1. AL BATHA GROUP
Retail GRoup Gains a positive
Competitive advantaGe with
sap® point-of-sale
QuiCk faCts
“The integrated, end-to-end retail Company Why SAP
• name: al Batha Group • positive experience with sap software
solution from SAP enables staff at • headquarters: sharjah, united arab throughout the group
our new retail stores to consolidate emirates • functionality for point-of-sale processes
• industry: Retail • Competent and experienced partner,
all services from the back office to • products and services: electronics and particularly for sap pos across the
home appliances region
point of sale, while providing fast, • employees: 5,500
• web site: www.albatha.ae Benefits
effective, and efficient service to • eliminated data duplication and data
• implementation partner: Groupsoft
customers.” inconsistencies with data entry at the
Challenges and Opportunities source
John Willimott, managing director, • streamline warehousing processes • increased employees’ overall efficiency by
al Batha Retail Group • improve visibility into store operations eliminating work duplication
• support different models of retail • improved cash tracking and stock and
business, including franchises replenishment planning with near real-time
data updates from stores to office
Objectives • achieved faster returns processing
• adopt a scalable solution that can support • improved customer service by using
multiple stores mobile pos
• improve efficiency and data accuracy • standardized business processes based
through use of technology on industry best practices
SAP® Solutions and Services • achieved real-time data consistency and
• sap® point-of-sale (sap pos) application accuracy for reporting with “one view”
and sap pos data management application data integration across all departments
• sap for Retail solution portfolio Existing Environment
• sap netweaver® technology platform and • sap eRp application
sap netweaver Business warehouse • sap Customer Relationship
component management application
• sap Ramp-up program
Third-Party Integration
Implementation Highlights • database: oracle
• delivery of functionality on time (4 months) • hardware: sun
• Collaboration of sap consultants and al • operating system: sun solaris
Batha Group employees
• participation in the sap Ramp-up
program for a “greenfield” project
SAP Customer Success Story
Retail

2. al Batha Group is a multifaceted conglomerate of over 20 different from the store to the back office. in
addition, it was a ramp-up project where
companies in diverse areas such as automobiles, manufacturing, the sap for Retail solution portfolio and
engineering, distribution, construction, and real estate. with head- sap pos were implemented for the first
time in the middle east. as a further
quarters in sharjah, it is one of the largest private business groups challenge, the project had to be com-
in united arab emirates (uae), providing employment to over 5,500 pleted in time for the scheduled opening
of the first store.
people. al Batha Group has grown from a small beginning to play
a substantial role in uae. today the group continues to nurture and since the project was starting from
scratch, planning had to be precise,
develop its strategies and activities as a successful international keeping in view both the existing busi-
business enterprise ness and future business plans of the
company. using the asap methodology,
Groupsoft worked closely with the al
in keeping with its growth strategy, merchandise and assortment planning, Batha team to develop a road map for
al Batha Group ventured into the retail and point of sale (pos) to software all retail processes, from requirements
business in the electronics sector with offered by sap as well as other vendors. planning through sales. the project was
the brand name e-City, a one-stop shop the sap for Retail solution portfolio and managed by al Batha and Groupsoft
for specialty electronic products, to cater related retail-specific applications, such teams, using both offshore and on-site
to the region with a unique range of high- as the sap® point-of-sale (sap pos) models. meeting the projected date
end electronic brands and products. the application and the sap pos data man- to go live is a commendable achieve-
first store opened in february 2009, with agement application, met the group’s ment for all involved. Consultants from
additional stores planned over the com- technology and expansion requirements. sap and employees of al Batha Group
ing months. played a vital role in the success of
“al Batha has been working with sap the project by providing consistent and
Building Strategic Growth software for nearly a decade, so when constant support in coordinating sap
on a IT Solid Foundation it came time to select a strategic it for Retail solutions and sap pos and
solution for our new retail venture, sap making the project possible, complet-
al Batha wanted to take advantage of the solutions were a natural fit,” said John ing the implementation in a record four
latest retail technology in order to offer willimott, managing director of al Batha months.
its customers the most efficient and Retail Group.
streamlined purchasing experience, with Going from Speculation to
a focus on fast, effective, and efficient Ramping Up to Meet the Challenges Data-Driven Decisions
service to each customer and a unique of the Implementation
product mix. in addition, the company sap software offers powerful back-
needed a scalable solution to support to help the company meet its objectives, office functions for in-depth store-level
its aggressive expansion plans. an sap it participated in the sap Ramp-up pro- management and reporting. supply chain
customer since 1999, al Batha under- gram and engaged sap and Groupsoft efficiency is improved with the custom-
stood the benefits of automated and as its implementation partners. the ized reporting that enables e-City man-
integrated front- and back-office opera- implementation project had its own share agement to closely monitor and analyze
tions. executives conducted an evalua- of highlights and challenges. this was a the movement of stock and manage
tion process, comparing their business “greenfield” project, involving information product demand.
requirements for purchasing, inventory, technology, pos, Rf, and integration

