Over the past three decades, the company has grown to eight large retail stores in Saudi Arabia and two in the United Arab Emirates. In addition to its physical stores, Sultan Garden Center has developed a strong eCommerce platform and B2B channels, confirming its position as a key player in the regional garden sector.
Business case
Before moving to LS Central, Sultan Garden Center was relying on local POS and ERP systems for over ten years. “While foundational to our operations, these systems increasingly constrained our growth due to their limitations,” says Abdelaziz Gaffar Mohamed Ali, IT Director at Zaid Alhussain & Brothers Group Co. “We faced challenges like poor integration, outdated technology, slow processes, and limited scalability, all of which hindered our efficiency and growth.”
When a critical data synchronization failure disrupted the company’s inventory management and customer transactions, Sultan Garden Center realized they needed a more reliable and modular retail management solution.
Solution
The garden chain explored various software solutions from multiple providers, including SAP Business One, Oracle MICROS, and Retail Pro. "LS Central by LS Retail emerged as the most comprehensive and scalable solution tailored to our requirements," stated Abdelaziz Gaffar Mohamed Ali. LS Central extends Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP with Point of Sale (POS), ERP (back-office), store operations, inventory, eCommerce, and customer loyalty functionalities.
Sultan Garden Center chose LS Central because of its:
- single, centralized platform that integrates POS, ERP, and store operations.
- user-friendly POS interface.
- real-time inventory tracking.
- advanced reporting and analytics tools.
- integration capabilities with other systems.
Local LS Retail partner EDM carried out the implementation and customizations, with Sultan Garden Center describing the process as smooth and well-coordinated. Sultan Garden Center selected EDM due to their extensive experience in implementing LS Central solutions in Saudi Arabia, their full compliance with e-invoicing requirements, and their official listing by ZATCA, the Saudi Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority. “Our collaboration with EDM was exceptional: the team provided excellent support, helping us with migrating data, training staff, and going live with minimal disruption to our operations,” says Abdelaziz Gaffar Mohamed Ali. “The team was knowledgeable, responsive, and proactive in addressing any issues that arose during the implementation.”
Benefits
According to Abdelaziz Gaffar Mohamed Ali, LS Central has significantly enhanced the company’s workflows and streamlined operations. Here are some of the positive changes for the company:
- Real-time, accurate inventory management. This has optimized inventory levels while minimizing stockouts and overstock situations. Additionally, the mobile inventory app empowers store staff to quickly navigate inventory and locate products, enhancing overall inventory management.
- Instantaneous sales reporting. With immediate access to sales data, the management at Sultan Garden Center can make timely, data-driven decisions that profit the business.
- Staff empowerment. With access to better tools and detailed insights, the staff at Sultan Garden Center can perform their roles more efficiently and provide a more informed and effective service to their customers.
- Enhanced customer service. LS Central enables faster, reliable transaction processing, resulting in quicker checkouts and fewer errors, which significantly increases customer satisfaction. With tools for creating personalized customer experiences, such as promotions and product recommendations, LS Central enables Sultan Garden Center to make each visit more engaging and tailored to customer preferences.
- Real-time Insights. LS Central provides real-time data and analytics, enabling informed decision-making and faster response to market changes.
Since implementing LS Central in their stores, Sultan Garden Center has achieved remarkable improvements, including:
- a 20% increase in productivity
- a 25% reduction in inventory holding costs
- a 50% reduction in order processing times
All these enhancements have had a significant impact on the company’s overall efficiency and customer satisfaction. Sultan Garden Center is now planning to move to Software as a Service (SaaS) to leverage even more benefits such as enhanced security, scalability, and reduced IT overhead. Impressed by the success and benefits of LS Central, the management team decided to collaborate with EDM again to implement the solution in their Food & Beverage sector, covering 7 brands across 27 branches.
