Case Study: Enhancing Inventory Management with Sage 100 Integration
Introduction:
ABC Distributors, a leading distributor of Japanese sake in the US, relies on Sage 100 Standard ERP for their business operations. To improve their inventory management and sales forecasting, they sought a solution to integrate Sage 100 with SQL Server and leverage predictive analytics.
Problem Statement:
ABC Distributors needed help understanding their inventory run rate and forecasting sales accurately. Their existing ERP system, Sage 100, did not provide advanced analytics capabilities, making it difficult to make data-driven decisions.
Challenges Specific to the Wine and Beverage Industry:
The wine and beverage industry presents unique challenges businesses must solve to succeed. These challenges include:
Complying with Complex Regulations: The wine and beverage industry is subject to many local, national, and international regulations. These regulations cover production methods, labeling requirements, and distribution practices. Ensuring compliance with these regulations is essential but can be complex and time-consuming.
Navigating Consumer Preferences: Consumer preferences in the wine and beverage industry can be highly nuanced and vary widely—factors such as taste, price, brand reputation, and packaging influence purchasing decisions. Understanding and adapting to these preferences is crucial for success in the industry.
Managing Seasonal Variations: Sales of wine and beverages often fluctuate seasonally, with demand spiking during certain times of the year, such as holidays and special events. Managing inventory levels to meet these seasonal variations while minimizing excess inventory can be challenging.
Maintaining Product Quality: Quality control is paramount in the wine and beverage industry, where a single subpar product can quickly tarnish a brand’s reputation. Ensuring consistent quality across all products requires meticulous attention to detail and rigorous quality control processes.
Competing in a Crowded Market: The wine and beverage industry is highly competitive, with a multitude of brands vying for consumer attention. Standing out in such a crowded market requires innovative marketing strategies, strong branding, and a deep understanding of consumer trends.
Managing Perishable Products: Wine is temperature-sensitive and can spoil if the humidity or temperature changes. It can also age prematurely, oxidize, and spoil if not stored properly. Unlike many other industries, the wine and beverage industry deals with perishable products that have a limited shelf life. This requires careful inventory management to ensure products are sold on time before expiring, minimizing waste and maximizing profitability.
By addressing these challenges and leveraging technology and data-driven insights, businesses in the wine and beverage industry can position themselves for success in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Solution:
To address these challenges, ABC Distributors decided to build a connector between ProvideX and RubiCube, enabling data integration. The SQL Server’s based connector allowed them to leverage advanced analytics capabilities for inventory management and sales forecasting.
Critical for the Wine and Beverage Industry:
Understanding sales in the wine and beverage industry is significant. The industry can be very unpredictable with sales affected by many factors, such as changing consumer preferences, seasonal variations, and the impact of festivals and events. For ABC Distributors, having accurate sales forecasting and inventory management is not just about staying competitive—it’s about survival.
By connecting Sage 100 with advanced analytics, ABC Distributors was able to identify patterns, anticipate changes in consumer preferences, and maintain optimal stock levels for high-demand products. This proactive approach helped them stay ahead of the curve and capitalize on opportunities to enhance their profits.
Benefits:
Improved Inventory Management: The integration and predictive analytics capabilities enabled ABC Distributors to understand their inventory run rate better, leading to more efficient inventory management practices.
Enhanced Sales Forecasting: By leveraging the advanced analytics capabilities of SQL Server, ABC Distributors can now forecast sales more accurately, helping them optimize their stock levels and reduce inventory costs.
Identification of Key Influencers: The integrated solution helps ABC Distributors identify key influencers impacting their sales and inventory, enabling them to make informed decisions and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Streamlined Reporting Process: The integration of Sage 100 with SQL Server has streamlined ABC Distributors’ reporting process, making it easier to access and analyze data for informed decision-making.
Results:
ABC Distributors has significantly enhanced their inventory management and sales forecasting processes by integrating Sage 100 with advanced analytics capabilities. The solution has empowered them to make data-driven decisions, leading to improved efficiency and business performance.
Technology Adoption Trends in the Industry:
The wine and beverage industry increasingly embraces technology to drive efficiency and competitiveness. Businesses are turning to ERP systems to streamline operations, improve inventory management, and enhance customer service. Advanced analytics tools are used to gain deeper insights into consumer preferences, optimize pricing strategies, and accurately forecast demand. Data integration solutions are also becoming more prevalent, enabling businesses to centralize their data and improve collaboration across departments.
Connect with us to learn more about building analytics with data from Sage 100 for your business.
Unlocking the Power of Sage 100: Building Connectors for ProvideX
Sage 100, formerly known as Sage ERP MAS 90, has been a trusted solution for businesses since its inception in 1985. With its robust features and modern architecture, Sage 100 helps companies to manage their accounting and business processes efficiently.
A Comprehensive Solution: Features of Sage 100
Sage 100 offers a wide range of features, including:
Inventory management
Sales orders
Purchase orders
Return merchandise authorization
Barcodes
Credit card processing
Automated shipping
Ease of Use and Customization
One of the critical strengths of Sage 100 is its ease of use and powerful customization options. It provides a low total cost of ownership, making it an attractive choice for businesses of all sizes.
Breaking Down the Walls: Connecting Sage 100 to SQL Server
In enterprise resource planning, Sage 100 stands out as a stalwart solution for managing accounting and business processes. But for all its strengths, Sage 100 has a unique challenge: it doesn’t have a direct database connection. This means that extracting or integrating data with other systems, like SQL Server, isn’t as straightforward as one might hope.
The Old Meets the New: The Legacy of ProvideX
At the heart of this challenge lies ProvideX, an aging language that Sage 100 relies on. While ProvideX has served its purpose over the years, its limitations are becoming more apparent as technology advances. This is where the need for building connectors comes into play.
Building Bridges: The Need for Connectors
Companies can build custom connectors to enable Sage 100 to communicate with other 3rd party applications. One way of building a connector is by writing scripts to move data from ProvideX to SQL Server, a task that requires a deep understanding of both technologies.
