Developing a Grocery IT Strategy and ERP Selection Process
Clarkston recently partnered with a grocery retailer to develop a grocery IT strategy and ERP selection process. This client, with more than 200 member-owned and corporate grocery stores, was on a journey to modernize and transform their IT landscape from a disparate and manual environment to a key capability supporting the needs of the grocery retailers of the future. To do this, the new Chief Information Officer (CIO) enlisted the support of Clarkston as a strategic advisor. As part of the IT strategy, an initiative to replace its existing ERP and reporting environment was identified. Clarkston supported the client through a full Request for Proposal (RFP) and vendor selection for their ERP, Warehousing, Promotions Management, Data Warehouse, and Business Intelligence solutions. Clarkston Consulting collaborated with the client on a solution to evaluate and select a best fit ERP system.
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By conducting numerous requirement gathering sessions, incorporating retail and grocery industry standards, and deeply understanding the retailer’s growth strategy, the Clarkston team was able to define the key criteria to develop and conduct a full RFP process to identify the best solution based on our technology agnostic Vendor Selection methodology. The team worked with vendors to coordinate scripted demonstrations and workshops to evaluate the participating vendors across multiple business functions, including merchandising, pricing, sales, procurement, IT, and finance, using both quantitative and qualitative metrics and scoring tools.
Additionally, the Clarkston team supported parallel activities to develop the IT Roadmap to provide a playbook for the client to build upon the new ERP solution as a foundation for future growth. By standardizing IT and business processes and improving project management standards, the team also prepared the client to quickly and readily transition into implementation after the selection was completed. Through a structured RFP process and support throughout the negotiation phase, Clarkston was able to help the client find the best fit solution for their needs and begin the next phase of their business transformation.
