Case Study: Transforming Procurement at Urban Outfitters with Eyvo

Who are Urban Outfitters?

Urban Outfitters, a global portfolio of consumer brands including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN, Terrain, Menus & Venues, and Nuuly, operates retail stores in over 35 countries with a gross revenue of over $4 Billion. As a passionate and creative organization, Urban Outfitters sought to enhance its procurement processes to align with the nuances of its business operations.

After now having used Eyvo’s cloud based digital procurement platform, eBuyerAssist, for most of 2023, Eyvo spoke to the management at Urban Outfitters to see how they thought it had gone so far. We asked them about any prior legacy issues, challenges, or problems before they implemented Eyvo’s procurement software and how they were solved by implementing it.

Here’s a summary of our conversation, which took the form of a written question-and-answer session.

Who were the main Stakeholders Involved in the Rollout

Key stakeholders involved in the successful rollout of Eyvo's system included Development/Construction, Finance, and Technology teams. Their collaboration ensured a seamless integration of the procurement system across all the diverse functions.

What drove Senior Management to choose Eyvo?

Urban Outfitters sought a procurement system with a large solutions feature set but with a smaller one's flexibility. Once confident that Eyvo met this criterion, senior management buy-in was expedient, recognizing the unique customization ability of Eyvo's solution to match Urban Outfitters's business processes.

How did Eyvo Compare with the Competition?

Eyvo stood out due to its customer tailoring and bespoke experience approach. Unlike competitors urging Urban Outfitters to adapt to their offerings, Eyvo's flexibility in aligning with Urban Outfitters's unique procurement needs became a decisive factor.

Selection of Eyvo

Urban Outfitters chose Eyvo for its combination of fully-featured solutions and flexibility. Eyvo's ability to align with Urban Outfitters's ERP system and offer unparalleled support during the selection process contributed to a seamless decision-making process.

Challenges Before Implementation

Urban Outfitters faced challenges, with some teams using outdated tools while others relied on manual processes and Excel. The lack of a unified solution made performance improvement opportunities hard to identify.

How did Eyvo’s software help you?

Eyvo tailored its software to align 100% with Urban Outfitters's ERP, enabling automation opportunities. The Eyvo team's unparalleled support was crucial in overcoming the challenges, providing a solution that integrated seamlessly with Urban Outfitters's existing systems.

Benefits and Quantifiable Improvements

Post-implementation, Urban Outfitters saw over a 50% reduction in manual processes, achieving touchless OCR invoicing close to 90%. This efficiency translated into tasks measured in minutes where hours of manual effort were now reduced to seconds, empowering buying teams to focus on value-added activities.

User Experience and Customer Support

Urban Outfitters found Eyvo's interface and processes intuitive, leading to rapid adoption. Eyvo’s customer support team received an A+ rating from Urban Outfitters for providing effective assistance in a timely and accurate manner.

Integration and Expansion Plans

Eyvo seamlessly integrated with Urban Outfitters's existing systems. Future phases include bringing additional buying teams online and extending the solution to all FC/DC facilities for diverse purchasing activities.

Impact on Productivity and Decision-Making

Eyvo's software enhanced team productivity, releasing critical capacity during Urban Outfitters's growth. The solution provided better spend visibility, empowering buying teams to focus on strategic decision-making.

Noteworthy Features

Vendor punchouts and the use of the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) invoicing modules emerged as invaluable features, significantly impacting buying teams' efficiency.

Unexpected Benefits

Urban Outfitters experienced a higher-than-anticipated touchless OCR invoicing success rate, reaching nearly 90%, exceeding expectations.

Implementation Process and Team Performance

Eyvo's team demonstrated exceptional performance, consistently meeting deadlines and exceeding expectations throughout the implementation process.

Overall Experience and Satisfaction

Urban Outfitters is extremely satisfied with Eyvo, from the sales cycle through post-go-live hypercare and ongoing support. The outcome exceeded expectations, transforming procurement teams and processes.

Recommendation and Future Plans

Urban Outfitters wholeheartedly recommends Eyvo's software to organizations needing modern procurement tools with flexibility. Future plans include expanding Eyvo's solution to other areas of the organization.

Key Team Members

Summary

Urban Outfitters highly recommends Eyvo's software, describing it as the "just right" solution for organizations needing modern procurement tools with the flexibility to integrate into their business.

Urban Outfitters's partnership with Eyvo has streamlined procurement processes and exceeded expectations, showcasing the value of a tailored solution in a dynamic business environment. The case study is a testament to the success achieved through collaboration and innovative technology implementation.