007 and thread,
SAPHY news article:
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Monday January 26, 9:05 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SAP America Roars Into 1998 With New Retail Customers Spanning Large Multinationals to Midsized Growth Companies
Fleming, Florsheim, MJ Designs, PETsMART and Tractor Supply To Benefit From R/3 Integration
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 1998-- SAP America, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of SAP AG, the world's leading provider of client/server enterprise application software, today announced continued retail market momentum with five new customers.
The new SAP customers -- Fleming Companies, Inc., Florsheim Group Inc. [Nasdaq:FLSC - news], MJ Designs, PETsMART and the Tractor Supply Co [Nasdaq:TSCO - news]. -- join more than 200 other retail and wholesale enterprises around the world that have selected the SAP R/3(TM) solution for their business and technology needs.
''We are very pleased to be the business solution provider of choice for these new customers and excited for the opportunity to provide them with a solution that will help them better meet the dynamic business requirements of the retail industry,'' said Joe Kozak, director, retail strategic business unit at SAP America. ''With SAP R/3, these customers will be able to gain time and cost savings from their integrated information.''
The New SAP Customers
Fleming, based in Oklahoma City, is one of the nation's leading food marketing and distribution companies. With 1997 revenues of $16.5 billion, Fleming supplies 3,100 supermarkets in 42 states and operates 270 company-owned supermarkets.
''For more than 80 years, Fleming has delivered products and business answers to help supermarket retailers compete and win at retail,'' said Arlyn Larson, senior vice president of I/T and CIO at Fleming. ''Since our mission is to excel at meeting the needs of consumers who shop at Fleming-supplied stores, we're looking forward to using SAP to further provide solutions and build efficiencies in our operations.''
Florsheim Group, founded in 1892 in Chicago, where it still has its headquarters, has been a leader in the men's shoe industry since its early days. Florsheim shoes are sold in the United States in about 300 company-owned and -operated stores and shoe departments, as well as in thousands of independent retail stores worldwide. The company will implement R/3 financials, materials management, sales and distribution, controlling, and production planning, using SAP's proven AcceleratedSAP(TM) methodology.
''SAP R/3 was the best match to help us grow as we move toward the next century,'' said Tom Poggensee, treasurer and controller, Florsheim Group. The R/3 solution will replace the company's existing legacy systems and eliminate its year 2000 challenge. The multicurrency and multilingual capabilities of the R/3 System are also attractive down the road, Poggensee said.
MJ Designs, a Dallas-area based chain of full-service arts-and-craft superstores in six states, is rapidly implementing the SAP Retail solution as well as Human Resources and Employee Self Service applications with AcceleratedSAP. Productive with SAP R/3 Release 3.0 financials, sales and distribution, and materials management modules since March 1996, the company will expand its SAP solution, taking greater advantage of the business and technology efficiencies from R/3 enterprise integration. With more than 4,000 employees in six states in a growing sales and service industry, MJ Designs will recognize significant benefits from the SAP Retail solution in time for next year's holiday season, according to Colby Springer, vice president and chief information officer, MJ Designs.
PETsMART, based in Phoenix, is the world's largest operator of superstores specializing in pet food, supplies and services. It operates more than 450 retail locations in North America and the United Kingdom using a hybrid retail-warehouse format. PETsMART has expanded its business from the traditional retail environment to incorporate services such as on-site veterinary care and grooming, obedience classes and the Luv-A-Pet adoption program. Additionally, PETsMART Direct, the company's catalog operation, is the leading direct-mail retailer of pet-related and equine products in North America.
''With our diverse businesses, global sourcing and international operations, the R/3 solution provides PETsMART with the functionality and flexibility to meet our wide-ranging business and technology needs,'' said Jake Mendelsohn, senior vice president and chief information officer at PETsMART. ''We needed to implement a system that would support the company's rapid growth while enabling us to standardize business processes across all our lines of business domestically and internationally. R/3 offers us rich functionality and unparalleled integration that support the intricacies of our businesses and will provide operating and information efficiencies.''
Initially, PETsMART will take advantage of the SAP Retail solution including the full suite of financial applications that R/3 offers.
The Nashville, Tenn.-based Tractor Supply Co. fills the basic maintenance needs of farmers, ranchers and residents of rural America through more than 228 retail outlets. The company, with revenues of approximately $500 million in 1997, has more than 2,600 associates in 25 states. The average store displays more than 12,000 products -- from tractor parts and accessories to specialty feeds; from veterinary supplies to light truck equipment and work clothing.
Tractor Supply will implement the SAP Retail solution, work management, sales and distribution, and materials management. R/3 financials and controlling will be implemented first using AcceleratedSAP. Tractor Supply chose SAP because the company wanted a premier software provider whose comprehensive integrated solution included the supply chain and would allow Tractor Supply to reduce or eliminate the need for interfaces to other systems, according to Jim McMurray, Tractor Supply's chief information officer.
Benefits of R/3 for Retail Customers
SAP Retail is a comprehensive enterprise solution for the retail industry. It integrates all the key sectors of wholesale and retail and provides links throughout the logistics pipeline. Based on the core R/3 solution, SAP Retail incorporates additional functions specifically developed for the unique needs of retailers. By working closely with customers and collaborating with key technology and implementation partners, SAP ensures that its solution provides the functionality for retailers to better manage their businesses today, and the flexibility to grow in the future.
SAP Retail offers retailers the only complete enterprise solution to manage their inventory, replenishment, purchasing, sales, sourcing goals, human resources, asset management and financials in an integrated, data-sharing environment. SAP functions of specific relevance to retailers include the following:
-- Merchandise logistics tools
-- Merchandise replenishment
-- Promotions management tools
-- Supply-chain costing and accounting
-- Technology extensibility
-- Full human resources and financial accounting support
About SAP
SAP is a market and technology leader in client/server enterprise application software, providing comprehensive solutions for companies of all sizes and all industry sectors. Cultivating innovative technologies on a solid foundation of business experience, SAP delivers scalable solutions that enable its customers to continually improve upon best business practices. SAP products empower people to respond quickly and decisively to dynamic market conditions, helping businesses achieve and maintain a competitive advantage.
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