Project Description
Comprehensive assessment of a strategic ERP replacement initiative to ensure alignment with operational objectives and strategies.
The Client
A $1.5 billion privately held retailer with 500+ stores in the U.S. operating multiple banners and selling casual lifestyle clothing and home goods.
The Challenge
The retailer’s ERP replacement strategy had been delayed by the economic conditions of the past decade. The retailer was recently able to restart the initiative but needed a comprehensive review and validation of system capabilities and responsiveness to ensure the project appropriately addressed current and future operations and strategies.
The Parker Avery Solution
The Parker Avery Group worked closely with the client to review and assess the ERP replacement initiative, focusing on the following key areas:
- Current state and previous roadmap
- Company plans benchmarked against leading retail platforms and similar roadmaps
- Appropriate solution and capability improvements
- Future systems landscape
- Project plan, processes, tools, and people required to begin the modernization effort
- Implementation roadmap
- High-level cost benefit analysis
Key project outcomes included:
- Retail architecture best practices and associated potential benefits
- Ideal state application architecture
- Preliminary list of recommended solution providers to address system needs
- High level roadmap for implementing new systems, including potential process improvements
- Roadmap and rationale for change to secure executive buy-in
The Result
With Parker Avery’s help, the client’s executive team was able to comprehensively consider cost and timeline impacts of the legacy system replacement project for capital planning. The client also determined that moving forward with a strategic roadmap in small projects will solidly position the company to continue to deliver critically needed ERP functionality while simultaneously achieving ROI.