The Warehouse Group

As one of New Zealand’s largest retailers, known and loved by Kiwis for its wide range of products from clothing, entertainment, technology and music to sporting, gardening, grocery and many others, The Warehouse have been providing Kiwis with "a bargain" since 1982. With 86 stores throughout New Zealand they remain a New Zealand owned and operated company employing over 8,500 team members from Kaitaia in the north to Invercargill in the south.

 
Business Objectives
The Warehouse  selected Asparona to implement Oracle Financials to provide a consolidated view of the group's financial position. A well-scoped, five-month 'fast forward' implementation program was required to achieve a rapid return on investment and reduced project risk, delivering a cost effective financial system aligned with the direction of the business while meeting the diversified needs of all of the business operations.


"Part of the strategy we are moving  torward is to adopt a holistic approach to the way we do business across the group, so that we can achieve functional and operational synergies," said Greg Muir, then chief executive officer for The Warehouse.  "Oracle is a significant player, offering a mature, scaleable and long term solution with the ability to adapt to our business complexities." The Warehouse's Oracle Financials implementation - which includes Oracle General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Fixed Assets went live in 2002. The Warehouse plans to roll out the solution across the entire business group which, in addition to the 78 'Red Sheds,' includes 37 Warehouse stationary shops.

Alan Mayo, The Warehouse Ltd's general manager of new initiatives at the time, who was responsible for leading the business case that is driving the project, emphasizes the business benefits underlying the organization's decision. "We wanted a cost effective financial system that would align with the direction of the group while meeting the diversified needs of each of the business operations," said Mayo.

The Benefits provided by Asparona
The Warehouse was the first New Zealand-based company to outsource the hosting and ongoing technical management of its Oracle Applications. Asparona hosts the Warehouse's Oracle solution.

Caleb Nicolson, The Warehouse's project manager of the implementation, explained that the decision to host the Oracle Applications with Asparona will help the company meet its business objectives. "A hosted solution means that we don't have to use internal resources, that could otherwise be dedicated to performing core business functions, to manage the technology. Asparona will do this for us, while we remain focused on running the business.

" A well-scoped, five-month 'fast forward' implementation program was part of The Warehouse's plan to achieve a rapid return on its investment and reduce project risk. "Asparona's depth of knowledge of Oracle Applications, together with its pragmatic approach to project management have made the implementation process seamless to date. Their cultural fit with our organization was also key to choosing Asparona as our technology partner," said Nicholson.

Robert Gosling, country manager for Oracle New Zealand, believes that more and more companies will opt to outsource the management of their applications. "Companies are under pressure to prove a return on their investment as quickly as possible," said Gosling. "By outsourcing applications, companies of all sizes can move to an e-business model more
quickly and efficiently, while continuing to focus on expanding markets and revenue for their business."