The CIG Touch: Simplifying Integration
Building connectors is time-consuming for many Sage 100 users and requires niche expertise. Thankfully, solution providers like CI Global specialize in providing connectors for Sage 100. These connectors streamline the integration process, reducing the implementation cycle and minimizing downtime.
The Benefits of Integration
Integrating Sage 100 with SQL Server offers numerous benefits. It provides a more efficient way to access and analyze data, improves reporting capabilities, and enhances overall business agility. Moreover, it allows companies to leverage the power of SQL Server’s advanced features and scalability.
Data Availability Over the Web: Integrating Sage 100 with SQL Server enables businesses to make their data available over the web. This accessibility allows for remote access to critical information, facilitating collaboration and decision-making from anywhere with an internet connection.
Improved Data Accuracy: By connecting Sage 100 with SQL Server, businesses can ensure that data is consistent and up-to-date across all systems, leading to more accurate reporting and decision-making.
Faster Access to Information: Integration allows for real-time access to data stored in Sage 100, enabling employees to retrieve information and respond to customer inquiries or business quickly needs promptly.
Better Decision-Making Capabilities: With integrated data from Sage 100 and SQL Server, businesses can analyze information more effectively, leading to better decision-making and strategic planning.
A Step-by-Step Guide
For those looking to integrate Sage 100 with SQL Server, here’s a simplified guide:
Understand Sage 100 modules and data dictionary:Identify the modules you want to integrate, such as sales orders, purchase orders, or inventory management.
Ensure access and permissions
Identify data to extract: Determine which data you want to extract from Sage 100. This could include information such as inventory, sales, customers, vendors, etc.
Set up SQL Server: Set up a SQL Server instance where you will store the extracted data
Set up the necessary ODBC drivers for Sage 100 and SQL Server based on the specifics of the connection end points.
Connect to Sage 100 and extract data
Connect to SQL Server
Create SQL tables and insert data
Commit transactions and close connection
Tips for Integration:
To successfully integrate Sage 100 with SQL Server, consider the following tips:
Ensure Data Compatibility: Ensure that the data structures of Sage 100 and SQL Server are compatible before integrating. This may require mapping fields and ensuring that data formats match.
Test the Integration Thoroughly: Before going live, thoroughly test the Integration to identify and resolve any issues. This will help ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruptions to your business operations.
Embracing Integration with CI Global
Integrating Sage 100 with SQL Server is a strategic move that can unlock new possibilities for your business. While the process may seem complex, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. You can streamline your operations and drive growth in the digital age by leveraging the right tools and expertise.
Remember, the future of ERP is Integration. Are you ready to break down the walls?
Integrating Apps with Garmin Watch
Concerning fitness and health tracking, integrating wearables with web applications has become crucial for providing users with a comprehensive experience. This case study explores integrating a popular fitness wearable, the Garmin Watch, with an existing web application. The focus is on enabling users to sync their Garmin wearable with a sports analytics app to retrieve and display activity data.
About the Client:
A leading sports analytics platform focused on Ice Hockey, helps users track and analyze their fitness activities. With a strong user community, Sports Central aims to boost user satisfaction by adding a new feature: ‘Integration with Garmin.’ Users would need to download the Garmin Connect app, syncing their wearables regularly with the Sports Central app. Using push notifications, the web app effortlessly fetches data, offering a smooth experience for ice hockey enthusiasts and enhancing their fitness tracking capabilities.
Problem Statement:
The existing web application needed to have the capability to sync with Garmin Watches, limiting users who rely on these wearables for tracking their fitness activities. To address this, the client sought a solution to integrate Garmin Watches into the web application, allowing users to access and analyze their activity data effortlessly.
Solution Suggested:
To address the integration challenge, the proposed solution involved the following key steps:
Obtain consumer key and secret from Garmin by leveraging the Garmin developer account.
Develop a user-friendly interface within the web application to facilitate the connection between the user’s Garmin Connect account and the sports analytics app.
Implement OAuth for secure authentication, utilizing a series of API calls to retrieve request tokens, authorization tokens, and access tokens.
Utilize push notifications to regularly retrieve activity data from the user’s Garmin wearable and display it within the web application.
Implement robust security measures, including signing requests to access Garmin API, ensuring data integrity and user privacy.
Pain Point
Before Integration
After Integration
Limited Data Access
Users were unable to access Garmin Watch activity data within the web application.
The integration resolved this limitation, allowing users to retrieve and analyze their Garmin Watch data seamlessly within the sports analytics app
User Engagement Enhancement
The absence of Garmin Watch integration might have eventually led to decreased user engagement
With the new feature, users can actively engage with the web application by syncing and analyzing their Garmin Watch data, potentially increasing overall user engagement.
Comprehensive Fitness Tracking
Users needed to use multiple platforms or apps to gather a complete overview of their fitness activities.
The integration provides a unified platform within the web application, streamlining the process of tracking and analyzing fitness activities with Garmin Watches.
Users can download the Garmin Connect app on their devices and regularly synchronize their Garmin wearables with the sports analytics app. The web application will retrieve data using push notifications, facilitating real-time integration between the two platforms.
CI Global: Smart Integration for Enhanced User Engagement
The successful integration of Garmin Watches with the existing web application not only addresses the limitations of the current platform but also opens up new opportunities for user engagement and satisfaction. By seamlessly connecting the two platforms, CI Global assisted the customer in staying poised to offer a more comprehensive and feature-rich experience to its user base, ensuring their sports analytics application’s continued success and relevance in the competitive market. Secure OAuth authentication and a well-defined integration approach ensured a smooth and reliable connection between the web application and Garmin wearables.
Driving Success: A Guide to POS Analytics for Retail and Restaurant Growth
The Point of Sale (POS) system does more than handle transactions; it acts as a valuable source of insights. Point of Sale Analytics, or POS Analytics, collects, analyzes, and understands the data generated during customer transactions at the point of sale. It involves dissecting information to understand better how a business performs and what customers prefer.
