ITPRO

Printed from www.itpro.co.uk

Register to receive our regular email newsletter at http://www.itpro.co.uk/registration.

The newsletter contains links to our latest IT news, product reviews, features and how-to guides, plus special offers and competitions.

Skip to navigation

    Matalan goes for business intelligence

The retailer has adopted new reporting software to support faster, more accurate decision making in support of increasing profits.

By Miya Knights, 23 Jun 2008 at 15:07

Matalan, the UK clothing and homeware retailer, has adopted new business intelligence (BI) software to increase the accuracy and speed of access to key sales data.

The company said it is benefiting from visibility of the previous weekend's trading figures by the following Monday morning through the new BI platform, which integrates data on 466 million transactions per year held in disparate systems.

In so doing, Matalan has deployed SAS' Enterprise Intelligence software to improve data quality and the timeliness of key trading information from its 190-plus stores, enabling the business with faster and more accurate decision making capabilities relating to increased efficiencies, reduced waste and margin management.

Pete Trainer, Matalan IT and logistics director, stated: "Matalan's aim is to become a fact-based, data-driven organisation and SAS has helped us toward meeting this objective."

Matalan had previously been unable to gain a more immediate view of trading patterns because paper-based reports were produced and then analysed through manually intensive processes that took up too much of its merchandisers' time.

New insight will enable the business to order stock for each store that accurately reflects customers' buying behaviour, so reducing stock wastage, markdowns and margin erosion.

The retailer is using its BI investment as a platform for data integration, analysis and reporting. It is working with Capgemini as its consulting and implementation partner towards an electronic traffic-light reporting system covering store performance metrics and stock details, including size and colour. This will provide detailed insight into the stores sales patterns enabling a more immediate response to trading performance and conditions.

Trainer added: "[Having] one version of the truth gives us the ability to optimally plan, execute on that plan and react quickly to changing conditions. Bringing all our data together means that we now have a platform to build upon for future developments in the areas of merchandise planning, supply chain management and marketing outreach."

Email to a friend

Print this page

Social Bookmark this article: What is this?

Be the first to comment on this article

You need to Login or Register to comment.

advertisement

    Latest Management Features

Netbooks vs. Smartphones: Making business mobile

What we traditionally think of as a smartphone is changing, as data is overtaking voice in terms of use. However, netbooks are beginning to become more and more pocketable – but which is better for someone who wants an office on the move?

Read more

 
advertisement

    Latest News Videos in Management

Video: Q&A with Software AG's Karl-Heinz Streibich

Play Video: Q&A with Software AG's Karl-Heinz Streibich   Play

The chief executive of Software AG talks about investing in IT in a weak economy and competing with bigger vendors.

 

    White papers

Want more background on today's hottest IT trends?

Visit IT PRO's white paper library for more on virtualisation, encryption and other topics.

    Register for IT PRO

You'll get exclusive member benefits including free white papers, downloads, Webinars and weekly newsletters full of the latest IT PRO news, reviews, insight and expertise.

Advertisement