Supply Chain Success story
Direct Wines enjoys global agility, increased sales and greater customer satisfaction with Infosys and Microsoft Dynamics
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aunched in 1969, UK-based wine merchant Direct Wines is one of the world’s largest direct-to-consumer and online wine retailers. In order to better manage its customer
catalogue-based business across widespread geographies, facilitate further growth and enhance customer satisfaction, Direct Wines required a globally agile, integrated and scalable IT system. With these key criteria in mind, the company contacted Infosys Technologies.
When Direct Wines first considered its core requirements from a replacement IT solution it focused on the need to better manage its international catalogue-based order-to-cash business, replace its existing system and resolve scalability and integration issues. It also wanted to streamline and automate core business processes globally to support acquisitions and achieve quicker time-to- market for new locations. In addition, it required the better management of a complex network of stakeholders in the US and other markets to facilitate the smooth shipment of wine, as well as meet statutory tax and compliance requirements in accordance with location-specific wine shipment regulations. Additionally, it required the IT solution to be able to support multi-brand marketing initiatives, business analytics and reporting with secure access capabilities.
After considering a number of solution options Direct Wines set about initiating a project involving the implementation and customisation of an ERP solution based on a
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single instance of Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 serving multiple languages, currencies and locations. Direct Wines CIO Gary Isaacs takes up the story. “We initially began the project with an independent Microsoft Gold Partner based in the UK, and our first territory scheduled for go-live was Switzerland. For this project we had to meet a tight deadline of only 12 weeks. Then this would be followed by roll-out to another five target markets outside of the UK – Australia, the US, Germany, Poland and Hong Kong. Essentially, we required the means of being able automatically to take the order from our website, receive payment and deliver the goods to our customer quickly and efficiently from the very first day the system was to go live. However, mainly for reasons concerning consistence of availability, we realised we would need to deploy a different kind of partner model.”
Partner of choice
Direct Wines then began looking for a replacement partner with Microsoft skills but, moreover, for one that was able to provide highly-skilled personnel that could work directly with the company at its UK premises, and other sites globally. Isaacs then contacted a number of prospective partners but realised that many of them didn’t have the level of Microsoft expertise Direct Wines was looking for. Isaacs first made contact with Infosys in June 2007 after visiting the company’s website. Realising that Infosys seemed to be the perfect fit for Direct Wines in terms of having its own Microsoft Centre of Excellence and a proven
Gary Isaacs: “Powerful combination”.
and successful background in Microsoft Dynamics AX projects worldwide, Direct Wines made the decision to engage Infosys as its partner of choice. There followed a period of transition whereby Infosys liaised directly with Direct Wines’ original partner. Infosys then proceeded to design and implement the system for Direct Wines’ Switzerland site on 1 July 2007, with the system going live to schedule on 30 September 2007. Direct Wines’ site in Australia followed, with Infosys teams in the UK and India ensuring this project was completed by mid-November 2007.
Direct Wines then required Infosys to roll-out the solution in the US, followed by its other target global sites. “In the US, we first set about replacing the old legacy system in one of our smaller businesses,” said Isaacs. “This
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