DFS, the UK's largest sofa manufacturer and retailer, and supplier of more than 1 in every 4 sofas bought in the UK, has chosen K3 Retail and its Microsoft Dynamics manufacturing solution to run its five manufacturing sites.
The Dynamics solution, which integrates with DFS' existing retail and finance systems, manages the entire manufacturing process, from costing and production planning to raw material ordering, stock management, manufacturing WIP control and pay calculation.
The new system will replace an existing manufacturing system, which DFS says lacks the agility and flexibility offered by the new system. Following the introduction of the new system, DFS expects to save both time and money, but critically, fulfil store orders to its 91 stores, both quickly and accurately.
Phil Dodd, Programme Manager at DFS, said, "We decided to replace our existing system due to the lack of business flexibility it offered us. We weren't able to react quickly enough or make changes to the products, which in our line of business, is vital. We also selected K3 for their expertise and understanding of our market, which means they can build a system tailored to our specific needs.
The system allows DFS to have full management of source codes so the user has full control of any changes that need to be made to products. They can take complete ownership of changing information on the system and can do so in a very time efficient way.
Dodd continued, "We've had incredibly positive feedback from our suppliers, who say the increased visibility enables them to deliver goods more quickly. Sofas are a considered purchase, customers have very specific requirements. They want a particular sofa, with a certain fabric and cushions to match, it's not an off the shelf item. The K3 system is flexible enough to suit both ours and our customers' requirements."
John Little, Sales Director at K3 Retail, comments, "DFS is a retailer going through a high growth phase with ambitious plans to grow market share in the UK and ROI even further. Our solutions have been proven time and time again to effectively support businesses such as DFS, which are faced with the challenges that growth and expansion bring."
DFS produces over 3,000 orders or around 10,000 individual pieces of furniture every week.