous outlets serve over 200 000 visitors annually, offering them a lively gamut of more than 50 000 items from over 180 worldly renowned brands.

SPORT DEPOT’s expansion led to increments of staff, augmentation in work volume, and achievement of lucrative results. However, that is also associated with complications in business processes management and obstacles in tracking warehouse availability, purchase requests and orders planning, as well as customer service.

In an attempt to deal with the new challenges, staff was using a software program comprised of a few modules for warehouse management and accounting, which were not integrated with one another. The application was clumsy, difficult to use and did not provide the necessary speed and versatility. A major drawback was the fact that the particular software product could only work in online environment. Thus, if the Internet connection to the office and retail stores was interrupted or if a contingent server issue occurred, employees had to perform all operations manually. That led to significant operational slow-down and decrease in productivity. In addition, when Internet connection was revived, all data had to be entered in the program too, which meant effort duplication and various discrepancies. Matters got serious when such accidents became random practice, impeding the entire chain of activities within the organization.

Another program hardship was the lack of detailed accountability and accurate reports that were needed to provide direction for strategic decision making related to ordering and reimbursing suppliers, accurate store, sales and other types of analyses.

The lack of accurate business development real time data and the limited reporting options were some of the reasons that pushed us to pursue new software solution. We strongly felt the necessity of a unified platform that would provide us with a complete activities’ overview on all levels – from retail outlets, through back-office and warehouse, to the online store and headquarters

Krasimir Tsonov
CEO, Sport Depot

Solution

The management initiated a research on the Bulgarian ERP market and received offers by a several software integrators. A few meetings and product demonstrations followed, revealing in detail Microsoft Dynamics advantages, the implied benefits of Dynamics Mobile, developed for distant database access, and the benefits of LS Retail for the stores operations.

SPORT DEPOT started an implementation project of Microsoft Dynamics and LS Retail with the leading Dynamics and LS Retail partner in the CEE region – Intelligent Systems. In a few months, the following modules were deployed: Warehouse, Accounting, Sales, Purchasing, Marketing and Service, ensuring effective departmental activities’ management.

The unified system secures appropriate sales and orders management, generated through the retail outlets or via the online store. Further, automatic direct integration with the warehouse data was accomplished. Thus, when a client creates a purchase order via the e-store, it directly enters the system as a sales order, which saves significant amount of efforts and time for the sales division. When warehouse employees receive the sales order, they process it and send the item to the client, while and automated; manual data entry, errors and duplications remain in the past. Automated information update on items availability is attained both at warehouse and at SPORT DEPOT’s online store.

Microsoft Dynamics covers the entire purchasing course of action – it tracks down items’ statuses when external suppliers send the goods, tracks their arrival and timely documents preparation necessary for the customs. The system provides reminders options, which announce the forwarding dates, delivery dates, save expenses, and possible ticket fees for late packages gathering from the customs.

The warehouse module allows for effective tracking and management of items in stockrooms, merchandising in zones and cells, optimal logistics management through the option “Optimal itinerary”, items discharge, etc.

With LS Retail all activities within retail stores and the relationship with headquarters are securely managed. With its rich functionalities, the specialized retail solution enables SPORT DEPOT to organize and execute loyalty programs, maintaining accurate information for each customer and their gathered points; discount levels; offerings of special concessions according to purchase made, and so on. LS Retail also provides possibilities to manage various promotions and marketing activities. With the integrated modules LS Retail Back Office and LS Retail POS employees can oversee back-office and POS operations like issuing invoices via a receipt, documents print and many more.

Dynamics Mobile – the mobile application of the ERP system, enhances warehouse processes optimization and preserves detailed data on items location at zones and cells. Through the solution, warehouse employees successfully automated their daily actions, and thus work faster and more effectively. Dynamics Mobile operates both online and offline, providing quick and secure access to Microsoft Dynamics’ database.

Main criteria in our search for the proper ERP system and software expertise exhibited by the supplier. That is why we chose Microsoft Dynamics and Intelligent Systems

Krasimir Tsonov,
CEO, SPORT DEPOT

Key benefits

Soon after all chain stores begin to work with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, upgraded with LS Retail and Dynamics Mobile, SPORT DEPOT’s management and its employees experience a range of improvements of company’s operations. A large portion of the obstacles are surmounted, while discrepancies related to lack of accurate data are detached. Among the noted advantages of using an integrated system for business management for SPORT DEPOT are:

• Fast, real time access to all types of data
• Business processes optimization within the organization
• Enhanced data security
• Accurate calculation of items value to cost ration
• Maintenance of precise warehouse inventory
• Warehouse activities optimization
• Increase in employee productivity
• Efficiency augmentation among all the retail outlets
• Versatile options for promotions, discounts, and marketing campaigns management
• Logistic activities optimization, providing timely deliveries to every SPORT DEPOT store and transportation tracking
• High customer satisfaction achieved
• Quick access to specialized reports and analyses segmented by real time KPIs.