BWI: Samsonite Unifies its India Operations with Polaris iStore

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Polaris Software Lab Limited
Thursday, November 17, 2011 04:56 PM IST (11:26 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Entertainment, Lifestyle, People; Business: Business services, Electronic appliances & components, Financial Analyst, Heavy industries, Household & personal care products & services, Telecommunications; Technology
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Samsonite Unifies its India Operations with Polaris iStore
Polaris' Powerful Retail Solution Helps Samsonite Create a Uniform and Superior Customer Experience Across all Stores in India

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and New Jersey,United States, London, United Kingdom, Thursday, November 17, 2011 -- (Business Wire India) -- Polaris Enterprise Solution Limited (PESL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Software Lab Ltd, today announced that Samsonite, a leading lifestyle luggage brand worldwide has gone live with PESL's iStore in 80 stores across India. iStore is built on IBM's Retail Integration Framework (RIF).

Polaris' iStore was chosen by Samsonite because of the broad range of features, scalability and flexibility that only a next generation open environment retail solution can provide. Implemented over a period of six months, the solution has enabled Samsonite to centralize operations, integrate stores resulting in better control and response capabilities to market situations and give a uniform, consistent and enhanced user experience for its customers across all stores.

Prior to this implementation, Samsonite stores were running various applications and packages which did not allow integration for centralization at the head office. The previous solution also made it difficult to implement marketing promotions and gift vouchers.

Polaris iStore's rich modules such as Integrated Advanced Retailing Solutions enhanced the brand's customer retention engine, accelerating its ability to execute loyalty programs, promotions and marketing campaign modules and provide a uniform experience while executing dynamic promotions centrally to all the stores. iStore interfaces helped Samsonite integrate its solution with ERP (Baan), allowing near-real time purchase and inventory data upload, thus avoiding delays and inaccuracies.

Speaking on the occasion, Subratta Datta, MD, Samsonite, South Asia said, "Modern format retail requires scalability, performance and flexibility to address our rapidly growing business operations. We have selected iStore from PESL for its Superior Technology and Contemporary state of the art Architecture. iStore on IBM's Retail Integration Framework (RIF) has advantages of scalability and flexibility that a next generation retail solution and an open operating environment provides. Some of the product platforms that power our business today are WebSphere Server, DB2, and MQ Messaging Middleware. iStore will help us offer enhanced customer delight in our exclusive stores through an unmatched 'Customer Retailing Experience' by enabling us to have a 'Single View of each Customer' across our organization."

Commenting on the deployment, Vikas Misra, Head, PESL said, "We are extremely excited about our implementation at Samsonite. iStore's next generation retail environment has provided Samsonite the most efficient retail services in the country. The solution has equipped their stores with enhanced technology, allowing them to stock the right items in right quantities at the right location and on time. Our solution has also provided the brand a highly customizable promotion engine that offers its customers a unique and uniform experience across its stores. Our successful implementations globally have placed PESL among the leading retail solution providers in the country."

"IBM has been helping companies see higher returns with balanced and controlled inventory, while ensuring that customers get the product they want, when and where they want it. We are very happy to have been associated with Polaris, in turn helping Samsonite achieve transformed operations at the organizational level, leading to significant cost reductions and savings." said Vikrant Chowdhary, Country Manager, Smarter Commerce, IBM SWG ISA. "Samsonite has been able to reduce instances of lost sales by 95 percent by improving inventory management and save 10 percent in costs by streamlining purchasing and inventory planning," he added.

iStore is Java and SOA compliant platform which is built on IBM's Retail Integration Framework (RIF), a groundbreaking middleware that facilitates dynamic data exchange from their distributed retail stores to the enterprise server. IBM's Retail Integration Framework through iStore solution has helped customers accelerate value from their investments in six key business areas:

-- Managing master data for merchandizing and supply chain
-- Cross Channel selling
-- Supply Chain visibility
-- Managing master data for customers
-- Integrated retail analytics
-- Total store solution

About Samsonite

Samsonite is a leading lifestyle luggage brand worldwide with its products ranging from large suitcases to small toiletries bags and briefcases. They have continued to leverage their craftsmanship and heritage as an innovator, to create unique solutions for the sophisticated traveler. Samsonite India has over 80 exclusive and franchise stores in India across all major cities.

About Polaris Enterprise Solutions Ltd.

With more than 15+ years of value creation experience for its global clientele, Polaris Enterprise Solutions Limited (PESL), a 100% subsidiary of Polaris Software, is a leading technology services provider in Retail, Manufacturing, Logistics & Distribution, Telecom & Media and Travel Industry. For more information on PESL, please visit www.polarisesl.com

About Polaris Software Lab Ltd.

Polaris Software Lab (POLS.BO) is a leading Financial Technology company, with its comprehensive portfolio of products, services and consulting. Polaris has a talent strength of over 11,000 solution architects, domain and technology experts. The company owns the largest set of Intellectual Properties in the form of a comprehensive product suite, Intellect GUB M180. Intellect is the first pure play SOA based application suite for Retail, Corporate, Investment banking and Insurance.

Polaris is headquartered in Chennai and has offices in all global financial hubs including Bangalore, Belfast, Chennai, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Hyderabad, Illinois, Kuala Lumpur, London, Madrid, Manama, Melbourne, Mississuaga, Mumbai, Neuchatel, New Delhi, New Jersey, Paris, Pittsburgh, Pune, Riyadh, Santiago, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, St. Germain En Laye, Sydney, Thane, Tokyo, Toronto, Utrecht, Victoria and Wicklow. For more information, please visit http://www.polarisFT.com/

About IBM India

For more information on IBM, please visit www.ibm.com


CONTACT DETAILS
Dwaipayan Deb, Polaris Software, +91 9962536442, dwaipayan.d@polarisft.com
G. Sunanthy Devi, Polaris Software, +91 8939933564, sunanthy.g@polarisft.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, LIFESTYLE, PEOPLE, BUSINESS SERVICES, ELECTRONICS, Financial Analyst, HEAVY INDUSTRIES, HOUSEHOLD, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TECHNOLOGY

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