Project Description
Comprehensive MFP system implementation to optimize retail sales planning and inventory cost planning and enable a holistic, global view of the company.
The Client
A $340M privately-owned, multi-channel specialty sports equipment and apparel retailer with a heritage as one of the world’s oldest mail-order businesses.
The Challenge
Moving from an environment dependent on stand-alone legacy systems and heavily reliant on spreadsheets, the client recognized the need for outside perspectives to break through old ways of thinking and move away from their existing, highly manual processes.
After working with The Parker Avery Group in evaluating and selecting a merchandise financial planning (MFP) system, the client wanted to ensure their merchants would take full advantage of the new system’s capabilities.
The Parker Avery Solution
Leveraging deep knowledge of the client’s existing processes and organization, as well as retail leading practices, Parker Avery partnered with the client in designing and implementing the selected MFP solution and a new organization that would support current and future state business as well as longer term business and IT goals such as assortment and item planning.
The overall solution addressed people, process, and technology to optimize retail sales planning and inventory cost planning across store and warehouse operations and enable a holistic view of the company over multiple countries.
Key Parker Avery activities included:
- Project management to deliver within specified budget and timeline
- Development of future-state omnichannel planning process
- Configuration of system workflow and views in the predictive application server
- Development and design of standard reporting to support the planning process and create plan transparency across the organization
- Development of business test scripts and leading user acceptance testing
- Change management leadership–development of training plan and communication strategy
- Organization design–assisting in the creation of new roles and responsibilities, writing job profiles, and developing the transition plan
- Development of training materials and conducting system training
The Result
The client successfully implemented a new merchandise planning solution that supports their desired omnichannel environment as well as their future business and IT initiatives. Not only was the solution delivered on time and on budget, but the company also seamlessly transitioned into a new planning organization and integrated the merchant and planning teams to utilize new strategic and collaborative processes.