RetailT
echnology
RETAILERS UPDATE MARKETING IT FOR MULTICHANNEL BOOST
Obtaining a single view of products, orders and customers for multichannel retailing can require fundamental restructuring of business processes and the IT systems used to manage and optimise them
B
ut that is only part of the story for retailers as diverse as Sports Direct, Holland & Barrett and
Office Spot. Capitalising on that unified source of business
information to enrich the customer experience can create a virtuous circle of communication, engagement, interaction and loyalty that drives sales and boosts the bottom line. And doing this across global markets only amplifies the challenge, as Sports
Direct realised. Internationally, Sports Direct operates in 19
countries in Europe, including Belgium, Austria, Slovenia and France. Earlier this year Sports Direct UK deployed Infor Orbis Marketing Resource Management (MRM) to improve the visibility and coordination of global marketing activity. The application is being used to drive growth
and improve productivity by automating marketing processes across the Sports Direct business. Infor Orbis MRM will also help manage and control communications with Sports Direct brand partners, supporting areas including digital assets, brand design, image creation and website content. Sports Direct will also benefit from ntegrated planning and budget control, while its scalability will support business growth throughout Europe. It will automate workflows across marketing processes, enable strategic and budget planning, and
manage the complete creation of marketing assets, including fast approval on imagery and copy across partner brand organisations. “Efficiency and speed to market are our key
concerns across all business units at Sports Direct, and the solution provided by Infor Orbis MRM systems is ideal for us to manage all aspects of our marketing mix,” said Vincent Smith, Sports Direct associate director of marketing. “As a global company operating retail, wholesale
and licensing divisions it was essential we have a management tool that would allow us visibility through all channels in all markets and offer us scalability in line with our growth plans.” The timing of the MRM investment was also
important. “It is an appropriate time in Sports Direct’s business expansion, where the marketing department was large enough that this capability was required, but not too large that adoption would be lengthy.” The new system replaces a number of point
homegrown systems. “The benefit being that all the data will flow more easily and information will be in one place,” he added. “This will ensure the visibility is there to manage activity faster and less time spent reworking data between systems.” The application is being implemented in-house, as Smith said a key strategic benefit is ensuring the
www.retailtechnology.co.uk
Spring/Summer 2014
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