REDMOND, Wash. — March 24, 2011 — National department store chain Stein Mart Inc. has announced the selection of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as the centerpiece of its new Mission Critical platform and subsequent business intelligence solution. As a result, company executives can use responsive forecasting tools, which have enabled them to quickly identify business trends within the company’s 265 stores and to position the company for expansion.
“We had significant latency issues with our previous business intelligence solution. Having immediate access to sales figures, fluctuations in inventory and other data is critical for executive planning sessions,” said Ilan Wajsman, director of IT for Stein Mart. “Not having that data would hinder the executives’ ability to make the decisions that drive Stein Mart’s growth.”
Data processing frequently took more than 14 hours with the previous solution, but with its move to SQL Server 2008 Enterprise, SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services and SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse, Stein Mart can now produce sales reports in as few as three hours. Stein Mart’s data warehouse is now approximately four terabytes, compressed. In the company’s previous, uncompressed data warehouse system, that would have been approximately 12 terabytes. And the power of new analysis tools will provide executives with greater business insight while saving the company $50,000 each month in hardware leasing and maintenance costs.
“The Microsoft SQL Server 2008 platform is an industry leader in both scalability and performance, designed to streamline data processing and help customers more effectively harness their business intelligence,” said Fausto Ibarra, senior director of Microsoft Business Intelligence. “The ease of access and enhanced analysis will empower Stein Mart executives to be more responsive and bolster the company’s position in the market.”
More information about Stein Mart and its implementation of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is available at http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?CaseStudyID=4000007013.
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