The Body Shop

Optimum, the ERP training consultancy, has delivered an end-user training programme for The Body Shop, one of the High Street’s best known retailers of beauty products, supporting the global rollout of the SAP Hybris Ecommerce system.

The Body Shop, which is headquartered in the UK, is replacing a range of legacy systems with a highly customised multi-national, multi-language and multi-currency build of SAP Hybris. The e-Commerce system is designed to give a more cohesive identity to the retailer’s global operations, both online and in store.  The initial rollout encompassed four elements: Product Content Management (PCM), Web Content Management System (WCMS), Customer Service Cockpit (CS) and Marketing Tools (HMC).

As the complexity of the Hybris implementation became clearer, Optimum’s original eight-week training contract evolved into an eight-month project. This included scoping, designing, developing and delivering all of the end-user training courses in Europe, the Far East and North America. In addition, a full suite of supporting training materials were produced, including reference guides, quick cards and eLearning modules.

Two levels of end-user training were required. One was aimed at the team who were building and delivering the centralised system from the UK and one was for the individual market teams who tailor and enhance the global content to meet their country’s specific local needs.

Optimum’s role was to train around 100 end users who came not only from across the global operations but also had different backgrounds, roles and skill levels. The five-day training courses were broken down into four areas including a day of consolidation exercises. Optimum went beyond its original remit to include user training on how to build the retailer’s websites and their pricing and promotions, as well as training on the finished Hybris system.

The consultancy’s brief was also to create quick cards and reference materials that covered every scenario for an end user, including new starters with no understanding of either the company or the system. To futureproof the documentation, the reference guides contained material that wasn’t specifically trained at the initial rollout but would be needed in the business as usual phase and when upgrades are carried out.

The Lead Training Consultant on the project said: “The implementation was a huge undertaking. There were constant changes to the system, there were technical difficulties, the global markets all worked differently and the roll-out timetable was very ambitious.”

Despite the challenges the training was a huge success. “It was a highly rewarding project. To see the system and websites go live on time and operate successfully was a real highlight.”

This was the first SAP end-user training programme that Optimum has developed and delivered for an SAP Hybris e-Commerce system. Sales Director Joanne Harrison noted: “Although we’ve built our reputation on ERP systems user training, we are system agnostic. Our Training Consultants have the expertise to get to grips with new software systems, such as SAP Hybris, very quickly and deliver highly effective, tailored end-user training.”