Rohan boosts efficiency and agility with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Highlights:
Rohan upgrades to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central creating a modern platform to future proof the business
Business Central helps to deliver a consistent omnichannel experience to Rohan’s customers
The cloud-based system evolves with business needs, streamlining processes and ensuring long-term operational resilience
About the organisation
Created in 1972, Rohan is one of the UK’s leading brands of outdoor clothing and equipment. One of its early jackets was worn by Messner and Habeler on the first ascent of Everest in 1978. Today, Rohan’s expansive range includes outdoor clothing from waterproofs, jackets and trousers to jeans and skirts.
The challenge
Rohan had been operating on the same two core systems for over 20 years, for its retail operations and direct-consumer platform. These outdated technologies lacked developers to support them and additionally, the retail platform had reached end-of-life.
Though the on-premise legacy systems were still functional, the limited support and growing integration challenges with newer technologies was restricting future growth.
Michael Gray, IT Director at Rohan says, “We were already planning the move to a modern solution to future-proof the business and ensure long-term operational resilience. To do this, we wanted to unify our retail and direct-consumer systems onto a single platform.”
Solution
Future proofing with modern technology
Rohan chose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for its flexibility and speed of integration. “From a user perspective, we felt the transition would be more seamless,” explains Michael. “Moving from tools such as Word and Teams to also include Business Central felt natural and wasn’t too much of a leap.”
Selecting the right integration partner
Xpedition stood out for its deep industry expertise and proven Microsoft capabilities. Michael highlights, “We chose Xpedition because they just got us. In-depth conversations with their technical team gave us confidence. Xpedition’s experience in fashion retail was also a real advantage.”
A phased rollout of Business Central
The migration to Business Central was delivered in three strategic phases. The first focused on purchasing processes and managing products to the warehouse door. The second and most substantial phase transitioned the warehouse onto Business Central and introduced a new EPOS system for its retail stores and merchandising functions. Rohan had selected Cygnus by Swan as its new EPOS solution. This has been integrated with Business Central and provides real-time stock updates and streamlined replenishment, significantly improving accuracy and building trust among store staff.
Michael stresses, “There were a few complications along the way, but Xpedition resolved any issues quickly and we went live on time and under budget.”
He added “About a week after going live, we did a full warehouse stock take. Only one issue came up but the Xpedition team was on hand to instantly fix it. This experience gave us a lot of confidence in our new system.”
Phase 3 expands Rohan’s ecommerce and omnichannel integration to Business Central. Already underway, Amazon and John Lewis orders are being processed through the platform via a drop-ship model, where Rohan’s fulfils orders on behalf of the retailers.
Michael explains, “We’re already tracking customer interactions across all channels, but we now have full visibility which allows us to consolidate customer data and purchasing behaviour.”
Rohan will then address its own direct-to consumer channels, including migrating CRM data into Business Central to enable a unified customer view.
Looking ahead, Phase 4 will focus on migrating the finance function into Business Central, with plans to begin that stage early next year.
Unlocking new business opportunities
With plans to onboard a significant number of concessions over the next six months, each with unique operational requirements, Business Central will be essential to unlocking new growth avenues.
The foundation for sustainable growth
Rohan has successfully transitioned a significant portion of its operations to Business Central, creating a unified platform that supports its evolving omnichannel strategy and laying the foundation for sustainable future growth.
The business is beginning to realise tangible efficiencies in its operations to deliver a more seamless and consistent customer experience across all channels. And while end consumers may not see a direct difference, employees are benefiting from streamlined workflows, faster access to information and more efficient processes.
Michael adds “We’re fine-tuning our processes and making improvements that genuinely change how we work, as well as reducing the time needed on tasks; the real benefits are starting to show.”
Working with Xpedition
“Working with Xpedition in an agile way allows us to achieve better outcomes and do more ourselves. Their developers are responsive, jumping on issues quickly, challenging things when needed and offering guidance on best practices. Xpedition’s experience in both Business Central and the fashion retail space has been incredibly valuable”
Michael Gray, IT Director, Rohan
Benefits
• Future proofing
The modern, cloud-based platform evolves with the business, eliminating reliance on outdated systems and ensuring long-term sustainability.
• Unified systems
By consolidating retail, e-commerce and operational functions into a single platform, Rohan is streamlining processes across the business.
• A platform for scalable growth
Business Central provides the flexibility and infrastructure to support expansion into new markets, channels and partnerships without needing further technology investments.
• Continuous improvements
Frequent Microsoft updates keep the platform current, giving Rohan new features without extra cost or disruption, and reducing reliance on custom solutions or key individuals.
• A unified omnichannel experience
The business can deliver a consistent customer experience across retail, online and partner channels that is powered by real-time data and integrated processes.
• Aligned with Microsoft’s innovation path
Rohan benefits from being on a continuously evolving Microsoft ecosystem, ensuring alignment with industry best practices and seamless integration with tools like Teams and Outlook.
• Streamlined warehouse operations
Introducing handheld scanning devices and real-time data through Business Central has significantly improved warehouse efficiency. This is resulting in autonomous workflows and reduced reliance on traditional warehouse management systems.
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