COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Columbus Consulting International, a leading industry consultancy specializing in retail business processes and systems, announced today that Finish Line, a premium retailer of athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, is working with Columbus Consulting to design and test business processes for the retailer’s new merchandise financial planning and assortment strategy solutions.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Finish Line has approximately 950 locations, primarily in U.S. malls and Macy’s department stores, along with Finishline.com and a presence on Macys.com. To better manage planning for the multi-channel athletic apparel and footwear business, Finish Line needed to deploy new business processes and technologies to replace their existing spreadsheet solutions. After engaging with a solution provider and reviewing multiple potential consulting partners, Finish Line selected Columbus Consulting to advise the retailer throughout the two-phase project.
“We hit the ground running with the implementation of the new technology solutions here at Finish Line, and we are taking important steps to update our merchandising processes,” said Brad Eckhart, Senior Vice President, Planning and Allocation, Finish Line. “Columbus Consulting’s unmatched experience in the industry and familiarity with the technology plays a critical role in our success as we move away from our current spreadsheet solutions and evolve Finish Line’s technology capabilities. The implementation of a merchandise financial planning system is the first step in a multi-phased merchandising systems roadmap.”
The first phase of the two-stage project, completed this past October, encompassed all aspects of merchandise financial planning, including strategic planning, preseason financial planning, in-season forecasting and open-to-buy management. Upgrading these solutions and processes centralizes data and provides Finish Line with one version of the truth, enabling better communication across the organization.
The second phase of the project, scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2018, includes store planning and grading, key item planning and assortment strategy. These new capabilities will allow Finish Line to plan deeper in assortment, better control logistics and profitability, increase visibility across the business, and improve its merchandise presentation and assortment across stores.
“Ultimately these technology improvements and new processes will sharpen Finish Line’s focus on our customers and lay the foundation for our ultimate goal of assortment plans by location,” said Eckhart.
For more information about Columbus Consulting, please visit www.columbusconsulting.com.
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About The Finish Line, Inc.
The Finish Line, Inc. is a premium retailer of athletic shoes, apparel and accessories. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Finish Line has approximately 950 Finish Line branded locations primarily in U.S. malls and shops inside Macy’s department stores and employs more than 14,000 sneakerologists who help customers every day connect with their sport, their life and their style.
About Columbus Consulting International
Founded in 2001, Columbus Consulting comprises a team of highly experienced specialists in retail systems and processes. We combine pragmatism, innovation and years of experience to deliver services ranging from strategic insight to tactical project delivery. Our experience stems from holding executive responsibility in retail, and from successfully managing some of the most challenging projects in the industry. To learn more, visit www.columbusconsulting.com.
