Project Description
Assessment and implementation of an item master system to enhance integration, reporting capabilities, and data integrity.
The Client
A $2.9B multi-channel, multi-brand retailer and wholesaler of apparel and accessories, operating over 850 domestic and international company-owned stores.
The Challenge
The retailer had disparate item and selling systems for each of their different selling channels. The addition of selling in new geographic regions presented even further complications due to geographic-specific data attributes (pricing, currency, delivery dates, sizing, etc.).
The client needed a way to efficiently and accurately create and maintain items in a single system that would also allow for entry of channel and region-specific information.
The Parker Avery Solution
The Parker Avery Group researched and presented the client with two options to handle the additional item information requirements:
- Customize the client's current item creation tool
- Implement a new tool for item creation using technology in which the client already had experience
Based on Parker Avery's recommendation, the retailer determined the most suitable option was to implement the new tool for item creation and maintenance.
Parker Avery implemented the client's new item master system, which serves as the single source of item data across all systems and enables users to specify appropriate item attributes across the client's channels and regions.
Parker Avery was responsible for all phases of the project:
- Detailed Design
- Configuration and Build
- Testing
- Installation Coordination
- Post-implementation Support
The Result
All applicable hierarchy and supplemental item information is now maintained in the item master system and integrated throughout the retailer's technological footprint. This single source of detailed data has vastly improved data integrity and allowed for more detailed reporting capabilities.
The client was also able to implement an entire corporate item hierarchy re-design using the newly created item tool and its inherent integration abilities.