Swiss Farms chooses new Microsoft Dynamics solution as it gears up for expansion

Redmond, Wash. Microsoft Corp. announced that Swiss Farms has selected Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail to support its expansion and to integrate its point-of-sale data with back-office operations. The new Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail solution links point-of-sale terminals with the Microsoft Dynamics AX comprehensive business-management solution.

Prior to the Microsoft solution, Swiss Farms, a drive-through grocery store retailer, utilized point-of-sale software that it had been using on disparate computer systems with a lack of integration and functionality.

"We needed to be able to scale more rapidly as we begin our franchising efforts, and it was important to be able to integrate our sales points with back-office financials," said Paul Friel, president Swiss Farms, which currently operates 13 stores and is about launch a franchise operation that is expected to add 100 franchisees within five years. "Our previous technology didn't offer these capabilities and lacked functionality for tracking franchise sales, customer loyalty, inventory or Web ordering. With Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, we gained every one of these features and more."

Swiss Farms chose Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail after an in-depth evaluation process. Swiss Farms is the first Microsoft Dynamics AX for retail customers in the United States.

"With Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, we will be able to maintain a single database that incorporates sales and customer information from all stores," Friel said. "We'll also be able to better control and centralize pricing at the point-of-sale terminals. This solution will suggest the size and quantity of items we should order, based on sales trends mined from the database, and recommend how goods should be distributed among stores."

The benefits that Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail is expected to offer Swiss Farms include: low total cost of ownership through a single integrated system that replaces several standalone systems, each of which had required maintenance and upgrading; online ordering capability and end-to-end integration of customer and sales data; and the ability to launch franchise stores and gather financial data from them into a single database through a system that scales with the company's expansion.