Game Cross-platform application integration

Flexibility and a close culture fit has led Astech to become a significant supplier of IT services to the UK’s leading video games retailer…

With a turnover in excess of £600m (2002-3), 3,500 staff and over 620 stores in the UK, Ireland, France, Scandinavia and Spain, GAME is the UK and Europe’s leading specialist video games retailer.

Like many UK retailers GAME runs its business on the IBM iSeries platform, known for its robustness and scalability. GAME’s core business applications are JDA MMS v4R5 (merchandising) and Lawson Insight (financials). Also in common with many retailers GAME’s business applications have been modified to their precise needs. Effective integration with other mission critical applications, such as warehouse management systems, is key to the smooth day-to-day running of the business.

Steve Donlon, Head of Development at GAME explains the background to his introduction to Astech:

“In 2003 I had been looking for external consultants who could match GAME’s commitment to servicing customer needs and providing value for money. I saw an article regarding Astech’s implementation of JDA MMS v4r5 in Spain, and invited Astech to provide resources for some small pieces of development work relating to MMS. As a result of their performance on these, Astech were then invited to tender for work on a major project.”

The major project in question turned out to be the integration of JDA MMS with the Vanderlande warehouse management system. Steve Donlon explains:

“In 2004, GAME relocated to a purpose built office and Distribution Centre in Basingstoke. The Distribution Centre runs a state of the art Warehouse Management System, which required interfacing to the JDA MMS replenishment functions in use at GAME. Astech were able to provide technical expertise in JDA MMS and the cross platform integration issues involved, and became a key partner in the project from Functional Specification through to delivery.”

GAME has a professional but relaxed culture, with a constant focus on serving customers, and this is matched by Astech

Steve Donlon, Head of Development at GAME

GAME is not, of course, unusual in turning to external consultants and contractors to help deliver on major IT development projects. While GAME retains an in-house support team, Steve Donlon believes that it makes sense to supplement this with additional experienced external consultants for defined projects. “Astech is able to provide people who in time have become very familiar and comfortable with GAME’s systems and culture,” says Donlon.

Every retail business has its unique aspects and it is this that drives much of the bespoke IT development work in the industry. For GAME it is the concept of ‘preowned’ stock. These are games and consoles that customers return to their local store once they have finished with them in order for them to be offered again for sale. Preowned is an important part of GAME’s business, and providing customers with the opportunity to trade in used games and consoles for cash or payment towards the latest products is clearly an attractive proposition for loyal customers. Astech played a key role in developing the back office systems GAME use to manage the preowned stock and prices to ensure GAME’s buying and selling customers receive the best possible deal.

Summarising Astech’s contribution to GAME, Steve Donlon is keen to emphasis their flexibility and close culture fit. “GAME has a professional but relaxed culture, with a constant focus on serving customers, and this is matched by Astech. We work well together.”