Retail Consultancy

Since our inception in 2003 AdvanceFirst Technologies have been recognised as specialists in the provision of EDI and Integration services to retail companies, with around 200 clients based within that sector alone and companies such as Northern Foods, Nike, Revlon, Martin McColl, Ginsters, Signet, Tomy, Musgrave, Estee Lauder and Johnson & Johnson all being heavy users of a variety of AdvanceFirst solutions. AdvanceFirst also connect suppliers EDI systems to all the major retailers such as Asda, John Lewis, Tesco, Morrisons, B&Q, Dixons Stores Group and M&S.

For AdvanceFirst Technologies (AFT) whilst we believe we have some of the most cutting edge technology available on the market today, it is all about the benefits that our technology delivers to companies in the retail sector which we see as most important. This document attempts to outline what benefits we can and have delivered to our clients in the retail sector, what solutions we have utilised to deliver those benefits and therefore demonstrate what benefits we could potentially deliver to your company.

Main Retailer/Supply-chain benefits:

• Speeding up the flow of information between retailer and supplier (orders, invoices, ASN’s, price lists, remittances etc) for both larger and SME suppliers.
• Leading to more efficiency in the supply-chain, lowering stock levels, reducing uncertainty, improved stock availability, therefore maximising sales revenues. Speeding the flow of goods from suppliers to retailer. Improving retailer/supplier relationships.
• Delivering significant savings to the bottom line of a business by increasing stock turns and enabling your supply chain to reduce its overall stock levels and become more in control of any changes in market demand.
• AFT take the responsibility for EDI enabling a supplier community away from the retailer but leave control in the hands of the retailer, delivering the ROI as fast as possible and with minimal impact to the core business processes.

Solutions used to deliver these benefits:

Secure website used for publishing orders to suppliers. Suppliers (located anywhere in the world) only need a web browser and no previous EDI experience, to access their secure workspace to receive their orders and generate invoices which are delivered directly back into the retailers internal systems in the format those systems require. Advance Web Trader supports multiple document types (ASN’s, Provisional Orders, Credit and Debit notes etc) and can be tailored to the business requirements of the retailer (retailer specific logos, client look and feel, workflows/processes etc).

Main benefits to the retailer of a Web Trader solution

• Fast roll-out of EDI to supplier community
• One single EDI process for both larger and SME suppliers
• Enables manufacturers to trade electronically with their suppliers
• Financial and logistical benefits of EDI achieved sooner
• Low-cost outlay for both retailer and supplier
• No significant training required
• Tailored solution accessible via retailers website if required
• No back-end integration requirement for supplier

Wide range of EDI solutions, specialising in Intel Server and IBM system i platforms. Including powerful data transformation, communication and multi user modules.

Main benefits to retailer of an ABC solution

• Caters for multiple trading partners profiles and requirements
• Simple to implement and operate yet functionally rich
• EDI mapping and communication taken away from core systems
• Powerful data transformation engine
• Multiple communication protocol front-end
• Tried, tested and reliable solution for mission critical transactions

Next generation EDI communication, replacing costly EDI VANs. Simple client download to any machine allows secure and auditable file exchange with no inbound firewall transmissions, simple public private key management and easy back-end integration. Build large supplier trading communities overnight!

Main Benefits to the retailer of using AMMX

• Replacement of all EDI VAN charges
• Outperforms AS2 in all areas
• Faster broadband technology
• Fully compliant with (and exceeds) all security and audit requirements
• Simple to implement. Can build supplier EDI communities fast
• Important contingency (back-up or replacement) to old VAN based EDI technology
• Highly secure as only outbound firewall sessions required

Visicon (Trade Intelligence) combines EDI transactional data and if required, internal ERP data into a single portal to provide business users with the Visibility of Performance Information and KPI measurements to help them to proactively manage and Control their business with a far greater level of certainty, improving performance/customer satisfaction. Senior management also have Visibility via the highly visual and interactive dashboard screens

Main Benefits to the retailer/FMCG of using VISICON

• Full audit of EDI transactional data in a user friendly format
• Consolidation of EDI trading data from documents such as orders, invoices and ASN’s enriches the raw data held separately turning it into useful business intelligence
• Provides a single version of the truth
• KPI driven Performance visual and interactive dashboards
• Dashboard views by business area enabling a better insight into your business performance
• Real time exception alerts
• Improved visibility and Control of the supply chain
• Enables proactive management of the supply chain RP data into a single portal to provide business users with the Visibility of Performance Information and KPI measurements to help them to proactively manage and Control their business with a far greater level of certainty, improving performance/customer satisfaction. Senior management also have Visibility via the highly visual and interactive dashboard screens

Whilst retailers need to be doing EDI for all the supply chain benefits and significant cost savings available to them. Implementing and managing the technology is not necessarily a key skill required of a retailer or their suppliers, especially as the technology has become more complex in recent years. AdvanceFirst Technologies offer an outsourced service to retailers where we in effect become your EDI department. We will manage the secure delivery of orders to your suppliers and the delivery back to you of invoices or other trading documents in your required format.

Main benefits to the retailer of using AMOS

• Becoming more pro-active to customer or supplier requirements. Show how easy your company is to do business with.
• Completing important projects in days rather than months
• Using AdvanceFirst as your EDI department
• Freeing up scarce skilled resources for other key IT projects
• Reduce the overall cost of EDI to your business
• Improve the control and visibility of EDI transaction data within your business
• One document format out of and into your business applications
• Make positive business use of the EDI statistics gathered by AMOS
• Reporting and analysis. Trade (Business) Intelligence, KPI monitoring, dashboard real-time alerts. Provides graphical representation of KPI’s

Using AdvanceFirst Technologies AMOS outsourced solution along with our AMMX secure managed file transfer systems could avoid all EDI VAN costs and provide a strong and early return on Investment (ROI).