At a glance
Company
CW Holdings, LLC
Brands
Coldwater International, LLC and Soft Surroundings International, LLC
Industry
Apparel, accessories, footwear and home decor
Location
Ft. Lauderdale, FL and St. Louis, MO
Challenge
Unify two retail brands into a single SaaS environment to reduce costs, streamline operations and unlock efficiencies through automation
Products and services
SaaS, Merch Insight
Success highlights
- Improved inventory management and order fulfillment
- Reduced back orders
- Enhanced vendor relations and pricing through combined purchasing power
Our approach
Building on a successful prior engagement with Coldwater Creek, Cognizant was selected as the digital transformation partner to lead both brands through this complex migration. The effort involved rewriting all data interfaces and reformatting product data, including SKU structures, offers and vendor details. For Soft Surroundings, the project also included a full transition to the new shared environment and integration with the D365 enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
Because business operations could not be interrupted, our team, in conjunction with the client’s super users, adopted a phased migration approach. Beginning with Coldwater Creek, we validated all data in a dedicated test environment before transitioning to production. During this phase, disruption was limited since Coldwater Creek was using a modern version of the software.
Once Coldwater Creek’s transition was complete, our team moved on to Soft Surroundings. Working closely with the company’s IT team, we supported the reconfiguration and integration of their data into D365, ensuring it could be seamlessly consumed by the new environment. In addition to reformatting data, this shift required the company to refine various business processes that were no longer operational within the new system.
Recognizing the need for close collaboration between Coldwater Creek and Soft Surroundings during this process, we created extensive joint user training opportunities to help both groups align on shared processes and workflows. Additionally, since Soft Surroundings was migrating from a much older version of the solution, the training also introduced the brand’s users to new features and enhancements, including advanced automation capabilities and customized reporting functionalities.
- Created a test environment where both brands could rapidly validate data in a low-risk environment
- Conducted multiple controlled data uploads with client super users to test and validate all data
- Adopted a phased roll-out approach to optimize resources and reduce risk
- Organized in-depth user training sessions to introduce all new functionalities and automation opportunities to the Soft Surrounding team
- Executed a comprehensive change management program to ensure smooth rollout and adoption
Business outcomes
By unifying Coldwater Creek and Soft Surroundings under a single system with standardized processes, the teams gained immediate operational efficiencies, particularly in inventory management and order fulfillment. Further, by leveraging a shared supplier base, both brands have strengthened their purchasing power, unlocking opportunities to negotiate better vendor terms and access more competitive pricing. Finally, for Soft Surroundings, users were able to automate existing workflows and access customized reporting features that enhanced productivity and improved decision-making.
- Auto offer publishing: Automated offer publishing, providing a reliable source for reporting
- Enhanced navigation: Introduced new ribbons and shortcuts to significantly improve module navigation, making it faster and more efficient
- Accelerated daily processes: Improved daily processes to now run much quicker in the new environment, greatly enhancing overall efficiency
- Streamlined purchase order processing: Eliminated the need to switch systems for purchase order numbers to simplify the process
- Shared system advantages: Enabled the client to utilize pre-built reports and other data that was migrated during the go-live stage