Point of Sale Analytics: Significance in Retail and Restaurant Businesses
The right KPIs for POS Analytics provide real-time visibility into sales patterns, customer preferences, and operational efficiency. By harnessing the power of POS Analytics, businesses can make informed decisions, optimize inventory management, enhance customer experiences, and ultimately drive sustained growth.
Read this blog to know more about the right KPIs to track to tap into the potential for positive transformations.
Sales KPIs for POS Analytics in Retail
Retailers and consumer goods manufacturers have the enormous responsibility— and opportunity—to reinvent themselves and reimagine their next normal. As per the findings in the McKinsey report, numerous companies face a shortage of consumer and retailer point-of-sale data. The available assets, including internal financial, product, and customer master data, are often stored in isolated legacy systems, posing challenges in terms of accessibility and harmonization. Consumer goods companies do not have well-established data governance processes for utilizing, securing, and sharing data across the organization in accordance with privacy regulations.
Some consumer goods companies, recognizing these inadequacies, mistakenly believe that they must change their entire data infrastructure simultaneously. Giving priority to the enablers that offer the highest value is more effective and ensures the consistency of enablers across various domains.
Let’s take a look at three fundamental sales metrics:
Total Sales:
Definition: The cumulative revenue generated from all sales transactions within a specific timeframe. Example: If your clothing store earned $50,000 monthly, that constitutes the total sales figure for that period.
Average Transaction Value:
Definition: The average amount a customer spends during a single shopping transaction. Example: If 100 transactions occurred in a day, and the total revenue for that day was $5,000, the average transaction value is $50.
Items per Transaction:
Definition: The average number of items a customer purchases in a single shopping transaction. Example: If 50 customers made purchases, and 200 items were sold, the items per transaction would be 4.
Sales Reports and Analysis
The right KPIs can help you generate the following reports.
Aging – Managing Shelf Life:
Example: Imagine you manage a grocery store. By analyzing sales data, you notice that certain perishable goods have been on the shelf for an extended period. This prompts you to adjust stocking strategies to minimize waste and ensure the freshness of products.
Careful Stocking Strategies:
Example: A retail electronics store examines its sales reports and recognizes that specific brands or models are consistently popular. This insight guides them to strategically stock more of those items to meet customer demand effectively.
No Stock Reports for Inventory Optimization:
Example: A home goods store monitors instances of items being “out of stock.” This analysis helps them optimize inventory levels, ensuring popular items are consistently available.
Mode of Payment Analysis:
Example: A fashion boutique notices an increase in credit card payments. This insight encourages them to ensure their point-of-sale system supports various payment methods, enhancing customer convenience.
Door Delivery, Pick Up, and Walk-In Orders:
Example: A department store discovers through POS analytics that a significant portion of their orders come through Dunzo for doorstep delivery. This prompts them to optimize delivery partnerships and streamline in-store processes for walk-in customers.
These examples showcase how a nuanced understanding of retail sales metrics and strategic analysis can empower businesses to refine their operations and drive growth.
Sales KPIs for POS Analytics in Restaurants
Boosting the operational efficiency of stores includes various initiatives, including minimizing food wastage, optimizing staff schedules, and increasing the speed and precision of customer order fulfillment. For restaurants, it’s crucial to streamline processes related to digital delivery orders, in-car pickups, and drive-through operations—channels that experienced a surge during the pandemic and are now integral to the industry. These efficiency enhancements cut costs and align with evolving customer preferences.
Let’s take a look at three fundamental sales metrics:
Total Revenue:
Definition: The overall income generated from all sales transactions within a specified period. Importance: Indicates the overall financial health and performance of the restaurant. Example: If a restaurant earned $30,000 in a month, that represents the total revenue for that period
Average Order Value:
Definition: The average amount spent by a customer per order. Importance: Reflects the average customer spending, aiding in menu optimization and upselling strategies. Example: If a restaurant serves 500 customers weekly, and the total weekly revenue is $15,000, the average order value is $30.
Table Turnover Rate:
Definition: The number of times a restaurant’s tables are occupied and vacated during a specific period. Importance: Measures the efficiency of service and how quickly tables are utilized, impacting overall revenue. Example: If a restaurant has 20 tables and serves 100 customers daily, the table turnover rate is 5 (100 customers ÷ 20 tables).
Sales Reports and Analysis
The right KPIs can help you generate the following reports.
Average Per Cover:
Definition: The average revenue earned per customer served. Example: If a restaurant serves 200 covers daily and generates $4,000 in revenue, the average per cover is $20 ($4,000 ÷ 200).
Number of Covers:
Definition: The total count of customers served within a specified period. Example: If a restaurant serves 1,000 covers per week, the number of covers for that week is 1,000.
Menu Item Sales Analysis:
Purpose: Identify popular and less-ordered menu items. Example: Discovering that a specific pasta dish consistently sells out can prompt the chef to feature it more prominently or create variations.
Dining Time Analysis:
Purpose: Evaluate the duration customers spend at tables. Example: Recognizing that lunch service sees quicker table turnovers than dinner may lead to adjusted staffing schedules for optimal efficiency.
Sales by Daypart Analysis:
Purpose: Understand sales patterns during different times of the day. Example: Observing a surge in breakfast orders during weekdays may inspire introducing a breakfast promotion to capitalize on demand.
Customer Order Channel Analysis:
Purpose: Differentiate orders from dine-in, online delivery, etc. Example: Identifying a significant increase in online delivery orders can prompt the restaurant to optimize online platforms or consider exclusive promotions.
Customer Satisfaction and Feedback Analysis:
Purpose: Evaluate customer reviews and satisfaction scores. Example: Noticing recurring feedback about slow service might lead to staff training initiatives or procedural changes to enhance overall customer satisfaction.
