Implementation of SAP Omnichannel POS by GK at TOM TAILOR

8th July 2022

TOM TAILOR is a casual lifestyle company based in Hamburg.

From here, TOM TAILOR operates its business - online, through its own stores, franchise stores and shop-in-shop stores in more than 30 countries. With nearly 3,000 employees and about 10 collections a year, TOM TAILOR is one of the leading companies in the industry.

In December 2019, TOM TAILOR chose consenso as its implementation partner for the introduction of SAP Omnichannel POS by GK.

Due to the resolution to adapt the German Cash Register Ordinance legislation, TOM TAILOR was faced with the need to prepare the POS system for the upcoming new regulations. Adapting the existing POS solution was not an option due to the outdated architecture and expiring licences. The decision in favour of implementing SAP Omnichannel POS by GK was based, among other things, on the fact that existing SAP standard interfaces could be used for the technical connection to the SAP ERP system.

The implementation project started in January 2020 with the scope of creating an internationally rollout-ready template and replacing the previous POS. The overall project was divided into three phases, with phase 1 aiming at the transformation of all stores in Germany and phase 2 at the changeover of the stores in the neighbouring countries of Austria and Switzerland. Phase 3 involved the transition of the remaining countries with a comparably smaller number of stores. The timeframe for phase 1 was deliberately chosen to be short, only nine months, but it still covered all the steps of an implementation project, starting with the initial specialist workshops, followed by the implementation and configuration with subsequent user acceptance tests, and ending with the go-live of the first two pilot stores.

consenso's experience in the implementation of Omnichannel POS by GK and its integration into existing SAP systems guaranteed the implementation of the project within the planned project duration. TOM TAILOR followed consenso's approach of using the pure product standard of the GK software. Thus, from the very beginning, not a single day was reserved for development services, and in the end, no such services were actually necessary.

The project team always kept the country-specific requirements for the POS solution firmly in focus. During each phase, the issues with country-specific effects were identified and passed on as tasks to the following project phase. This also contributed significantly to the relatively short overall project duration.

Integration into the existing ERP system was realised with the help of SAP PO. Interfaces for data supply (master and transaction data) were technically designed and then modelled via PO.

In January 2021, with the guideline of introducing a standard solution, a clear objective in mind and corresponding enthusiasm, the project team managed – despite one or the other obstacle due to the pandemic – to successfully set the first pilot store in Hamburg live with the new POS.

This pilot was so successful that the mass rollout in Germany could begin only a few weeks later. In just two months, all 140 stores were converted. Not only was the POS software replaced, but also the entire hardware, including internet connection and, in some cases, new EC terminals.

Immediately after the completion of the rollout in Germany, phase 2 started with the transition of all stores in Austria and Switzerland to Omnichannel POS.

The changeovers in phase 3 with a target date of spring 2022 (supply bottlenecks for hardware not included in the calculation) mainly affected countries with only a few installations or those with special requirements regarding the locally applicable fiscal laws, such as Poland, Hungary, Italy or France.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to TOM TAILOR for their trust and, above all, for the very good cooperation in a spirit of partnership. It was a pleasure to realise the project together.