The challenge
BWS (Beer, Wine, Spirits) is a well-known Australian drinks retailer. It ran promotions often to stay competitive in a fast-moving market. Its range was large, and many teams handled different categories. With no central planning system, promotions were inconsistent and sometimes overlapped, which put revenue at risk and caused problems in day-to-day operations.
What was delivered
Our team was involved in delivering a trade promotion management and optimisation system for BWS. It began with detailed working sessions to learn how BWS planned promotions and how its operations worked. What the team learned shaped the plan and the rollout.
The result was one platform where the different categories and teams plan together, which keeps their work coordinated. BWS and Dan Murphy's are two business units of Endeavour Group. The same kind of system was delivered for both, with different bespoke software in each. See the Dan Murphy's program and the discovery that led to both.
What it included
- Discovery of promotional strategy and operations
- One platform for every category and team
- The same promotion approach in every category
- Less overlap and duplicated effort
- Better collaboration between departments
Results
The system was rolled out across BWS operations. Every product category followed the same approach to promotions. There was less duplicated work, which made campaigns more efficient. Departments worked together more, and the shared approach made their promotions more effective. Figures are under NDA.
Why it matters
Promotions usually overlap because each team sees only its own plan. Giving every category the same view of the calendar fixes that at the source. Software is only part of the answer, though. Teams also have to agree to plan in one place, and that agreement starts in discovery.
