Queenspark is a leading fashion chain running 60 stores across South Africa, Namibia and Kenya.

Founded in 1980, Queenspark specialises in elegant and fashionable womenswear, menswear, accessories and cosmetics. All products are created with an eye for detail, fine fabrics and superior craftsmanship. The company features a wide range of fashion-forward brands and prides itself on having something for everyone’s taste, from formalwear to casualwear to chic shoes.

Implementation of Advanced Data Capture System (“ADCS”) – Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV

Queenspark implemented the ADCS solution for the warehouse with the focus on packing and distribution of the stock items to the stores. Following the implementation of this project, the same process used for retail, could be adopted for cosmetics, consumables and marketing items, thus enabling better control over the distribution of these items to the stores.

Packing Process

The scanning process that was replaced used approximately 60 scanners in the warehouse for the packing of the goods to send to the stores. Each scanner would be docked and a file imported into Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV. If there were any errors these would only be recognized at the time the file was imported. With the new ADCS solution implemented, there is a real-time interaction between the scanner and Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV. The hand-held scanners advise the user of the quantity of goods to pack for each store and the user either confirms the quantity or registers a discrepancy. This has resulted in a vastly reduced error rate in the distribution of the goods to the stores.

Weighing and dispatch of cartons

Prior to the implementation of this solution, the weight of cartons was not held within Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV. The solution deployed now includes an interface with the scale which enables Queenspark to record the weight and volume weight of each carton – thus assisting with accurate billing from the courier companies. The full dispatch function has now been brought into Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV as this was previously managed on spreadsheets. This enables Queenspark to record which cartons have been dispatched to a store and fully track the sending and receipting of the goods within Microsoft Dynamics™ NAV.

Improved Productivity

The implementation of the solution has reduced the quantity of physical scanner devices from 60 to only 10 scanners in the warehouse for the pack function. The scanners are all wireless which enables the users to move around the pack line as required. The solution implemented now facilitates the adding of additional stores with minimum interference in the day to day running of the warehouse.

The productivity of the full warehouse function, as well as individual users is now measurable within NAV enabling the warehouse users to make better decisions during the high peak times. The manual printing of reports, capturing of data and error rate on the packing and distribution of goods has been reduced, thus, allowing back office staff to concentrate on other functions and further improvements to the warehouse.