Press Release

Ann & Hope Increases Business Efficiency and Inventory Accuracy with S2K Suggested Purchasing and Inventory Management Solution

May 29, 2018

Regional Curtain & Bath Retailer Uses Real-Time Data and Automated Suggested Purchasing to Reduce Loss and Improve Inventory Management

Ronkonkoma, N.Y. – May 29, 2018 – VAI, a leading ERP software developer, today announced that Ann & Hope, a curtain and bath discount retailer in New England, has increased business efficiency, inventory and order processing accuracy, and has reduced inventory error with VAI’s S2K Suggested Purchasing software solution.

Since implementing the S2K Suggested Purchasing application as a part of VAI’s S2K ERP solution, Ann & Hope has streamlined its business operations by enhancing inventory accuracy and efficiency between its warehouse, shipments, and 11 stores. The software allows the company to centralize financials, easily track orders and shipments, obtain a real-time view of all products in the warehouse, and get automatic reports on inventory and order processing. The ease of use of the S2K Suggested Purchasing software has allowed Ann & Hope employees to easily navigate through the system and quickly identify products and orders, greatly reducing time spent manually searching through an abundance of records and eliminating inventory errors.

The time saved with VAI’s automated system allows employees to focus on more value-added tasks such as customer service and rapid order fulfillment. Thanks to S2K’s built-in efficiencies, the company is also planning to expand its footprint. The real-time data from S2K has given Ann & Hope access to valuable business insights it did not have previously, and the company uses these insights to guarantee it is providing its customers with the lowest costs possible by consolidating operations and cutting lead time.

“Before we implemented VAI’s ERP solution and Suggested Purchasing application, our software was failing and we were losing inventory in some instances, and were overstocked in others,” said Gary Jarvis, Director of Information Technologies at Ann & Hope. “With S2K, we have been able to leverage the technology and real-time data available to bring transparency into every aspect of the company. This ability has strengthened the company and increased profits by significantly reducing inventory loss and errors.”

“We know that customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance for business success,” said Kevin Dick, Director of R&D at VAI. “S2K’s ability to calculate upcoming demand and guarantee that the shelves are sufficiently stocked at Ann & Hope’s 11 brick-and-mortar locations is a huge benefit to the company and has contributed to its commitment of offering its customers the lowest prices available for over 50 years.”

About Ann & Hope

In 1953, Irwin Chase and his father, Martin, opened their first store in an old textile mill in Cumberland, Rhode Island. The building and store were named after a ship, the Ann and Hope, which was lost at sea off of Block Island, Rhode Island in 1806.

The Company was built on the philosophy of buying large volumes of merchandise, and selling it at a discount. Since Ann and Hope's prices were very low, they had to have low operating expenses. As a result, the Chases implemented several innovations. One of those changes was the use of central checkouts that are now commonly found in most discount stores. Another was the use of shopping carts in a discount store setting.

Today, the second and third generations of Ann and Hope's founders operate 12 Curtain & Bath stores in 3 New England states. In addition to these stores the company runs other concepts such as Dollar Outlet and the Garden Outlet.

About VAI

VAI is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its flexible solutions and ability to automate critical business functions for the distribution, manufacturing, specialty retail and service sectors. An IBM Gold Partner, VAI is the 2012 IBM Beacon Award Winner for Outstanding Solutions for Midsize Businesses. VAI continues to innovate with new solutions that leverage analytics, business intelligence, mobility and cloud technology to help customers make more informed business decisions in real-time and empower their mobile workforces. VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY with branch offices in Florida, Illinois and California. For more information, visit www.vai.net, follow @VAISoftware on Twitter or “like us” on facebook.com/VAISoftware.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Diane Dady
VAI
631-619-4729
Joel Richardson
Racepoint Global
617-624-3298
LET'S CONNECT
Please call 1.800-824-7776 or fill out the short form below to get connected or request a demo