ISL Boosts Nisa-Today's Negotiating Focus
The UK's largest buying consortium, Nisa-Today's Holdings Ltd, has implemented a data warehouse and business intelligence (BI) solution from Information Specialists Ltd (ISL) part of the business intelligence operation of Acuma Solutions Ltd. The new solution is enabling Nisa-Today's wholesale division, the Today's Group, to track the market more effectively and negotiate better deals for its members.
The new solution uses an Oracle8 data warehouse and the PowerPlay and Impromptu BI tools from Cognos to analyse sales data supplied by Today's Group members. As part of the project, ISL has also designed and implemented a Web-based BI system that wholesalers and suppliers can use to access Today's Group data warehouse and analyse their own sales data.
"We chose ISL for this project because we were looking for a company with experience in data warehousing and a knowledge of the wholesale industry," said Peter Walker, systems manager at the Today's Group. "ISL's strengths as a complete solution provider, in combination with the functionality and flexibility of PowerPlay and Impromptu, have given us a solution that we are very satisfied with. The Today's Group operates in a rapidly changing market place, which requires swift reaction to trading situations. The new solution makes change easy.
"In addition to being the UK's largest Cognos reseller, we specialise in providing complete data warehousing solutions," said Rob Wilson, sales & marketing director, ISL. "The Today's Group project was therefore right tip our street, and we were able to apply our experience of previous engagements in this industry area to ensure a rapid, successful implementation. The new Web- based system is the first such system offered to suppliers in the UK wholesale industry, and we are confident that it will be a great success."
The solution implemented for The Today's Group by ISL condenses data from wholesalers' electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) devices into a 200 Gb data warehouse running on a four-way HP NetServer LX Pro system. Using Cognos' multidimensional PowerPlay PowerCubes, Today's Group buyers can then analyse sales data in relation to variables such as region, product category, customer category and profitability. The resulting information is used in negotiations with suppliers to improve trading terms and to ensure promotion formats meet the special needs of independent Today's Group Wholesalers and their customers.
The Today's Group will shortly roll out its Web-based BI solution, based on PowerPlay Server Web Edition. This solution will be used to give members and suppliers direct access over the Internet to sales information, enabling them to analyse and evaluate their own performance in detail. Over the next year, Nisa-Today's also intends to extend the use of the Cognos tools to its retail operations, Nisaway, NisaFreeze and NisaChill
Information Specialists Limited (ISL) is now part of the business intelligence operation of Acuma Solutions Ltd. Acuma is a solutions business which provides systems and services to help large organisations maximise the potential of enterprise computing technology. It offers a complete range of technology integration, knowledge management, application development and business intelligence solutions which help clients to realise their objectives and drive competitive advantage.
Employing over 240 people Acuma has annual revenues of more than GBP 60 million. As an operating business of Skillsgroup plc, Acuma is supported by the resources of a leading IT services group that includes over 600 people and generates annual revenues in excess of GBP 160 million.
Acuma's enterprise solutions expertise is complemented by QA Group and Pontis Consulting, further Skillsgroup businesses. QA Group comprises one of the UK's largest technical and professional training companies, a leading IT resourcing company and a respected consulting operation. Pontis Consulting operates in the financial services arena, providing major institutions in the sector with systems design and integration consultancy services.
ISL specialise in delivering end-to-end business intelligence and data warehousesolutions and have many successful implementations with over 100 blue-chip companies in the UK. and Europe.
ISL combines business intelligence and data warehousing technology with the commercial understanding and expertise to meet the information needs of corporate clients.
Its approach is to look at business issues first, and to liaise with users and technical analysts before designing and implementing an effective solution. ISL take responsibility for identifying the sources of information and accessing the data, leaving its clients free to concentrate on using the information for their strategic advantage.
Typical projects range from helping clients to analyse in depth a single business function, such as sales revenues, margins and trends, to implementing a total solution which provides focussed and accurate reporting across an entire business.