From fragmented systems to one mobile platform

Plantasjen is one of the largest garden centre chains in the Nordics, with operations in Norway, Sweden and Finland and more than 120 stores across the region. The company offers plants, gardening products and accessories, and a large share of its employees work directly in store.

Retail store operations

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Plantasjen

Smart store logistics with smartphones and apps

The gardening chain Plantagen has approximately 2,400 employees. Only around 400 have access to a traditional desk, while the majority work on the shop floor. This meant the business needed to review what kind of IT support actually helps employees in their day-to-day work.

The result was a mobile solution based on smartphones and apps that run on the stores’ existing network.

By equipping the warehouse staff with smartphones running IMI’s software, errors and deviations could be reported directly where they occurred. For example, by scanning the barcode for a certain storage location, which significantly reduced downtime.

Olav Fyldeng

CIO, Plantasjen

The challenge

User-friendly and efficient support in store

A key challenge was to provide store employees with IT support that is simple to use, yet sufficiently robust, broad and cost-effective. Retail is characterised by strong seasonal variations, where many temporary staff need to get up to speed quickly during peak periods. This places high demands on usability and simplicity.

At the same time, several IT systems were in place, each with its own user interface and overlapping functionality. This created unnecessary complexity, higher costs and a fragmented way of working in store.

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The solution

Mobile platform and consolidated systems

The solution was developed in close collaboration between Plantagen and IMI. The collaboration builds on an earlier project from 2016, where an app-based solution was used to report deviations in a warehouse environment, laying the foundation for the continued development.

Rather than investing in handheld devices and separate networks, Plantagen chose to go straight to smartphones using the existing infrastructure. The focus was on bringing key functions together into a shared mobile platform.

The new solution is used in daily store operations for goods reception, inventory management, product location, campaign visibility, product information, order handling and incident reporting. Approximately 1,500 mobile phones have been rolled out, equipped with a cloud-based solution that supports a wide range of in-store processes. The same device can be used across multiple tasks, including scanning, taking photos and printing labels.

At the same time, a consolidation of existing IT systems was initiated. Several systems with similar functionality were phased out and replaced by a single platform. What sets IMI apart is its understanding of processes, logistics and business systems, not just the interface, which has been key in this work.

In collaboration with us, the innovative and talented people at IMI have developed a solution where we have eliminated 4 out of 6 interfaces and gathered them on a single platform. In two years, we have reduced our budget from SEK 84 million to SEK 59 million by consolidating and eliminating systems that do not create real value.

Olav Fyldeng

CIO, Plantagen

The result

A simpler way of working and lower costs

Plantagen now has a user-friendly and scalable solution that makes it easier for employees to handle tasks directly in store.

The way of working has become more aligned, with fewer systems and clearer processes. This has improved support across everything from goods reception and inventory to order handling and customer service.

The consolidation of systems has resulted in clear cost savings and a more efficient IT environment. The solution has also enabled efficiency gains of more than 25 per cent within the IT function. Overall, this has contributed to more efficient store logistics and an improved customer experience.

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