성공사례 - FTD, Inc
FTD, Inc. Delivers Better Service to Florists with the AMD Athlon™ 64 Processor
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FTD, Inc
"By switching to the AMD Athlon™ 64 processor, we realized a greater total cost of ownership savings per unit than expected—savings we imagined only in our wildest dreams. We can pass those savings to our customers, making our point of sale (POS) systems much more affordable to our florists, large and small. And as a company, we anticipate recouping significant revenue this year as the affordability of the new system should increase sales.”—Eric Hudgens, vice president, Mercury Technology, FTD, Inc."
Challenge:
- FTD, Inc., a leading provider of floral-related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as other retail locations offering floral products in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland, intends to become “the technology provider of every florist in North America,” according to Eric Hudgens, vice president, Mercury Technology, FTD, Inc.
- The company offers every florist in North America—including small local florists’ shops—comprehensive yet affordable point of sale (POS) solutions that can help FTD, Inc.’s customers grow their businesses.
Solution:
- In a bid to reduce costs and improve the reliability, stability, and performance of its POS system, FTD, Inc. swapped out a desktop system with a non-AMD processor, and replaced it with the AMD Athlon™ 64 processor 3800+ running on HP dx5150 desktop systems.
Impact:
- Since replacing several thousand systems in its massive IT network, AMD Athlon 64 processors dramatically exceeded the company’s expectations of price/performance and reliability. Additionally, the total cost of ownership savings per unit was much greater than anticipated. “We can pass those savings to our customers, making FTD, Inc.’s POS systems much more affordable to our florists, large and small,” said Hudgens. “And, as a company, we anticipate recouping significant revenue this year as the affordability of the new system should increase sales.”
- FTD, Inc. has also experienced a considerable improvement in performance with zero downtime.
Organizational Profile
Founded in 1910, FTD Group, Inc. is a leading provider of floral-related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as other retail locations offering floral products, in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. The business is supported by the highly recognized FTD and Interflora brands. Both brands are supported by the Mercury Man logo, which is displayed in approximately 50,000 floral shops globally. The consumer businesses operate primarily through the www.FTD.com Web site in the U.S. and Canada and the www.interflora.co.uk Web site in the U.K. and Ireland and are complemented by the florist businesses, which provide products and services to the independent florist.
For more information, please visit www.FTDI.com
Challenge
FTD, Inc.’s primary goal is to drive revenue by “bringing the florist industry into the 21st century,” according to Eric Hudgens, vice president, Mercury Technology, FTD, Inc. Many florists throughout North America tend to be smaller, local shops that run very successful businesses but find their revenue is strictly regionalized. By joining the FTD, Inc. network, these small businesses have an immense opportunity: they can increase business by accessing tens of thousands of other florists throughout the country to more rapidly fill orders, and offer customers exceptional service and features. To help these smaller florists, FTD, Inc. offers a comprehensive point of sale (POS) solution that can take orders more easily, connect to FTD, Inc.’s extensive network to more quickly prepare the requests, and track delivery in near real-time. For example, a primary competitive advantage for FTD, Inc. users is wireless delivery confirmation: within 1 ½ minutes of a delivery, the sender is automatically notified of the transaction. This was a feature requested by customers and delivered via FTD, Inc., which continues to innovate and make systems more affordable in its goal to be “the technology provider of every florist in North America,” according to Hudgens.
However, bringing these shops online can be challenging. Small business owners can be wary of technology because of its perceived complexity (accurate or not), and some are hesitant to purchase FTD, Inc.’s POS system, despite its solid record of reliability and delivering a long-term return on investment (ROI). As such, FTD, Inc. determined its systems needed to be easy to use, fast, affordable, and comprehensive to ensure its customers can compete feature-for-feature with delivery giants such as FedEx®.
Solution
The company’s original HP solution was based on a non-AMD processor. FTD, Inc. asked HP to help reduce the costs of the system; and HP responded by recommending AMD64 processors. AMD64 processors have received U.S. EPA Energy Star® special recognition because of AMD Cool’n’Quiet™ technology, which delivers innovative heat and noise reduction and can help lower power consumption. After conducting rigorous benchmarking and quality assurance tests, FTD, Inc. selected the AMD Athlon™ 64 processor 3800+ to power more than 3,500 HP dx5150 desktop systems in 1,200 locations in three countries. HP fulfilled the order in just two weeks, which Hudgens deemed “miraculous.” The desktop running AMD64 technology supports each module available via FTD, Inc.’s POS system, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, profit and loss analysis, delivery tracking, on-line ordering, and in-shop ordering.
Impact
Once the new AMD Athlon 64 processor-based systems replaced the existing network, Hudgens was truly astounded by the cost savings the company experienced. “We realized a much greater total cost of ownership savings per unit than expected—savings we imagined only in our wildest dreams,” he said. “We can pass on those savings to our customers, making FTD, Inc.’s POS systems much more reliable and affordable to our florists, large and small. As a company, we anticipate recouping significant revenue this year as the affordability of the new system should increase sales.”
FTD, Inc. also noticed a marked improvement in performance. Even during heaviest transaction loads, Hudgens said the AMD Athlon 64 processor performed considerably faster than FTD, Inc.’s previous system. Additionally, Hudgens noted there has been zero failure of the system since deploying AMD Athlon 64 processors.
By offering a faster, more affordable and reliable system, Hudgens expects FTD, Inc. to continue to improve on and grow its POS business: “Our POS business has grown by 100 percent since 2003, but—without innovating and reducing costs—we could potentially have hit linear growth. Our new AMD Athlon 64 processor-based HP systems have allowed us to continue to meet our ongoing growth goals.”
“By switching to the AMD Athlon™ 64 processor, we realized a greater total cost of ownership savings per unit than expected—savings we imagined only in our wildest dreams. We can pass those savings to our customers, making our point of sale (POS) systems much more affordable to our florists, large and small. And, as a company, we anticipate recouping significant revenue this year as the affordability of the new system should increase sales.”—Eric Hudgens, vice president, Mercury Technology, FTD, Inc.
About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit www.amd.com.
© 2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon, AMD Cool'n'Quiet, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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