Better business insight

With the merger of data from two merchandising applications into one updated merchandising system, Home Hardware will gain greater control and accuracy of inventory-related data. The Retek Merchandising System deployment, populated using Pervasive Data Integrator, also serves as the first milestone in Home Hardware’s transition to an integrated supply chain management system.

Development team productivity and speed of deployment

Home Hardware's product investigation found that using Pervasive Data Integrator could reduce development time by 90%. To architect, spec, develop, test and run one conversion script the company estimated it would be 20 hours plus. To accomplish the same task would take at most two hours using Pervasive Data Integrator. Home Hardware also could schedule DDL and DML in SQL steps.

Ease of use

Next to no training was required. Home Hardware began using the product immediately once the application was installed.

Responsive, knowledgeable support

Pervasive Support is “top notch” notes Home Hardware. Each time the company required support assistance, the support personnel were "front and center, always very helpful and easily understood."

Extensibility and ease of regulatory compliance

Home Hardware also expanded its use of Pervasive Data Integrator to create year-end XML files that are required by the Canadian government.

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Canadian home improvement retailer looks to Pervasive for integration flexibility while enhancing supply chain technology

One of Canada’s largest home improvement retailers, Home Hardware Stores Limited has more than 1,000 independent stores offering more than 100,000 products for homes and gardens. As the company grows, it needs to enhance and automate its supply chain management through technology improvements. Home Hardware’s IT group turned to Pervasive to supply the integration flexibility to convert data from multiple legacy supply chain applications into one centralized system that will improve inventory and overall business efficiencies.

Flexibile integration to meet wide data forms

Home Hardware is implementing a comprehensive supply chain and inventory application based on the Retek Merchandising System. The implementation, the first stepping-stone toward a fully automated supply chain management system, merges a supplier direct merchandising application system with a warehouse merchandising application system into the centralized Retek Merchandising System. The project includes integrating additional applications, including AdDocket and Promotion, into the Retek Merchandising System (Oracle).

Home Hardware operates as a cooperative of dealer-owned and operated independent hardware, lumber building materials and furniture stores. From these businesses – and their vendors – data comes in many forms, including electronic files, Microsoft Office documents, Microsoft Access databases, and corporate databases such as Oracle and Software AG (SAG). Consequently, the need for a flexible data integration option was imperative.

Pervasive Map Designer plays a significant role in project success 

After considering in-house development alternatives, Home Hardware’s IT group opted for Pervasive Data Integrator™ because of its powerful capabilities, easy-to-use GUI mapping tools and rich functionality. Senior Systems Analyst Will Buddell points out, “The Pervasive product is very intuitive, and whenever functionality is required, it delivers what we need.

The best feature has to be the Map Designer. We were not only able to run mappings but were able to schedule data definition language (DDL) and data manipulation language (DML) in SQL steps. The ability to map easily by entire table structures and the fact that Map Designer will create tables even if none existed before make Map Designer very powerful, as no DDL needs to be written.”

Process flow 

Home Hardware is happy as it gains process improvements along with cost savings

Pervasive Data Integrator allowed Home Hardware to reduce conversion processes from 20 hours to two hours, and has helped the IT team get off to a healthy start on its supply chain management initiative. The time savings Home Hardware gained by using Pervasive translates into significant cost savings.

Will Buddell says, “We estimate that we saved anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000 (Canadian dollars) during this project using Pervasive Data Integrator.”

Pervasive to continue assisting with AdDocket, promotional applications conversion into Retek Systems

In the process of centralizing its supply chain applications into one system, Home Hardware has made a significant step to manage its business to meet the demands of the market faster and more competitively. A fully synchronized supply chain management system allows for better business intelligence and control of inventory, which will help the company grow even stronger as its independent operators compete more successfully in their markets.

Pervasive Data Integrator has proved to be a valuable ally in this large internal project by offering ease of use and flexibility to integrate a wide range of data. Moving ahead, Home Hardware IT professionals foresee other uses of Pervasive technology in moving the business ahead, saving costs and improving efficiencies. In the near future, Pervasive Data Integrator will continue assisting Home Hardware with the conversion of its AdDocket and promotional applications into the Retek Systems (Oracle).