The need GS Retail maintained separate data warehouses for convenience stores, supermarkets and its customer relationship management (CRM) system. Implemented approximately 10 years ago, the data warehouses were aging . and in need of a performance upgrade. More than 600 store managers and marketing executives used the system, and there were complaints of bottlenecks when a large number of users attempted access, as well as slow loading and processing. Batch processing, which involves processing a large number of jobs that can run without human interaction, took 9 to 15 hours to complete, running over into store hours.

1. IBM Software Retail
Information Management
GS Retail
Lowering TCO by 30 percent with faster,
smarter analytics
GS Retail Co., Ltd. (GS Retail) is a conglomerate of retail chains that has
modernized the Korean retail industry since its establishment in 1971.
Overview The group has four businesses: GS25 convenience stores, GS supermarkets,
GS Retail Co., Ltd GS Watsons and Mr. Doughnut.
Seoul, Korea
www.gsretail.com The need
GS Retail maintained separate data warehouses for convenience stores,
Solution components supermarkets and its customer relationship management (CRM) system.
Implemented approximately 10 years ago, the data warehouses were aging
• IBM® Smart Analytics System 5600 and in need of a performance upgrade. More than 600 store managers
and marketing executives used the system, and there were complaints
of bottlenecks when a large number of users attempted access, as well as
slow loading and processing. Batch processing, which involves processing
“We need sophisticated a large number of jobs that can run without human interaction, took
analytics to be able to 9 to 15 hours to complete, running over into store hours.
offer customers more of It was also difficult to achieve optimal data analysis, such as comparing
the products and services results by territory, to improve business outcomes. With three separate
data warehouses managing information coming from different sources,
they want. IBM Smart it was impossible to perform cross analysis or sophisticated data analysis.
Analytics System gives
Data volumes were growing, but without the ability to compress data,
us the insights we need backups and storage required expensive investments in disk space. GS
to propel growth.” Retail required a high-performing, intelligent data warehouse environment
to enable quicker analysis and processing of mass data and a more
organized, sophisticated CRM.
—Han-Yeol Yoon, Deputy General Manager,
Information Service Department,
GS Retail Co., Ltd. The solution
GS Retail decided to implement a new data warehouse analytics system
(DWHAS) data mart to provide the analytics it needed to propel growth,
with better performance and cost efficiency. The company was looking
for significant savings in hardware, software, operating and people costs
and faster time to value with a reduction in the time and speed associated
with deploying the data mart.

2. Having decided on an appliance-like system designed exclusively for data warehousing,
GS Retail evaluated four-to-five appliance products using benchmarking on key
scenarios such as mass data processing performance, performance in handling
concurrent users, ease of maintenance, stability and implementation costs. Specifically,
GS Retail needed a product that would perform best in two different types of functions
including handling online transaction processing (OLTP) and simultaneously accessing © Copyright IBM Corporation 2011
users and mass data batch processing. In the end, GS Retail chose the IBM® Smart
Analytics System 5600. IBM Corporation
Software Group
Route 100
The IBM Smart Analytics System 5600 brings together IBM hardware, software and support Somers, NY 10589
to create a fast and easy-to-deploy, end-to-end business intelligence (BI) environment. U.S.A.
With their Smart Analytics System, which is based on IBM InfoSphere® Warehouse Produced in the United States of America
December 2011
software, GS Retail can quickly and cost-effectively deploy new data mart and data All Rights Reserved
warehouse managed application systems (MAS). Smart Analytics System provides
faster time-to-value and reduced cost because of the deep integration and optimization IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com, and InfoSphere are
trademarks of International Business Machines
of IBM software, server and storage. The IBM Software IT Architect (SWITA)
Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions
blueprint designed for GS Retail allows the company to rapidly build new information worldwide. A current list of IBM trademarks is
management systems. With its modular design, IBM Smart Analytics System 5600 can available on the Web at “Copyright and trademark
affordably grow with the expansion of the business and data volumes. information” at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml
Other company, product or service names may
The IBM Smart Analytics System 5600 provides high performance both in handling be trademarks or service marks of others.
concurrent users and in processing mass data batches. The solution reduces Service
The information contained in this documentation
Level Agreement (SLA) response times to queries about retail market analytics. It also
is provided for informational purposes only. While
features deep compression capabilities that result in significant savings on storage. efforts were made to verify the completeness and
accuracy of the information contained in this
In addition to performance improvements, the IBM Smart Analytics System 5600 has documentation, it is provided “as is” without
laid the foundation for more customer-oriented information analyses, such as market warranty of any kind, express or implied. In
basket analysis, which reveals buying patterns among consumers to enable retailers to addition, this information is based on IBM’s
current product plans and strategy, which are
cross-sell and up-sell. subject to change by IBM without notice. IBM
shall not be responsible for any damages arising
The benefits out of the use of, or otherwise related to, this
documentation or any other documentation.
• 60 percent data reduction due to data compression
Nothing contained in this documentation is
• Up to 2.5-fold faster batch processing (6 hours vs. 9-15 hours) intended to, nor shall have the effect of, creating
• 30 percent reduction in TCO for data warehouse including storage disk, any warranties or representations from IBM
maintenance and back-up expenses (or its suppliers or licensors), or altering the terms
• Availability of sophisticated analytical functions such as cross-data analytics and conditions of the applicable license agreement
governing the use of IBM software.
For more information
To learn more about IBM Smart Analytics System, please contact your IBM sales Please Recycle
representative or IBM Business Partner, or visit the following website:
ibm.com/smart-analytics-system/5600
IMC14719-USEN-00