Ace takes on WebFocus business intelligence platform

Ace Hardware has standardized on the WebFocus BI (business information) platform for analysis, information delivery and enterprise-wide reporting, according to a release from Information Builders, manufacturer of WebFocus.

According to the release, Ace has 10,000 WebFocus users in a variety of categories, which access more than 300 reports, and each department has its own dashboard where users can access reports and analytical data.

"We have yet to hear anybody say, ‘WebFocus can't do that,' " said Tim Brynda, a software engineering analyst at Ace who is spearheading many of Ace's current BI efforts. " WebFocus has served us well as an enterprise standard. We couldn't be happier with the results."

According to the release, retail managers can use WebFocus to identify their best customers and target them with specific marketing campaigns. They can monitor the top-selling items at each retail location, ensuring those items are in stock and maximizing sales opportunities. Marketing personnel can use WebFocus to gauge the effects of specific promotions on sales and to improve the Ace Rewards customer loyalty program.

The program can also help Ace track daily sales at the retail and wholesale level, helping the company to gauge how items are selling by region, division and product category.