Mining the Value of Metrics
As one of the nation's largest suppliers of decorative accessories and gift items, Home Interiors & Gifts has built a solid reputation with consumers by helping them achieve a "perfect balance and a wonderful sense of unity in their homes" with exclusive decorative elements. Founded in 1957 by Mary Crowley, a pioneer in her day, the company has grown to nearly 100,000 Decorating Consultants across the country, representing 11 product categories.
Home Interiors & Gifts is a member of the Direct Selling Association and markets exclusive home decorative products through non-employee, independent decorating consultants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. With reported sales of more than $617 million in 2003, Home Interiors premium brands include Thomas Kinkade, Boehm at Home and the Better Homes and Gardens Collection, which launched this year.
"This relationship marks the latest chapter in the history of Home Interiors & Gifts, and we are proud to interpret the Better Homes and Gardens brand through the introduction of this collection," says Home Interiors & Gifts' CEO Mike Lohner. "The Better Homes and Gardens Collection combines expertise in home decorating, classic style and quality from two trusted brands in their respective fields."
The initial rollout includes 77 products, all of which serve to complement existing Home Interiors products, while providing a fresh, new spin on traditional decorating styles.
The product line includes a wide array of home decorative products including framed art and mirrors, a complete line of hand-painted, mix- and-match tableware, botanical candles, detailed metal works for decorating in the home and in the garden, vases and other home accessories.
On the Right Track
While the Home Interiors business model is not one of a traditional consumer goods firm, the company still faces the same sales challenges as its pure-play peers. In order to keep track of how its massive product portfolio is selling, Home Interiors implemented business intelligence (BI) solutions from Business Objects. The company believes the investment will enable the ability to monitor daily sales and product inventory levels, which ultimately translates into increased profitability.
"Our organization is very focused on key metrics. That's why implementing Business Objects is so important for us," says Alan Boyer, vice president of information technology for Home Interiors and Gifts. "But we're also excited about the long-term possibilities presented by having BI in place. We feel Business Objects will help us do better business."
About the Business
Business intelligence enables organizations to track, understand and manage enterprise performance. The company's solutions leverage the information that is stored in an array of corporate databases, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Other popular uses of BI include enterprise reporting, management dashboards and scorecards, customer intelligence applications, financial reporting and both customer and partner extranets. These solutions enable companies to gain visibility into their business, acquire and retain profitable customers, reduce costs, optimize the supply chain, increase productivity and improve financial performance.
Business Objects has more than 26,000 customers in over 80 countries. In December 2003, the company completed the acquisition of Crystal Decisions, a provider of enterprise reporting. The combined product line includes software for reporting, query and analysis, performance management, analytic applications and data integration. In addition, Business Objects offers consulting and education services to help customers effectively deploy their business intelligence projects.
Home Interiors has also implemented Business Objects Data Integrator, a real-time and batch data integration product designed to simplify and speed data movement and data sharing across the enterprise, to ensure its users are always working with the most credible and up-to-date information.
In addition, with Business Objects Data Integrator, Home Interiors has created a data mart that pulls a wide array of information from its JD Edwards system and then makes the data accessible via Web-based, highly customizable Business Objects reports.
In virtually every business, it is insight that ultimately leads to profit, but for consumer goods firms like Home Interiors, the insight gleaned from business intelligence applications is clearly the competitive edge needed to stay one step ahead of the competition.