Case Study: APAC Retail System Transformation Across 10 countries
Company: Multinational Perfumes & Cosmetics Company (part of a global luxury group)
Timeline: 2005–2011
Role: System Analyst / Regional Project Manager
Regions: China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia & New Zealand
Scale: 500+ stores, 1,000+ POS terminals, 3 brands
Overview
Led multiple regional IT transformation initiatives to modernise and standardise POS, CRM, and BI systems for three luxury beauty brands across 10 Asia-Pacific markets. Delivered full-cycle deployments covering requirements, vendor management, testing, training, and country rollouts, aligned with both regional operations and global headquarters.
Key initiative areas included:
Point of Sale (POS):
Upgraded POS system with enhanced functionality across 10 APAC countries
Integrated facial treatment booking/consumption module into POS and ERP for Hong Kong operations
Customer Relationship Management (CRM):
Delivered CRM system upgrades and loyalty programme rollouts across multiple brands and markets
Integrated China customer data with marketing agency databases to enable targeted campaigns
Business Intelligence (BI):
Implemented BI solution to consolidate CRM and sales data across all markets
Enabled regional performance visibility and analytics through Cognos reporting
Scope & Responsibilities
Created and managed project plans, schedules, status reporting, and stakeholder communication
Led vendor evaluation, procurement, and contract negotiation
Coordinated cross-functional delivery with vendors and internal IT teams
Gathered requirements with retail operations and brand teams
Managed SIT, UAT, training, pilot deployment and phased rollouts
Led go-live support and transition to BAU support teams
Supported 500+ stores and 1,000 POS terminals across APAC
Tools & Technologies
POS / CRM: Infoware
BI: Cognos
Platforms: Windows, AS/400, SQL Server, Real-time replication, FTP
PM Tools: Teleconference, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Key Challenges & Solutions
Multi-brand & multi-country prioritisation: Developed business cases, ROI and sizing models for investment decisions
Time zone complexity: Split and staggered meeting schedules to align global, regional, and local teams
Localisation vs. standardisation: Pilots with limited local customisation increased confidence before big-bang rollouts
Cross-country regression testing: Ensured new releases did not break existing country configurations
Training across large regions: Implemented “Train-the-Trainer” model to scale training in large markets like China
Results & Business Impact
Standardised retail systems across 10 APAC markets and three brands
Improved customer engagement through unified CRM and loyalty programmes
Enhanced operational efficiency and staff productivity with upgraded POS functionality
BI platform provided regional visibility, enabling analytics on campaign performance and customer buying behaviour
Streamlined IT support model and reduced system fragmentation across markets