CI Global: Your Partner for POS Analytics
At CI Global, we provide cutting-edge solutions tailored to your unique needs. Our Point of Sale Analytics expertise empowers you to unlock valuable insights, optimize operations and inventory management, and elevate customer experience. Partner with CI Global for a transformative journey towards data-driven excellence in the competitive world of commerce.
Applying Logistics Regression to Find Key Influencers in Inventory Run Rate
Logistic Regression assists industries like wine and beverage in determining the factors that impact the speed of inventory movement. This case study discusses the methodology to discern key influencers affecting the wine and beverage category’s inventory run rate.
Client Background
The client, a leading supplier, faced the challenge of enhancing efficiency within the distributor-retailer network. The primary objective was to increase the inventory run rate and demand for products while navigating multiple distributor warehouses. The challenge lay in discerning the pivotal factors influencing inventory run rate.
Client’s Objectives
The client sought a comprehensive understanding of the intricate facets affecting inventory run rates. They sought to mitigate stagnant inventory by emphasizing high-performing items and to refine stocking strategies across diverse locations. By leveraging this detailed analysis, they aimed to optimize inventory turnover, reduce overstocking, identify factors to improve demand forecasting accuracy , and customize strategies to bolster overall effectiveness within the competitive wine and beverage domain.
Solution Provided
CI Global leveraged its expertise in analytics & logistics and utilized logistic regression techniques to analyze the wine and beverage sales and logistics domain. Using ML.NET, (a framework for building machine learning models) the team crafted a strategic approach to uncover the key influencers impacting inventory run rates.
Methodology
The methodology used for the solution involves a strategic application of logistic regression for:
Identifying Influential Factors: CI Global collaborated closely with the client to outline the factors influencing inventory run rates. This involved analysis of brands, product categories, bottle sizes, and geographic locations.
Domain-Centric Analysis: Recognizing the nuances of the wine and beverage industry, CI Global fine-tuned the regression models, considering varietals’ impact on warehouse space and the geographic segments (e.g., state-wise sales dynamics).
AI-Driven Insights: Harnessing the power of ML.NET, CI Global automated the formulation of regression models, efficiently processing vast datasets to identify critical influencers affecting inventory run rates.
Key Factors Analyzed
Brand and Item: CI Global scrutinized the impact of diverse brands and specific items on inventory run rates. This involved assessing the movement pace of distinct brands and individual items within warehouse stocks.
Varietal and Bottle Size: Examining varietal variations (e.g., red, white) and bottle sizes provided invaluable insights into their influence on warehouse movement. CI Global’s analysis elucidated how these variations affected turnover rates, which helps in inventory management.
Warehouse Location: CI Global meticulously evaluated the role of geographic locations in influencing inventory turnover and sales patterns. This scrutiny allowed the client to discern regional preferences and demand variations, optimizing inventory distribution across diverse locations.
Insights and Impact
Optimized Inventory Management:
CI Global’s logistic regression analysis precisely identified slow-moving inventory items, enabling the client to streamline warehouse stocks. This strategic insight allowed them to prioritize high-performing items, reducing overstocking and creating space for faster-moving, high-profit products. By optimizing stock levels, the client improved warehouse efficiency and maximized product potential.
Strategic Decision-Making:
Leveraging insights from regression models, the client made informed, data-driven decisions on product categories, brands, and geographic segments. This strategic approach empowered them to tailor strategies and inventory management, especially during peak seasons, optimizing stock allocation and enhancing product performance in the market. The ability to target specific segments and categories led to more effective marketing initiatives and resource allocation, ultimately driving increased revenue.
Understanding Product Demand:
The client understood the demand for certain products by pinpointing influential factors impacting inventory run rates. This involved timely restocking of high-demand products and minimizing slow-moving inventory, directly impacting profitability. The ability to swiftly adapt inventory levels to demand fluctuations optimized the stocking of certain products, resulting in increased revenue and improved bottom-line performance.
CI Global – Analytics Precision for Efficient Inventory
Applying logistic regression in the wine and beverage industry unlocks profound insights into the factors influencing inventory run rate. The case study illustrates how strategic analysis of brand, item, varietal, bottle size, and geographic location aids in identifying key influencers and driving informed decision-making to meet product demand and operational efficiency.
For personalized analytics solutions to propel your business forward in the competitive market, be it retail, healthcare, entertainment, etc, connect with CI Global today and unlock the potential within your domain.
Building Multi-Language Capabilities In Products
In today’s interconnected world, bridging language barriers is more critical than ever for businesses seeking to thrive in diverse markets. Building Multi-Language Capabilities in Products isn’t merely a matter of vernacular adaptation; it’s a strategic imperative. This blog delves into catering to diverse audiences understanding the challenges and boundless opportunities. From the technical nuances to understanding cultural sensitivity, this guide navigates how to enable seamless communication across borders.
Understanding the Importance of Multi-Language Support
Multi-language support in product development provides a range of strategic advantages such as:
Expanded Audience Reach: Embracing multi-language support broadens horizons by reaching a global audience. Breaking language barriers enables connection with diverse demographics worldwide, promoting inclusivity and greatly expanding the user base.
Enhanced User Experience: Tailoring products to multiple languages goes beyond just translation; it crafts an experience that resonates with users on a cultural and linguistic level. This makes users feel like they belong and understand, which makes them happier and more likely to stick with the product.
Competitive Edge in Global Markets: In a fiercely competitive global market, offering products in multiple languages is a strategic advantage. It shows that a brand cares about being reachable and fitting in with different cultures. This makes the brand stand out and look good compared to other choices out there.
Improved Market Penetration: By accommodating various languages, products become more relatable and approachable to different regions and cultures. This helps businesses get into new markets and connect better with customers all around the world.
Cultivation of Brand Trust: Speaking the language of your audience—literally and figuratively—builds trust. It shows that you respect where they come from and makes them feel sure that you really want to help and understand them, no matter where they are.
What do Companies need to do to build MLC in their Product?
