The JSC BNS Group manages various fashion store chains, including MEXX, Calvin Klein, Pinko, and more, with a total of 99 stores spread across 11 cities in Russia. While the majority of these stores can be found in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the BNS Group is currently focused on expanding its business in other cities throughout the country.
Business case
The decision to replace the existing software was taken because of the lack of functionality and limited capacity of the system. The development of the business required a modern and functional information system. “Prior to implementing the LS Retail software solution, which extends Microsoft Dynamics ERP, the company used a system of its own design, which supported the sales. This system managed very well with the accounting processes at one site. Its main disadvantage was the lack of managerial accounting, lack of connection with financial accounting and the inability to create a distributed database. Also it was necessary to maintain parallel accounting in RAS (Russian Accounting Standards) and IFR,” says Oleg Andreev, Director of IT at JSC BNS Group.
The solution
The LS Retail system was chosen to meet the company's accounting challenges, including managing financial and material resources, personnel, accounting calculations, budget support, cost accounting, and automated item cost calculation. The system's scalability, code replication, and ability to handle large volumes of management information in a geographically distributed retail network were key factors in the decision. Impact-Soft's experience with Microsoft Dynamics and successful projects in the fashion retail sector also played a role in the selection process.
The BNS Group management presented the following objectives to Impact-Soft:
- create a solid technological platform for the development of an enterprise management system based on Microsoft Dynamics,
- implement a unified accounting system,
- seamlessly implement accounting operation principles,
- eliminate manual reporting processes,
- differentiate access rights at the user level.
The project aimed to gradually replace the existing software with LS Retail in stores, focusing on improving item processing in the warehouse and item delivery to stores. After implementing the warehouse module, the company invested in automatic item sorting to increase processing speed. The LS Retail software revolutionized cash register management and budget handling, allowing for real-time budget analysis and eliminating manual tasks.
The result
The impact of implementing LS Retail has been remarkable for BNS Group. Oleg Andreev acknowledges that while there is still work to be done, they now possess a scalable and replicable solution that allows them to rapidly and cost-effectively open new stores. The system has significantly enhanced their accounting and inventory management processes, as well as their ability to effectively control retail prices and plan for the future.
Thanks to this successful implementation, BNS Group can now establish new brand stores in record time without the need for extensive modifications to their system. Furthermore, they have exciting plans to further enhance their loyalty system by introducing bonus cards and implementing various marketing initiatives to drive customer engagement and satisfaction.
“One of the main criteria of BNS Group for selecting automation systems was the presence of budgeting: With the business growth, budget handling is getting ever more important. Operative planning, analysis and control of budgets are very important issues. The implementation of budgeting in Microsoft Dynamics allows budget analysis in real time. We can eliminate a lot of manual operations. The financial department reduced the number of employees. The integration of the budget with accounting allowed the company to calculate the budget on the basis of actual statistics. Now we have reporting for the investors according to European standards,” says Oleg Andreev.
The company plans to open new brand stores. This can now take place in the shortest time possible. As for the system – it does not require any major modifications. The loyalty system will be developed further. Introduction of bonus cards and various marketing actions are planned.