The MobileStore connects with JDA Software

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"The MobileStore" of Essar Telecom Retail , India's first national chain of multi-brand and multi-service telecom outlets has selected JDA Software Group , the global retail software specialist to help operate and aggressively expand its new retail format across the country.

The MobileStore, which is already operational with core JDA applications, will also use JDA's merchandising, store, CRM, planning, replenishment and analytic applications to improve coordination across functional departments and help increase its operational efficiencies.

The MobileStore, the new retail format, has already created excitement and buzz revolutionizing the telecom market, with its one stop mobile solutions offering Telecom Products like Handsets & Accessories, Mobile Connections & Recharges; and other Entertainment products like MP3 players, Gaming Devices, DTH, Cameras and Services like Value Added Services, Handset Repairs, Handset Exchange and Bill Collection.

Essar Telecom Retail plans to set up over 2500 stores in the next 3 years across 600 cities, thus covering virtually every major town in every state across India.

Over 70 stores have already been launched and are serving customers across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. Over a period of next 6 months, The MobileStore would have 600 stores spanning the top 100 cities and towns.

"We believe that JDA solutions will enable us to integrate business processes across departments onto a single enterprise-wide information system," said Mr. Rajiv Agarwal, CEO of Essar Telecom Retail, adding: "Our immediate benefit from implementing JDA systems will be reduced operating costs."

JDA Outscores SAP, Oracle to Win Essar Business

 

Essar Group selected JDA after a rigorous review. An RFP process resulted in a shortlist of three software providers: JDA, Oracle and SAP. After discussions with each vendor on implementation approach, timescales and cost of ownership, Essar narrowed the list to JDA and SAP. They then took a critical look at each vendor.

 

"While we considered a broad range of factors, we weighted functional fit, time scale for delivery and our confidence in the vendor's ability to deliver benefits as the most important. JDA outscored SAP in these and other categories to secure our business," said Mr. Rajiv Agarwal.

 

With JDA garnering the highest score, Essar Group licensed the following suite of JDA products:

 

Ø      Portfolio Merchandise Management System (MMS®)

Ø      Win/DSS® store system

Ø      Portfolio Customer Relationship Management™

Ø      Performance Analysis by IDEAS™ data warehouse

Ø      Enterprise Planning by Arthur® including Portfolio Knowledge Base.

Ø      Space Management by Intactix® suite including Space Planning, Floor Planning and Intactix Knowledgebase.

Ø      Advanced Replenishment by E3® suite including Advanced Warehouse Replenishment and Advanced Store Replenishment.

The key strength of "The MobileStore" is the trained and well-informed staff, helping customers to select the right telecom product or service to match their needs. JDA will share its international expertise and best practices to further enhance performance across store operations, processes and systems.

 

Rating the overall project management from JDA as "excellent," Mr. Vijay Mehra, Group CIO of Essar, says the team maintained strict control over quality, timeline, budget and risk by testing the applications' business process readiness, operability, performance, resilience and user acceptance. Such meticulous scrutiny was critical since the MMS and Win/DSS applications facilitate the day-to-day management of Essar's retail operations and nurture the establishment of its backbone data warehouses. Even with all of these thorough processes and commitment to quality the team still went live two weeks ahead of schedule!

 

"To achieve every planned milestone within the budget constraints and in competitive time period is a truly outstanding accomplishment," said Rod Talbot, JDA's regional vice president for Asia Pacific. "We are proud to be part of such an exemplary implementation and congratulate all of those involved from Essar Group."

 

Mr. Mehra also acknowledges the support and executive leadership of its Steering Committee as being key to the project's success.  "There was very clear communication and alignment between our Steering Committee and implementation team. We all understood the project's objectives, measurable goals and milestones as well as the reasons driving its urgency. Everyone's roles, responsibilities and performance measurements were clearly defined and communicated," said Mr. Mehra.

    

Essar to Increase Conversion Rates, Revenues and Consumer Loyalty

 

Essar Telecom's executives look forward to realizing a substantial business benefit from its JDA investment.

"We want Essar Telecom to be top of mind with Indian consumers for anything to do with mobile phones or services," said Mr. Agarwal. "JDA solutions will enhance our ability to intelligently forecast and efficiently respond to consumer demand at a lower level of detail. With convenient access to enterprise data, we'll have up-to-the-minute information for better decision making and control. In addition to providing a superior experience for our customers, we expect to increase conversion rates, revenues and loyalty."

 

"JDA is proud to partner with the world-class Essar Group as they leverage the explosive telecom opportunity in India," said JDA's Mr. Talbot. "We look forward to helping Essar Telecom Retail continue to realize real results with new efficiencies, cost savings and sales growth as they implement additional JDA applications and expand their business."

 

Sourced From: Sampark Public Relations Pvt Ltd