The company specializes in ceramics, leather bags, and clothing for men and women. With around 200 employees across 17 locations in Switzerland, Bijou les Boutiques is dedicated to offering high-quality, stylish products and creating an exceptional shopping experience.
Business case
Before implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP and LS Central, Bijou les Boutiques used a custom-built solution made-up of several disconnected systems, including a merchandise management solution with cash registers, a separate financial accounting system, and an independent CRM platform. “There were data silos everywhere,” says Sarina Baumann, Head of Digital at Bijou les Boutiques. “Shopify was used for eCommerce but could not be integrated with the ERP system.”
These fragmented systems caused a lot of inefficiencies, making it clear to the company that they needed a connected, comprehensive solution to streamline operations and improve business performance.
Solution
After evaluating potential solutions, Bijou les Boutiques selected LS Central unified retail software, with support from local LS Retail partner decs ag. The decision was driven by two key factors:
- LS Central can be implemented as an extension of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP, providing all the functionalities required to manage a retail business within a single platform.
- decs ag's extensive experience in IT projects within the fashion industry and its proven track record of success.
The team at decs ag implemented LS Central using an agile methodology, including a two-week parallel operation with the old system to ensure a smooth transition. “The relationship of trust with decs ag convinced us from the first minute to the end,” says Baumann. “decs ag's deep experience with IT projects in fashion has opened up many new opportunities for us.”
Benefits
With LS Central, Bijou les Boutiques has eliminated the discrepancies that can occur when using separate systems for different tasks. “LS Central proved its worth as the complete solution,” says Baumann. “Along with the decs extension, we could meet all our needs using the standard version of the system.” Key benefits include:
- Simplified retail management: LS Central offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing retail operations, including Point of Sale, inventory management, financial accounting, and customer loyalty, eliminating the need for disparate systems.
- Elimination of data silos: LS Central provides a 360-degree view of business operations, streamlining workflows between departments. “All information can now be accessed consistently, both in the back office, at checkout, and in the web shop,” says Baumann.
- Synchronized online and in-store operations: The seamless communication between online and physical stores enables customers to redeem vouchers and promotions online, which was previously not possible. “With the seamless integration between LS Central and Shopify, we can finally offer a consistent experience for our customers,” says Baumann.
- Standardized supplier management: “With the decs ag extension, we were able to connect suppliers via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), which gave us many advantages and simplified the process,” says Baumann. This has sped up ordering and given staff more time to focus on other tasks. “Everything has been digitalized and there are no longer any paper processes,” says Baumann.
Switching to the Business Central ERP with LS Central has helped Bijou les Boutiques streamline its operations and improve the customer experience both online and offline. While they're currently running the system on-premises, the company plans to move to a SaaS model for better performance and scalability.
