The Designer Sofas Group, a furniture supplier working with premium brands from Italy, has experienced streamlined business processes and automation after implementing Sci-Net’s tailored solutions.
Prior to scaling its operations and requiring a more streamlined approach, the family-run furniture business relied on a paper-based system, and would hand-write all orders and email them to the factory – but today, with Sci-Net’s support, Designer Sofas has gone from six stores to over 20 in the last four years.
Designer Sofas Group COO Gary Behar says: “We were introduced to Sci-Net in March 2020, and over the past few years we’ve been developing it and rolling it out to all our stores.
“We want our customers to experience a streamlined, professional and more interactive process when they’re going through the customer journey. The Sci-Net facility has given us that possibility and made it easier to do orders and update our customers. It has made it generally easier for everything all round.”
Compared to the previous manual method, Designer Sofas has seen improvements with its new approach, including a streamlined order-taking process, prevention of costly mistakes like accidental double-keying of orders, and reduced lead time. The direct integration with its suppliers’ systems via API ensures “seamless” operations and price confirmation through its complex item coding structure.
The team has also saved considerable amounts of time during the warranty process. What used to take over an hour for a single store to send warranties to Guardsman (provider of furniture care and protection), now takes only 30 seconds for all the stores.
One of the most significant time-saving exercises lies within the order process, particularly where additional notes or requests have been made. Previously, the team would spend hours on the phone with the salesperson – whereas with the current system, the additional notes can be added at the point of order and are kept in one accessible, centralised place, improving both efficiency and accuracy.
Customers have also benefitted from the implementation of updated systems, through improved customer service, prompt order confirmations, and the immediate processing of purchase orders.
Complimentary of the service provided, Gary continues: “Since being introduced to Sci-Net, we have found them to be nothing but courteous and professional. What they don’t know about this system isn’t worth knowing. I would fully endorse them as a company, to not just work with, but to partner up with, because they can seriously find you the best solutions for your business.”
Sci-Net’s platform takes advantage of the full Microsoft stack and is directly integrated with Business Central, which can utilise Power BI (from a reporting perspective), and Power Automate (for automation and workflow). As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Sci-Net prides itself on being able to implement bespoke, industry-tailored solutions, which it flexes based on the customer’s size and complexity.
