Robert Dyas Supply Chain Management
Robert Dyas is one of the country’s largest privately owned chains of garden and houseware stores with 68 outlets spread throughout the south east of England. JDA’s merchandising application provides the foundation of the company’s systems and runs on an AS/400 e-server. This is integrated with the store-based EPOS system that is managed remotely from the Leatherhead office that also features an NT-based LAN.
Distribution
We are very comfortable with Astech. They offer good support and have the right skillset that we need.
Warren Woods, IT Manager at Robert Dyas
Three quarters of Robert Dyas stock is delivered to stores by a third party distribution company with the remainder delivered direct by individual suppliers. The company runs an on-line direct sales operation and is actively developing a national identity through its on-line presence.
Supply Chain Management
It is in the area of supply chain management that Robert Dyas has made significant progress recently in improving the efficiency of the operation. Until relatively recently, purchase orders were generated, printed, enveloped and posted to each individual supplier who would then re-enter the data into their own systems. Apart from the cost and time taken to do this, numerous data entry errors occurred that in turn resulted in mis-deliveries.
Advantages of Automation
Robert Dyas found a solution in b2b4retail, a supply chain management solution from Astech Consultants, an established retail consultancy with extensive JDA experience. At the heart of b2b4retail is the Data Monitor, a software component integrated with the JDA merchandising solution and designed to “watch” for orders raised on the AS/400. Configured according to the needs of the individual supplier, the Data Monitor directs the order to the relevant supplier using fax, email, EDI or XML. Depending on the requirements of the supplier, b2b4retail can provide a seamless, fully integrated end-to-end solution between supplier and retailer.
“b2b4retail automates the process considerably,” explains Warren Woods, IT Manager. “The primary advantage is a considerable reduction in workload, and it reduces the number of data errors that arise at the supplier end, that lead in turn to delivery errors in our stores. Because it can match the way our suppliers are already working, it is easy to win their confidence in the system too.”
Genuine Business Benefit
“We are very comfortable with Astech. They offer good support and have the right skillset that we need. Although limited in its application at Robert Dyas, b2b4retail is delivering genuine benefit and business gain. It also offers a future proof way forward as it embraces all the different communication methods currently used by suppliers of all sizes - from the small independent supplier with a fax machine to the largest EDI or XML driven manufacturer. So we’re well placed should the decline in EDI continue.”
Key Benefits
- Improve lead times
- Leverage existing investment
- Improve visibility, integrity & flexibility in supply chain relationships
- One solution across entire customer/supplier base
- More cost effective than traditional EDI
- Hosted environment available if required
- Potential for immediate ROI