3. “The SAP for Retail solutions have more than met our expectations with
support for our merchandise lifecycle and corporate operations, enabling
us to enhance our customer’s shopping experience. We now have the
clear insight we need into our merchandise and our shoppers, as well as
the flexibility and efficiency we need to run our stores in a cost-effective,
sustainable manner.”
John Willimott, managing director, al Batha Retail Group
Retail stores are integrated with the head Using Technology to Improve tracking functions enable employees
office through the use of real-time trickle Inventory Accuracy to monitor compliance to the delivery
function. this means sales at any store schedules committed with the customers.
are tracked at the head office within min- employees use Rf technology to monitor
utes. updates at regular intervals help merchandise and manage stock, thereby “the integrated, end-to-end retail solu-
improve cash tracking and stock and minimizing manual efforts to maintain tion from sap enables staff at our new
replenishment planning. managers do stock at both the warehouse and store retail stores to consolidate all services
not have to wait for the next working level. using mobile devices, warehouse from the back office to point of sale,
day to study or analyze data. this has and store workers simply scan the bar while providing fast, effective, and efficient
provided clarity as to what is happening codes on merchandise instead of read- service to customers,” says willimott.
in the stores, enabling the company to ing and then manually jotting down the “additionally, sap pos enables us to
move from “gut feel” to data-driven plan- information. this makes the process respond immediately to changing busi-
ning, purchasing, and, replenishment. faster and minimizes data entry errors, ness needs and competitive pressures
by quickly implementing new business
functionality or transaction types.”
“SAP software is helping to streamline the purchasing needs of both the head
to enhance sales and improve customer
office and the stores while providing business intelligence, customer relation-
service, the company implemented
ship management, planning tools, and mobile solutions, all of which will help mobile pos terminals, which e-City store
staff can use to can scan the merchan-
enable E-City to achieve its business goals.”
dise in a customer’s shopping cart. this
Saji Oommen, General manager of it, al Batha Group speeds up the check-out process and
keeps queues to a minimum, especially
during rush hour. Customers do not have
in addition, the software integrates with improving overall efficiency and inven- to stand in queues because the order-slip
the existing sap software for enterprise tory accuracy. in addition, store employ- generation is done using mobile pos
resource planning and customer relation- ees can use information kiosks situated devices; only payment has to take
ship management. “the sap for Retail in the store to check stock position and place at the cash registers.
solutions are integrated with al Batha’s other information, and create sales orders
existing sap platform, providing a single that are automatically sent to sap pos at the cash register the cashier inquires
view across the entire enterprise,” notes for further processing. for the mode of payment preferred by
saji oommen, general manager of it the customer, whether by cash, debit
with al Batha Group. “sap software Providing a Better Shopping card, or credit card, for example. this
is helping to streamline the purchasing Experience information is now included in the details
needs of both the head office and the of the sale, along with information such
stores while providing business intelli- for al Batha Group, providing a superior as the date of sale; pos id; cashier in
gence, customer relationship manage- shopping experience is the most impor- charge and sales person; customer ser-
ment, planning tools, and mobile solu- tant objective of e-City. each customer vice benefits, such as promotions and
tions, all of which will help enable e-City enjoys a consistent retail experience discounts; and mode of delivery, such
to achieve its business goals.” because e-City’s software solutions are as home delivery or customer pick up.
all integrated, from kiosks in the store if the customer chooses home delivery,
to cash registers to return points. in the software automatically schedules a
addition, home-delivery and installation- delivery and prints a delivery note.

4. www.sap.com /contactsap
the delivery process is optimized and Managing and Growing for the
very efficient because the employees Future
or any third party involved in making the
home deliveries have the customer and al Batha is already looking at the
merchandise information they need to advanced functionality required in the
deliver the right products to the right future to support fraud management,
customers. loss prevention, and customer loyalty
initiatives. in addition, the group wants
exchanges and returns have also been to enhance the use of Rf identification
streamlined. the company’s logo and and electronic data interchange (edi)
product bar codes have been incorpo- as well as forecasting and replenish-
rated on the order slip and sale receipt. ment and merchandise assortment
using the bar code on the receipt, a planning (map). “the sap for Retail
store employee can quickly retrieve the solutions have more than met our
transaction of a particular sale, making expectations with support for our mer-
exchanges or returns easier, thereby chandise lifecycle and corporate opera-
improving customer service. tions, enabling us to enhance our cus-
tomer’s shopping experience. we now
“as one of the largest private business have the clear insight we need into our
groups in the uae, al Batha is recog- merchandise and our shoppers, as well
nized for its innovative technological as the flexibility and efficiency we need
approach to it,” says sergio maccotta, to run our stores in a cost-effective,
managing director, sap middle east and sustainable manner,” says willimott.
north africa. “sap is pleased to provide
the company’s new retail venture, e-City,
with our robust retail solutions, which
help ensure reliability and scalability and
provide a business platform that inte-
grates data from the back office to the 50 096 997 (09/09)
point of sale.” ©2009 by sap aG.
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