+ CASE STUDY
Goodwill of South Texas
Goodwill South Texas increases monthly income by $50-$100K within four months using Solutions DGR
Problem
Goodwill Industries of South Texas, Inc. had 16 stores. 14 had POS systems. The others were still on cash registers.
The POS system they used was being sunset, and they needed to find a replacement before the vendor stopped supporting their system. They wanted better loss prevention and better reporting. Though they had barcoding, they had problems with printing and scanning labels.
They were planning a new store opening in June, and they wanted the new system up and running for that new store.
Alternatives
South Texas wanted everyone on the same system, and they wanted the system to work long after implementation. They wanted to eliminate their problems with printing and scanning labels. They wanted a central repository for their data with better reporting for all levels of leadership (from the local store manager up to the executives). And they didn’t want to spend a lot of money making this change.
Solution
After analyzing South Texas’ needs and where they wanted to be, Solutions ITW recommended implementing the full Solutions DGR suite. South Texas saw the need for full functionality (especially the centralized dashboard reporting) and wanted the implementation of the following modules at all locations:
Average Sale
before and after implementation
Increase
Implementation
Solutions ITW hit the ground running.
During the demonstration session on March 1, we took copious notes and pictures. After the statement of work (SOW) was signed, we designed the systems for Goodwill Industries of South Texas in the cloud to meet all their requirements before we returned on site in May to implement Solutions DGR production into three stores (including the new store). These stores were “up to speed” with POS a month later on schedule.
I was really impressed with Solutions commitment during the entire process … Our initial implementation was during a grand opening of a new store, and Solutions was onsite during the entire opening weekend to make sure those unforeseen issues were addressed promptly and the system continued to work.
Three concurrent store implementations was an accelerated implementation schedule to say the least. We arrived the night before to set up the hardware, and the stores were up and running the next morning after standard training. Obviously, Solutions DGR is easy to learn. All remaining stores were implemented by South Texas employees within three months! Features of Solutions DGR are being implemented and refined every month in coordination with Solutions ITW team members.
Average Sale
before and after implementation
Increase
Results
#1On-Schedule Implementation
#2Employee Buy-In
Employees have embraced the system with minimal ramp time.#3Barcoding and Labeling Standardization
Barcoding and label printing have been successfully standardized across all locations.#4Improved Loss Prevention
Loss prevention has been improved because scanning at the registers has locked down pricing and discounts.#5Store POS Standardization
All stores now run on the same system.#6Centralized Dashboarding
Centralized dashboard reporting is helping at all levels of management.#7Fewer Support Calls
With the new system in place, support calls are minimal.#8Better Performance Tracking
Reporting now allows tracking of sell-through performance for any time period by employee, store, and across-the-board.#9Dramatic ROI
Though Goodwill Industries of South Texas was simply looking for a replacement system, they did not budget on such a dramatic return on investment (ROI). Some stores witnessed an increase of nearly $1 on the average sale! After all the stores were implemented, the average sales across-the-board increased $0.53 over the first four months of full implementation. That translates to over $50,000 per month of increased revenue! In fact, when compared to sales over the 16 months prior to implementation, the average sale increased $1.00, which translates to over $100,000 per month of increased revenue for Goodwill Industries of South Texas! The data indicates that this revenue increase of $0.50-$1.00 per sale would not be there without Solutions DGR.
decrease in expenses related to labor
One of the major benefits of partnering with Solutions ITW is the direct access to their support, fostering efficient problem resolution.
+ 2023 UPDATE
Goodwill South Texas Continues to Thrive with Solutions ITW Four Years Later
Four years after implementing Solutions ITW's DGR suite, Goodwill Industries of South Texas, Inc. continues to reap significant benefits, transforming their operational landscape and improving overall financial performance. Chief Operating Officer, Will Lufburrow, recently reflected on the impactful partnership with Solutions ITW, underlining reduced labor costs, increased sales, enhanced loss prevention, and the ease of direct contact with Solutions ITW for issue resolution.
The Solutions DGR platform enabled Goodwill South Texas to significantly cut labor costs, with real-time analysis facilitating improved labor efficiency.
Expenses related to labor were slashed from an average of 48% to a more manageable 20-28% of revenue over the past couple years, thus optimizing cost management and boosting profitability.
Regarding loss prevention, the Solutions DGR platform proved instrumental in detecting and mitigating potential fraudulent activities. By leveraging Solutions DGR’s data analysis capabilities, the organization was able to identify intentionally unfinished transactions and recognize patterns associated with additional fraudulent behavior, thus securing their retail environment and decreasing losses.
Moreover, the partnership with Solutions ITW provided Goodwill South Texas with direct access to the tech company’s support, allowing for efficient problem resolution and fostering a robust working relationship. The readily available, responsive nature of Solutions ITW's assistance was crucial, enabling swift resolution of operational issues.
Highlighting the transformative power of the Solutions DGR suite, Lufburrow noted the transition from financial losses to substantial gains. Through enhanced efficiency and robust prevention measures, Goodwill South Texas has seen its financial results take an impressive turn, with gains surpassing $5 million. The partnership with Solutions ITW continues to underpin their operational and financial success, positioning them for even greater achievements in the future.