At the core of enabling seamless integration across diverse languages lie the vital components of multi-language capabilities. This framework pivots around two fundamental pillars:
Understanding Globalization vs. Localization vs. Culture
Understanding the nuanced differences between globalization and localization is pivotal in crafting products for diverse markets. Globalization involves designing products quickly adapted to various regions and languages, while localization tailors these products to specific cultural nuances and linguistic preferences. Acknowledging and respecting cultural differences within these frameworks ensures products resonate authentically across diverse demographics.
Unicode and Character Encoding
Unicode support is critical for effective multi-language display. Its significance lies in its ability to represent and process text from different writing systems and languages within a single encoding standard. Established Unicode support ensures that characters from diverse languages, whether Latin-based or ideographic, can be rendered accurately, enabling seamless communication and comprehension for users worldwide. Its implementation ensures that a product’s interface and content are accessible and legible across various languages.
Technical Foundations for Multi-Language Support
Building strong technical foundations is crucial for effective multi-language support in products. This encompasses:
String Externalization and Resource Files
Separating text strings from the codebase is foundational for streamlining translation efforts. This approach facilitates easier translation and adaptation by centralizing all textual content, allowing efficient modifications without altering the core code. Using separate files or techniques to move text outside the main code is crucial. It helps quickly change words to fit different languages without affecting how the product works.
Language Selection and Switching
Empowering users to choose their preferred language effortlessly is essential for a seamless multi-language experience. Implementing intuitive methods, such as language selection during onboarding, in-app settings, or automatic language detection based on what they like or where they are, makes it easier for users. Switching between languages within the interface ensures a fluid user experience, allowing individuals to navigate effortlessly and engage with the product in their language of choice.
Collaborate with Localization Experts
Working well with translation teams and language experts is important to make sure that a product’s translation is accurate and fits different cultures. These experts know languages well and understand cultures, which is crucial for making translations that go beyond just words. This teamwork links the product with its different users, making sure the message feels true for each language community. By providing these experts with comprehensive context and guidelines, they can capture the brand’s style and meaning, making users all over the world feel more connected.
Ensure Consistency and Adaptability
Making sure that users get the same experience in every language is important to earn their trust. Working closely with translation teams helps keep the design and how the product works consistent, making it easier to use and familiar for everyone. Listening to feedback from different groups of users helps make ongoing improvements. Companies use this feedback to make the design better, consider different cultural details, and meet what users want as things change. Doing this keeps people interested and shows that the company really cares about making things that users like.
CI Global – Connecting your Company to the World
The journey toward creating accessible, user-centric experiences goes beyond language barriers, delivering your product across diverse audiences. At CI Global, we understand the power of linguistic diversity and its impact on global outreach. Elevate your product’s global presence with our expertise in multi-language support. Explore how CI Global can enhance your product’s accessibility and resonance worldwide.
Automating Creation of ACH Reports by POS Systems
In the franchise business, Royalty/ACH reports are essential to ensure smooth financial operations. However, manually generating ACH reports can be daunting and tedious, especially when there are a large number of stores. In this case study, we will show you how CI Global helped a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) automate the creation of ACH reports by integrating a cloud-based POS system. We will also highlight the solution’s benefits, the challenges it addressed, and how it improved the ACH report submission process’s efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
The Customer
The customer is in the QSR industry with 20+ stores across multiple locations spread across multiple states. Each store has a point-of-sale (POS) system that records the sales transactions and generates reports. A crucial aspect of their financial obligations involves submitting a weekly Automated Clearing House (ACH) report to the corporate office. This mandatory report is essential for franchise royalty compliance. The ACH report involves calculation of royalty for each store by including not only the sales but the marketing and operational cost also. The parameters are set by the corporate office and vary from store to store.
What are ACH Reports and Why are they Important for Franchise Businesses?
ACH reports play a pivotal role in franchise business operations. These royalty reports outline the fees owed by franchisees to the franchisor for utilizing the brand, system, and support provided.
Key points:
Calculation basis: ACH royalty reports are derived from the franchise’s sales data, factoring in the percentage-based charges for royalty, operational cost, and marketing fees determined by the franchisor.
Financial obligations: A crucial tool for both franchisees and franchisors, ACH franchise reports ensure the accuracy of franchise payments.
Performance monitoring: Beyond financial transactions, ACH franchise reports contribute to monitoring and evaluating the overall performance of the franchise business.
Challenges Faced by the Customer
These are some of the challenges that were faced by the customer.
Downloading the sales report from the POS system
The customer had to log in to the POS system of each store and download the sales report for the desired period. This process was tedious and time-consuming, as the customer had to repeat the same steps for 20+ stores. They also needed to securely store and organize the downloaded royalty reports, necessitating extra effort and space management.
Applying the franchise cost formula to each sales report
The customer had to apply the franchise cost formula to each sales report, which involved calculating the royalty, operational cost, and marketing fee based on a percentage of sales. They had to manually enter each store’s sales data and percentage values, which was prone to errors and inconsistencies. They also had to ensure the franchise cost formula was updated and accurate.
Consolidating the ACH report for all 23 stores
The customer had to consolidate the ACH report for all 23 stores, which involved adding up the franchise cost for each store and creating a summary report. The customer had to format and present the report clearly and professionally. The manual process took about three days to complete every week, posing a notable drain on resources and productivity.
Solution Provided by CI Global
CI Global implemented a transformative solution by integrating Linga POS, a cloud-based Point of Sale system with RubiCube, to automate ACH report generation for the client. Linga POS is a comprehensive POS system that provides features such as inventory management, loyalty programs, online ordering, and analytics. Microsoft Fabric’s Data Lakehouse, a platform combining the best of data warehouses and data lakes was used to provide reliable and scalable data storage and processing
The devised solution capitalized on the synergies of Linga POS and RubiCube to automate ACH report generation. The solution involved the following steps:
A customized ACH report template was crafted in RubiCube, encompassing the franchise cost formula and parameters specific to each store as set by the corporate office.
RubiCube was empowered to automatically calculate the ACH report for each store based on sales data. The aggregation of these royalty reports for all 20+ stores was seamlessly handled by integrating multiple POS systems.
