Astech Consultants : Case studies

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Thresher: Outsourcing IT Support at Thresher Group

The Thresher Group has historically adopted a strategy to outsource all business applications, hardware and related support services. Finding an appropriate partner to provide support for MMS™ and E3™ led Thresher to Astech Consultants. 

Abbott Diabetes Care UK: Improved and optimised iSeries-hosted MACPAC applications

Oxfordshire-based Abbott Diabetes Care UK, part of the Abbott Laboratories Medical Products Group, selected Astech Consultants Limited to help improve the commercial benefit the company derives from its iSeries-hosted MACPAC applications.  

Royal Doulton: Bringing visibility to the supply chain

With the close of the 20th century, Royal Doulton decided to change its retail system to not only ensure year 2000 compliance but to enjoy the benefits of introducing a level of automation with suppliers. The new JDA solution was brought in to increase speed and accuracy, reduce overhead costs required to manage the process and specifically improve order turnaround with suppliers by one week.

Astech Consultants Limited, a company that specialises in the JDA consultancy arena, approached Royal Doulton and introduced their new supply chain management solution called b2b4retail. This resulted in Royal Doulton undertaking a cost-benefits study to evaluate the potential savings that might accrue from implementing the solution.

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.

Powerhouse Retail Limited: Improving supply chain efficiency

Powerhouse is the country’s third largest retailer of electrical goods. It’s a challenging sector to trade in, although the rewards are there for the business that gets it right. Product lifecycles are growing shorter each year as manufacturers compete to have the latest functionality and styling. For a business selling branded durables, the rapid turnover of the range could easily leave Powerhouse with a lot of residual stock to discount if it was not for a few of the clever ways in which they manage their inventory.

Office World: Optimising the supply chain

Office World is one of the UK’s leading brands for stationery, office supplies and furniture with 57 stores throughout the country.  In order to support the increase in business activity that accompanies significant growth a solid efficient IT framework is essential. One of the key areas identified for improvement was its supply chain management processes, Office World chose Astech to help them implement the infrastructure they needed for growth.

General Optica SA: Believed to be the first installation of JDA MMS 4R5 to go live outside the USA…

Astech has a longstanding relationship with General Optica that dates back to when General Optica was part of the Vantios Group, which also included Salmoiraghi & Vigano in Italy, and Dollond & Aitchison in the UK. The companies have worked together since 1998 and Astech has been responsible for General Optica's year 2000 compliance program and Euro migration.  Rather than find a local firm to manage implementation projects, General Optica turned to Oxfordshire-based Astech Consultants Limited.

General Optica identified that its existing business management software required updating to further achieve operational efficiencies, as Lali Brucart, the company's IT Director explains:

 “We use JDA’s centralised merchandising system, MMS, and recognised that upgrading to 4R5 was essential and so - given that there isn’t a suitable local company in Barcelona –we turned to the UK and Astech to help us achieve a smooth implementation.” 

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.