Cinema 1 is a successful and well-established retailer in the home entertainment industry with stores in some of Ontario’s largest malls. Offering over 10,000 products to consumers at each store location and with access to hundreds of thousands of products through its advanced network of suppliers, Cinema 1 specializes in acquiring hard to find titles on behalf of their clients.
The backbone of the company is a digital inventory management framework that was built over a decade ago. The software allows Cinema 1 to manage its inventory from ordering to sales through product returns to suppliers. With tens of thousands of SKUs in stock (both in its stores and its warehouse), the software was absolutely critical to the success of the company.
As time passed, the original tool had become dated and is nearing end of life. It was also disjointed and made up of multiple smaller programs which needed a lot of manual intervention and interpretation in order to complete many daily tasks. Because of its age, it was difficult to add new features and modules into the system. As such, Cinema 1 decided to partner with Sandbox Software and invest in its next-generation, custom-built, Inventory Management System.
- Create a custom Inventory Management System compatible with current service hardware
- Allow staff to access various components of inventory management (sales reports, orders, projected sales, refunds etc.)
- Integrate with online sales platforms like Amazon and Walmart
Solution
In redeveloping the Inventory Management System (IMS) it was crucial Cinema 1 would be provided with all the functionality and data management capabilities available on their previous system. Sandbox completed strategic review to gain a comprehensive understanding of the company's overall business operations, technical requirements and was able to propose new modern technologies as well as new additions to streamline digital product management of point of sale processes. Sandbox created a custom IMS that supports Cinema 1 staff in managing thousands of products across multiple store locations. The systems allows staff to generate and review robust reports that include but are not limted to price adjustment summaries, inventory based on invoices, inventory allocation at various warehouse locations, store performance, sales history and projections. Staff can also manage store promotions, print labels, administer refunds, compare prices and complete ordering from their suppliers all through the new IMS. It allows customers to place products on hold, and supports and includes the calculation of Canadian taxes and shipping costs.
Outcome
The new web-based solution is a single platform which is also integrated with the new Cinema 1 e-Store and provides Cinema 1 staff with detailed information on their inventory and key performance indicators. Store staff now have a single digital solution that is specifically tailored their unique business model and processes, and provides them with an intuitive user interface to manage and complete daily tasks.
Sandbox Software has built dozens of custom software systems to deliver functionality or a product that is not available in a commercial or off-the-shelf solution.
> Software Development
Sandbox also developed the new Cinema1 website which allows users to browse inventory and purchase products online.
> Website Design & Development
In order to create a platform that delivered the exact features and functionality required, Sandbox executed a thorough Digital Strategy phase to generate recommendations and a product road map for the new software system.
> Digital Strategy & Consulting