Results and Benefits
The solution provided by CI Global resulted in several benefits for the client, such as:
Time and effort saving
The solution eliminated the need to manually download and process the sales reports, which saved much time and effort. The client estimated that the solution reduced the time required to generate the ACH report from three days to a few minutes, significantly improving productivity and performance. The reduced efforts also increased profits as the automation saved almost a week of effort in resources every month.
Increased accuracy
The solution ensured the accuracy and consistency of the ACH report, which reduced the risk of manual errors. It also verified that the ACH report was consistent with the sales data and the franchise cost formula, avoiding discrepancies. The solution increased the quality and reliability of the royalty report, which enhanced its reputation and credibility.
Meeting standards and visibility
The report fulfilled the statutory obligations that required the client to pay a certain percentage of their sales to the corporate office as franchise fees. It also gave the client a clear and detailed insight into how each store and the entire chain performed regarding sales, revenue, and profitability. The report helped the client to monitor and evaluate their business operations and customer satisfaction.
CI Global – Empowering Projects of Future
The solution reduced the manual effort, increased the accuracy, enhanced the visibility, and improved the compliance of the franchise payments. The client was satisfied with the solution and appreciated the value of the royalty reports delivered. CI Global’s expertise and professionalism are evident in this case study. If you want to learn more about our services or how we can help you achieve your goals for your Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) or retail hubs, visit our website and get in touch with us today.
Leveraging POS for Data Analytics
In today’s business market, combining Point of Sale (POS) systems with data analytics is a game-changer. With the rise of consumer experience-focused markets such as the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, understanding the shifts and patterns of buyers’ preferences has become more crucial. Think of it as merging two super utilities: the POS system, which records all those transactions, and data analytics, the enabler that helps make sense of that info. It’s not just about past sales; it’s about using that data to figure out what customers might want next and how to run things better. This helps businesses predict future trends and enhance customer experience.
Let us explore how blending POS systems with data analytics reshapes the way businesses understand their customers and make more innovative moves in the ever-changing world of commerce.
Understanding POS Systems
A point of sale (POS) system is a comprehensive software and hardware solution designed to assist businesses in handling transactions, managing inventory, and generating reports. It seamlessly integrates with other devices and platforms, such as credit card readers, mobile phones, and cloud services. A POS system generates various types of data, such as
Sales data: Details of each transaction, such as the date, time, amount, payment method, items purchased, discounts, taxes, and customer information.
Inventory data: Product details, such as the name, description, price, quantity, category, and supplier.
Customer data: Customer Information, such as the name, contact, address, preferences, purchase history, and loyalty points.
Employee data: Information about each employee, such as the name, role, schedule, performance metrics, and sales contribution.
Importance of Data Analytics in Business Operations
Data analytics is pivotal in modern business operations by providing crucial insights. Without leveraging data analytics, businesses risk operating in the dark, lacking vital information to understand consumer behavior and internal processes. This absence of analytical insights can hamper a company’s ability to optimize strategies, leading to inefficient resource allocation and potential financial losses. Data analytics also streamlines the decision-making processes by providing clear, data-driven analytics, aiding in identifying patterns, trends, and correlations that might not be immediately apparent. It has become integral to business operations by enabling businesses to recognize and manage risks, proactively adapt to market fluctuations, and improve overall productivity.
Integrating POS Systems for Data Analytics
Integrating Point of Sale (POS) systems with data analytics involves a blend of tools and techniques that uncover various insights crucial for businesses.
Techniques like data mining, predictive modeling and trend analysis help derive meaningful observations from this combined data. This integration isn’t merely about merging data but unlocking actionable information. By providing insights into consumer preferences and guiding strategic decisions, it empowers businesses to make thoughtful choices and enhance operational effectiveness in a highly competitive market.
Benefits of Integrating POS with Data Analytics
Let’s explore the advantages of integrating POS with data analytics, focusing on how it enhances business insights and strategy.
Tracking And Optimizing Product Mix
Integrating POS systems with data analytics offers a decisive advantage in tracking and optimizing the product mix for businesses. POS systems and data analytics integration helps businesses to:
Gain a comprehensive view of product performance.
Obtain a holistic perspective of product performance.
Leverage data such as:
Sales records
Inventory levels
Customer purchase history
Unveil insights into:
Products with high sales
Customer preferences
Make informed decisions:
Determine optimal inventory stocking levels
Identify top-selling items
Predict future demands
Promotions and discounts
Adjust product offerings
Align product offerings with customer preferences
Optimize the product mix based on data-driven insights
Pricing And Promotions
POS analytics insights yield substantial benefits in pricing and promotions for businesses. POS systems and data analytics integration enable businesses to:
Comprehend pricing sensitivities and the impact of promotions on sales.
Leverage POS-generated data on:
Transaction histories
Sales patterns
Customer behaviors
Unveil customer responses to varying price points and promotional offers.
Analyze this intel to aid businesses in setting optimal pricing strategies and promotions that resonate with customers.
Enhance revenue and refine marketing strategies.
Improve profitability and gain a competitive edge in the market.
Segmenting and personalizing customer offers and communications
Combining POS systems with data analytics helps tailor and personalize customer offers, suggestions, and communications for businesses. POS systems and data analytics integration help businesses to:
Tailor Offers and Communications:
Personalize customer offers, suggestions, and communications based on individual preferences.
Utilize POS-Generated Data:
Leverage data from POS systems, including purchase history, customer preferences, and transaction details.
Gain Essential Insights:
Uncover valuable insights into individual buying behaviors, preferences, and purchase frequency.
Segment Customers:
Classify customers into distinct groups based on the gathered data.
Facilitate Personalized Strategies:
Analyze information to implement personalized marketing strategies, tailored promotions, and customized product recommendations.
Address Diverse Needs:
Understand and respond to the diverse needs of different customer segments.
Foster Stronger Connections:
Cultivate stronger connections, driving sales and enhancing overall customer satisfaction and retention.
