Speciality Fashion Group (SFG) has enlisted cloud and big data integration solutions company Talend to spearhead a company-wide IT transformation project.
It follows technical challenges pertaining to SFG's customer loyalty programs across its six brands.
Despite 80% of sales made across SFG's store network coming from members, each brand having a different loyalty program in place has allegedly made it difficult to extract data for analysis.
SFG group IT solutions delivery manager Rob Marshall believes that appointing Talend to overhaul its current systems will streamline its operations.
“Talend integrates data held in a range of systems, which will play a key role in supporting a significant transformation of SFG’s core business applications."
As such Talend will implement a new ecommerce platform, an ERP upgrade and a big data project to track sales and monitor external market forces.
Since delpoying Talend to the task, SFG has recorded a 70% reduction in development time needed to execute new projects.
Marshall said that the IT transformation will bolster growth and expansion of the business.
“The new ERP application will help us break down the data silos that have traditionally existed across our brands.
“We want to reach the point where we have standardised, company-wide processes rather than brand-specific processes.
"Talend has been fundamental to the success of our IT transformation project.
"We now have in place a platform that will support our ongoing growth and expansion well into the future.”
SFG currently owns and operates a host of specialty retailers including Millers, Katies, Crossroads, Autograph, City Chic and Rivers.