Cloud transition lifts global management at Australian cash-advance chain.
Cash Converters has built a global business from its second-hand good stores and cash-advance services. To make email easier to manage, the Australian company adopted Microsoft Office 365. With lower ICT costs, the firm is transitioning core systems to the cloud with Windows Azure. Now, new stores open quicker and employees collaborate as one global team.
Expansion plans and conversion pain.
With 700 stores in 21 countries, Cash Convertors are one of the world’s largest cash-advance and used-goods retail chains. But in-store ICT systems failed to deliver flexible, scalable and collaborative tools – the kind executives hoped would push global expansion.
At the same time, executives were looking to rollout a bespoke POS system managing inventory, tax, repairs and interest rate calculations. Designed as an on-premise solution, executives estimated implementation in 400 company-owned stores alone could take up to seven years.
“Office 365 is flexible, scalable, and it takes just minutes to create new email accounts for staff in overseas offices. Now, I don’t have to manage technical infrastructure in multiple countries.”
Glenn Fee
Organisation Profile
Founded in Perth, 1994, Cash Convertors are now one of the world’s biggest cash-advance and used-goods retail chains. With a reach of 700 stores in 21 countries, they were looking to expand further.
Solution
Converting the Converters.
In a rapid, six-month deployment, Cash Converters provided staff in 400 Australian and UK stores with Microsoft Exchange-based email, using the Microsoft cloud service, Office 365. In the process, the firm consolidated multiple address lists in to one, centrally managed global domain.
IT staff also purchased licences for SharePoint Online, a secure, web-based library in which employees can post administrative forms, sales collateral and training videos. IT staff then created workflows to automatically route administrative forms and updates to nominated staff members.
Benefits
Globally led. Locally felt.
Executives also decided to host new POS systems with Windows Azure. Using data centres In Asia, they quickly transitioned core systems at 140 stores in Australia and Europe, relieving managers of the need to purchase, deploy, configure, install and maintain retail software on-premise.
A global email system that’s easy to deploy.
With Office 365, Australian executives can easily deploy and maintain
email accounts and collaboration tools for thousands of employees worldwide. And by moving core store systems into the cloud with
Windows Azure, overseas managers are able to new open stores with
a minimum of IT hassle.
Switching to Outlook email via Office 365 has helped Cash Converters continue its global expansion strategy. Glen Fee explains. “Office 365 proved easy to deploy, right around the world. The user experience is great and it is highly intuitive, especially for those transitioning to Windows 8.”
Low-cost deployment of core store systems.
By transitioning stores’ new POS systems into the cloud, Cash Converters saved money, increased systems reliability and reduced risk.
“Our initial budget for new in-store servers alone was A$1.5 million. We’ve barely touched that money,” says James Miles, Cash Convertors Software Development Manager.
“Now we’re adding new stores at minimal additional cost and back up all data centrally. There’s no competitive advantage in running our own database servers. Our competitive advantage is in the software itself.”
Borderless ICT that powers globalised business.
The mix of Office 365 and Azure is helping executives manage and expand the firm globally. Managers use Lync Online for instant messaging on quick queries while employees spontaneously create and share marketing collateral using SharePoint.
According to managers, employees now feel part of one organisation.
“The cloud has proven to be a real asset for strong global management,” says Fee. “Office 365 and Azure give us consistent capabilities across the globe. As a company we can expand much more easily. The one thing a new store manager does not have to worry about is ICT.”
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