Automating And Accessing Reporting And Dashboarding
Merging POS systems with data analytics provides a notable edge in automating and accessing reporting and dashboarding for businesses.
Comprehensive Data Interpretation:
Provide detailed interpretations of POS-generated data, including sales transactions, inventory movement, and customer purchasing behavior.
Streamline data processing for immediate access to critical business insights.
Agile Decision-making:
Foster more agile and informed decision-making processes.
Enhanced Responsiveness:
Enhance responsiveness to market changes through automated and accessible reporting and dashboarding.
CI Global – Pathway to more Innovative, Data-Driven Success
As the holiday season approaches, businesses are gearing up for increased customer activity and dynamic market shifts. The continued evolution of POS and analytics integration offers a transformative pathway, allowing businesses to harness valuable data from transactions, inventory, customers, and employees. The opportunity for making better decisions and being more effective, particularly with the use of analytics, is right ahead of us.
Now is the time to equip your business for the festive rush, understand customer behaviors, and predict their preferences. Seamlessly blending efficiency and innovation, our solutions streamline operations and provide crucial insights for strategic decision-making.
Gear up for a successful December by embracing the power of data-driven strategies. Visit our website and explore how CI Global can be your partner in achieving data-driven success for your Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) or retail outlet this holiday season and beyond.
Guidelines for Developing a Product Backlog for an MVP
In the ever-evolving product development landscape, the term “MVP” is a testament to innovation and practicality. MVP, or the Minimum Viable Product, isn’t merely a buzzword. It is a fundamental concept in product development, particularly in the realm of startups and agile methodologies. An MVP is the simplest, most basic version of a product or application that can be built to fulfill a specific set of goals or solve a particular problem. Think of it as a guiding star for businesses in today’s complex markets. It helps you minimize risks and stay on track with your business goals.
In this blog, we’ll explore and understand the crafting of a successful MVP through developing a well-honed product backlog.
The Product Backlog Basics
The product backlog is the bedrock of effective product development, bringing profound strategic value to the table. It effectively manages the prioritization, planning, and adaptation of evolving project requirements. This dynamic repository doesn’t merely stand as a static inventory but rather evolves in response to market forces and evolving user needs. It provides clarity and transparency, fostering efficient teamwork and collaboration among teams and stakeholders, ensuring the project stays on track toward its goals with precision. It leads the project to success by carefully crafting a list of features and tasks that determine what the product will ultimately deliver to the user.
Components Of A Backlog
Component
Description
User Stories
Narrative descriptions of specific user interactions or features, including what the user wants to accomplish and why.
Prioritization
Ranking the user stories based on their importance and impact on the MVP.
Acceptance Criteria
Defined conditions that must be met for a user story to be complete.
Estimates
Effort or time estimates required for each user story.
Stakeholder Input
Insights, demands, and contributions from key stakeholders like users, product owners, and business analysts.
Dependencies
Identification of any interdependencies between user stories or tasks that may impact the order of implementation.
Risk Assessment
Documentation of potential risks and assumptions related to the MVP and its features.
Business Value
Assigned value or score to each user story to quantify its business impact.
Effort-to-Value Ratio
A calculation that compares the estimated effort required to implement a user story with its expected business value.
Release Planning
Determination of which user stories will be included in specific MVP releases or iterations.
Steps To Consider While Creating A Product Backlog For An MVP
Defining Your Vision:
A clear product vision in MVP development provides purpose and direction. Defining the problem your product addresses ensures a precise focus on solving genuine user needs, key to an effective MVP.
User-Centered Approach:
User research is pivotal in MVP creation, as it uncovers user needs and preferences. Based on research, creating user personas adds depth to user understanding and aids MVP decision-making by ensuring alignment with real user expectations.
Prioritizing Features:
Identifying and prioritizing core features involves assessing user value, feasibility, and business impact. The MoSCoW method (Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves, Won’t-haves) helps classify features by importance, guiding prioritization and resource allocation in line with project goals. This prioritization method guides sprint planning, determining which features are assigned to each sprint in alignment with project goals.
Creating Detailed User Stories:
Breaking features into user stories involves defining user roles, goals, and tasks. Clear acceptance criteria are vital, as they set expectations and ensure the user story is complete and aligned with project objectives and user needs.
Estimation and Resource Planning:
Estimation methods like story points and time-based estimates quantify effort, while resource allocation decisions include team size, budget, and expertise. This significantly impacts MVP development by influencing its speed, scope, and adaptability to meet strategic objectives and user needs.
Stakeholder Alignment:
Stakeholder involvement in backlog creation fosters collaboration and ensures diverse perspectives. Alignment on MVP goals and scope is achieved through clear communication, regular meetings, and sharing insights to ensure a shared vision and project success.
Flexibility and Adaptation:
The MVP process is iterative and requires constant refinement. Flexibility is vital as it allows for adapting the backlog based on user feedback, market changes, and evolving priorities. This helps the product remain responsive and aligned with goals.
Development and Testing:
Agile methodologies, like Scrum, prioritize iterative development and continuous improvement. Collaboration between development and testing teams is crucial for seamless integration, efficient issue resolution, and delivering a high-quality MVP that meets user expectations.
Continuous Feedback Loop:
The continuous feedback loop gathers insights from users through surveys, interviews, and analytics. It guides improvements, keeps the MVP aligned with evolving user needs, and ensures stakeholders, such as the scrum master and product owner, remain in sync.
Launch and Monitoring:
Releasing the MVP involves deployment to users, often in phases or sprint-based approaches. Monitoring performance and gathering data post-launch is vital for evaluating user engagement, identifying issues, and making informed iterations to optimize the product’s success.
Post-Launch Strategy:
After MVP launch, iterate based on feedback and refine features to help expand to reach a wider audience. The MVP serves as a foundation; incorporating enhancements is critical for the ongoing evolution and growth of the product.
