In the fall of 2020, under lockdown with team members working remotely, the team set out to quickly get up to speed on the new application development process and build out new click-and-collect capabilities.

The team was able to create the new application in less than eight weeks, well ahead of the rollout of the hardware and service infrastructure needed to support the new processes.

The timeline itself is remarkable considering how important the application was in helping Homebase survive during the pandemic and how new developers were to the platform. But that’s exactly the kind of developer velocity organizations can achieve with Neptune Software, whether engaging novice developers on their first project or seasoned back-end ABAP developers new to mobile like those on Cannon’s team.

A new application that empowers the company to ring-fence the company’s inventory has freed up a dedicated resource. Today, business users can quickly and easily reserve items for campaigns and special stores, among other things, and a worker who used to provide the capability manually in the SAP back-end system has been freed to work on more pressing tasks.

Homebase also launched a Neptune-powered vendor/supplier portal that empowers suppliers to manage their invoices. Previously managed by a dedicated call center, automating this service has also increased capacity for the team, empowering them to focus on other, more value-adding activities.

With support from partners of Neptune providing skills, expertise and training, Homebase’s 15-20 person IT team quickly came up to speed, enhancing their skill sets in the process. Providing modern skills for team members is a known means of improving team member satisfaction.

Cannon projected that it might have taken 10 times longer to deliver the same functionality with SAP tools and on SAP platforms than it took with Neptune. There would have also been additional license and platform costs.

Today, Homebase stores enjoy multiple modern applications used both as web applications and on mobile devices. The tangible returns on investment are adding up. Homebase’s BYOD approach also paid off. With Neptune applications deployed across a large fleet of team member smartphones, the company realized substantial financial savings as well.

The company continues to move forward on its digital transformation journey, using Neptune DXP as its key modernization tool.

Moving forward, the IT team is evaluating a project to use Neptune Software to link systems and provide a modern, mobile user interface for a new point-of-sale (POS) system. To streamline and simplify order management, Homebase also aims to replace handheld terminals with modern and more cost-effective Android devices. And finally, as the company begins to move beyond the impact of the pandemic, the IT team is also working on a Neptune app to give managers better insights into how merchandise is moving between suppliers and distribution centers.

Homebase are the Home and Garden Experts with over 150 stores and 5,600 team members across the UK and Ireland. With over 40 years of experience, they have everything customers need to bring their homes and gardens to life.

Industry Focus: Home Improvement Retailer
Number of Users: 5,000 Users
System Version: SAP ERP
Timeline: Eight weeks to develop the mission-critical click-and-collect application the company needed to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic
Devices:A range of BYOD team member devices