The company runs an online store and 29 bookstores in 18 cities including Pegasas Akropolis in Vilnius, the largest bookstore in the Baltic countries.
In the stores, customers can find a wide selection of literature alongside stationery, art materials, games, and gifts for all occasions. “Our main goal is to offer the best professional, personalized service to our customers,” says Anastasia Alekseeva, Sales Manager of the Eastern Region at UAB ALG knygynai, “We want them not only to buy books, but also experience the pleasure of reading.” Customers can sit down with a book in one of the store’s comfortable reading areas, or grab a snack at the café and green food restaurant inside the store.
Business case
As the company grew, it became clear that the standalone systems they were using couldn't support the company's long-term goals. Slow performance was impacting productivity. The system also lacked new functionality and its pricing models were too inflexible for the company’s requirements. When the company needed to replace the software, they took the opportunity to raise the bar in how they engage with customers, and improve the overall store operations capabilities. They started looking for a solution that could handle billing operations seamlessly, while allowing for flexible pricing strategies and supporting a loyalty program.
Solution
After mapping out their requirements and evaluating multiple POS software solutions from multiple providers, UAB ALG knygynai decided to work with StrongPoint, a local LS Retail partner with many years of experience in retail software. The team of experts at StrongPoint suggested the latest version of LS Central, LS Retail’s centralized POS and retail management software. LS Central extends Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP, bringing together in one platform all retail processes, including Point of Sale (POS), store operations, supply chain management, inventory, online sales, and customer loyalty.
UAB ALG knygynai and StrongPoint divided the implementation into two phases. During the first phase, the IT company implemented the standard version of LS Central so the staff could start using the core POS functionality. With a clear understanding of what improvements were needed, the team moved forward with additional modules and functionality rollout. "Having a responsible partner like StrongPoint on our side was essential,” says Alekseeva. “We must credit them for their cooperation, helpfulness, and promptness.”
Benefits
The staff of the bookstore chain immediately enjoyed the benefits of the new solution, from the speed of the POS to the ability to perform daily tasks more efficiently and provide smooth customer service. “After launching the first POS, we could already see that the POS is working much faster,” says Alekseeva. The whole company now enjoys:
- Centralized information – “All the information that was previously available in different systems and channels is now in a single platform,” says Alekseeva. This means that the actions that used to be performed using separate applications, such as order collection and correction of customer profiles, can now be completed directly into LS Central. “This simplifies the performance of daily tasks, optimizes processes, and saves our employees' time,” says Alekseeva.
- Optimized inventory management – Staff can see in real time stock levels for each product across all locations, ensuring the best customer access to products. The management team can monitor trends and volume of books sold and adjust inventory levels whenever needed.
- Increased customer loyalty – LS Central gives the chain great flexibility in terms of pricing, promotions, and offers they can configure. “Now we can activate the desired number of gift vouchers that a person wants to use in a single transaction,” says Alekseeva. “We couldn't do that before because we didn't have the option of mass uploading."
- Ease of use – “Everyday operations are made easier by the user-friendly design of the system, which also helps avoid human errors when scanning items,” says Alekseeva.