CI Global – Empowering Excellence, Elevating Results
Developing a successful MVP is a strategic endeavor that hinges on a clear product vision, a dynamic product backlog, and user-centric principles. Ensuring the basics and foundation are solid will pave the way to delivering a product that resonates with your audience.
At CI Global, we understand the complexities and nuances of MVP development. Our expertise in crafting impactful product backlogs, aligning stakeholders, and driving projects toward excellence can be your competitive edge. Explore our services on our website to navigate product development effectively.
Building MVP for Sports Team Management
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the agile methodology, combined with the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) concept and a dynamic product backlog, has become the gold standard for product development. Agile’s iterative and customer-centric approach allows companies to respond swiftly to changing market needs, while the MVP and backlog framework ensures efficient prioritization and continuous improvement.
Let’s delve deeper into the case study on how this strategic combination was implemented for a customer.
The Customer
Our customer, a youth sports management company founded by passionate ice hockey enthusiasts, aimed to streamline team league and match management. The customer sought an application to simplify scheduling, player coordination, and game tracking. This case study explores how we at CI Global understood their vision, leading to the creation of an efficient and user-friendly sports management application.
What Was The Customer’s Requirement?
The customer sought a comprehensive solution comprising two key components serving registered and non-registered stakeholders, ultimately enhancing the management of sports events.
With featured user-friendly functionalities, including sign-up and sign-in.
The ability to sync with the data provided by the arena software
Primarily targeted registered users, coaches, parents, and team owners.
Requirement Two: Arena Software Requirement:
An arena software solution was sought.
It was intended to oversee various aspects of sports events.
These included scoreboard management and player positioning.
Non-registered users could access a critical timekeeper application.
What Were The Overall Challenges Faced?
Customer’s Non-Technical Background:
The customer’s limited technical expertise posed an initial challenge. Addressing their inherently technical sports management needs necessitates clear communication and translating complex concepts into user-friendly terms.
Scalability For Future Growth:
To ensure the MVP’s architecture is functional and ready for future growth, meticulous planning and precise execution were essential. Neglecting scalability in the initial design would lead to costly and time-consuming rework.
Re-Prioritizing Features for MVP:
Throughout the project, the customer continuously uncovered and recognized additional requirements beyond the initial scope, posing a challenge for aligning expectations and project planning. This shift in priorities within the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) required a recalibration of sprint planning.
MVP Development Process
CI Global planned the MVP development process by embracing the agile methodology, with a continuously evolving product backlog, allowing seamless adaptation to changing requirements and priorities. The designated product owner controlled the backlog, strategically prioritizing features in alignment with project goals and expectations.
To ensure the seamless execution of this comprehensive strategy, the project manager/scrum master played a pivotal role in setting up the sprint planning sprint execution while facilitating effective communication within the development team. Scrum master’s expertise was essential in maintaining the project’s dynamic nature and customer-centric approach. The planning extended across multiple quarters. A well-defined roadmap, exemplified by dividing the project into 12 sprints, was created as per the customer’s prioritized requirements.
Why Was Agile The Way To Go?
Agile was chosen as the way forward due to its flexible and iterative project management approach that promotes adaptability, regular collaboration with the customer, and incremental development, allowing teams to respond effectively to changing requirements.
Here is why agile methodology proved effective for this project over waterfall methodology:
Agile
Aspect
Waterfall
Agile offers flexibility to adapt to changes.
Flexibility
Waterfall follows a rigid structure, making changes challenging once the project begins.
Agile emphasizes iterative progress, allowing stakeholders to review work regularly.
Iterative Progress
Waterfall proceeds in linear phases with no room for intermediate validation.
Agile promotes continuous customer involvement, creating the product aligns better with customer expectations.
Customer Collaboration
Waterfall typically involves minimal customer interaction until project completion.
Agile adapts to evolving requirements, ensuring the project remains relevant.
Adaptability
Waterfall’s fixed scope can lead to a product that may not meet current market needs if requirements change during development.
Results and Benefits
CI Global successfully alleviated the following challenges for the customer by implementing agile methodology and best practices:
Challenge 1:
Understanding Customer Requirements From The Eyes of Sports Coach:
CI Global excelled in bridging the gap between customer needs fostering effective communication between the development team and stakeholders. We meticulously assessed the feasibility and priority of the customer’s requirements.
Benefits:
Enhanced collaboration and trust between CI Global and the customer.
Improved clarity in project goals and requirements, reducing misunderstandings.
Customer-centric MVP with features aligned closely with the founder’s vision.
Challenge 2:
Scalability For Future Growth:
Successfully integrating scalability into the MVP’s architecture involved careful planning during the initial design phase. The scrum master ensured that the architecture could accommodate future growth by implementing flexible, modular components and optimizing system resources for efficient scaling as needed. This foresight minimized the risk of costly redesign and reengineering, assuring the customer of a cost-effective and agile solution.
Benefits:
Eliminated the necessity for expensive rework and late-stage adjustments.
Facilitated smooth integration of future expansions and enhancements.
Satisfied immediate requirements while positioning the customer for sustained success.
Challenge 3:
Prioritizing Requirements Within The MVP, Leading To Adjustments In Sprint Planning:
The customer identified additional requirements as the project progressed, prompting CI Global to adapt sprint planning. The scrum master analyzed available resources, engaged in discussions with the customer, and prioritized the backlog items for the next sprint to ensure timely accommodation. This adjustment prioritized incorporating these evolving requirements, particularly emphasizing compliance within the MVP.
Benefits:
Minimum Viable Product flexible to the customer’s growing needs.
Customer satisfaction and trust in CI Global’s ability to prioritize critical aspects of the project.
CI Global – Excellence Through Innovation
By adopting the agile methodology, maintaining a dynamic product backlog, and adapting to changing requirements, CI Global delivered an effective MVP, meeting expectations. This approach addressed the customer’s evolving needs while keeping the development process within budget.
CI Global’s commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions shines through in this case study. If you’re interested in similar services or exploring how we can elevate your projects, visit our website and contact us today.