RMS Mini-Case Studies
Jewelry Stores:
Company: Christian Bernard Jewelers
Specialty Jewelry Chain Boosts Profits by Linking POS, Stock, Purchasing, Accounting
ISSUE: Managing the details and intricacies of a multistate jewelry chain with Web sales had outpaced Christian Bernard Jewelers' aging and disjointed IT system. Executives couldn't rely on its sales numbers, stock levels, profit margins, or sales commissions before double-checking data. Support, once costly, was unavailable.
SOLUTION: After many evaluations, management chose Microsoft DynamicsTM Retail Management System (RMS) and Microsoft Dynamics GP. Today, the CEO has reliable information at near-realtime speeds. The CFO closes books in days, not weeks, and no longer works late doing verification. Sales staff don't call weekly to query paychecks. Perhaps, most important, purchasing is now based on exact knowledge of which products sell best at each store, so display cases are appropriately stocked and "negative inventory" cannot occur.
Shoe Stores:
Company: Lehigh Safety Shoes
45 Stores and 95 Selling Trucks Boost Profits on Boots and Shoes by 20 Percent
ISSUE: Lehigh Safety Shoes took on an 80-year tradition of customer-conscious manufacturing versatility when Rocky Brands acquired Lehigh in 2005. Production, marketing, logistics, sales, and willing customers were in place for its 45 stores and 95 sales trucks, but early IT systems weren't keeping up with executive vision or even day-to-day needs. Some customers voted with their feet and deserted hour-long sales lines.
SOLUTION: Research pointed to the flexible interoperability of Microsoft Dynamics® Retail Management System (RMS). Its ability to track Lehigh's complex matrix inventory, capture signatures, and communicate over mobile devices has cut lines down to one and two minutes. Web-based invoicing/collection systems and easy data integration with inventory analytics have also contributed to raising Lehigh's gross by 18.8 percent since installing Microsoft Dynamics RMS.
Hobby Shops:
Company: Coyote Hobby, Inc.
Radio-Control Model and Hobby Store Sees Dollars Climb as Task Hours Nosedive
ISSUE: The owner of Coyote Hobby in Oregon City, Oregon, came from a successful background in large companies with management information at his fingertips. But his earlier Fast Serve point-of-sale system left nearly 50 hours of data entry after each profitable hobby show. Lack of sell-through data harmed buying decisions. Some products gathered dust, not cash.
SOLUTION: Microsoft Dynamics® Retail Management System with DRS Hobby Bundle was installed in a day, fully automates the store and remote shows, and connects to Horizon Hobby, a large supplier-yet allows buying anywhere. Post-show data entry evaporated. Slow products were found, put on sale, and flew off shelves. The owner now creates reports on any facet of the business, such as customer buying habits, in a few clicks. The owner's new peace of mind and profits prove that his new margins, buying, and other strategies are based on facts, not whim.
Museums:
Company: Old Red Museum
County Museum Integrates Gift Sales, Admissions, Memberships, and Finances
ISSUE: With no IT solution to build upon, Dallas County's forming Old Red Museum had to extrapolate future data needs for souvenir sales, customer records, donations, admissions, memberships, and social events. Data had to integrate with a comprehensive financial system and reports had to meet tight non-profit standards. Museum-specific solutions proved costly, and melding disparate business systems was risky.
SOLUTION: The integrated solution of Microsoft DynamicsTM Retail Management System (RMS) and Microsoft Dynamics GP provided a central database and the ease of teaching staff many tasks. Initial cost savings were significant and installation and training went fast. Today, transactions and credit card sales are flawless, report and audit power exceeds expectations, and the IT Manager praises his "all-Microsoft stack" and its support.
Specialty:
Company: Palmer Food Service
Palmer Food Integrates Retail Store and Food Market
ISSUE: This multi-channel retailer faced the enviable problem of expanding it's small 1000 sq.ft. store space to a new 10,000 sq.ft. store area. Their previous system was incapable of handling the future expansion of the business. They were in need of a system that could handle high sales transactions and provide personal customer service.
SOLUTION: Palmer Food Service installed Microsoft DynamicsTM Retail Management System (RMS) to help manage Palmer's sales growth. The Microsoft solution provides inventory control and high speed scanning to help customers pass through the checkout quickly. RMS accommodates a high volume of customers, smoothly and accurately!