Acquisition International - Issue 6 2022 17 Best Enterprise Retail Software Provider 2022 – Canada Jesta is one of the few companies today that has grown its capabilities holistically, rather than through acquisition. As a result, all solutions within the portfolio work as one but can be deployed in a modular fashion as well. The Vision Suite offers a complete endto-end solution, as well as a modular plug-and-play approach to addressing the needs of each client whether retailer, fashion brand manufacturer or wholesaler. This ensures continuity and gives the client comfort in knowing that the same team is with them throughout the implementation, on-boarding, go-live, and beyond. Jesta prides itself in the composition of its staff. With a majority of the team (known as Jestonians), coming from either retail, fashion, wholesale, or retail & fashion technology enterprises. Jesta boasts hundreds of years of combined experience, with a plethora of experience on the front lines, providing a first-hand perspective of both needs, and approaches to address these demands. They have the ability to navigate the heavily complex supply chains, and in Arvind’s words, they are “by far the biggest asset Jesta has.” Indeed, the Jesta team is always challenging itself, with Arvind saying, “Even though we are 53 years old, we consider ourselves a young start-up. There’s a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit that permeates the organization. This approach, while often disruptive, is in fact a key component of success. This environment translates into some really creative ideas and innovation.” So, how does the Jesta team go about facing challenges, as for example the covid-19 pandemic? Arvind tells us, “When the pandemic hit, and the world changed overnight, three things came to the surface for every business. First, was the need for agility. Having the ability to rapidly identify ways to offer the same service, experience, and convenience to the customer when the customer, and associate for that matter, was unable to physically interact with the products. The digital nature of the Jesta products enabled considerable agility. Some clients were forced to shut down stores but were still able to conduct business due to the digital nature of the solutions, and the shift toward digital demand.” The second challenge is labour. As physical stores closed due to the pandemic, associates found alternative options. Once they began to reopen, the prior staff was dramatically reduced. Arvind went on to say, “We are navigating one of the most interesting times in that the labour market has never been tighter. Businesses are wanting to do more with less. The Vision Suite enables our clients to do just this, through automated and streamlined business processes. While technologies were moving in this overall direction, the pandemic most certainly accelerated the shift toward digital retail and omnichannel, or unified commerce. Our ability to address these challenges rapidly was a key to our success, and that of our clients.” Finally, the need to look for alternative sourcing of goods became apparent. Most businesses have modified their strategies to address inventory needs toward alternative sources, and perhaps more importantly, near-shore resources that move the goods closer to the customer and minimize time to delivery. Jesta is an ambitious and thriving company that is guided by an understanding of the future. While they have a five-year plan, they approach this timeline in an iterative manner in order to remain as flexible and agile as possible. The same drivers that accelerated the Vision Suite platform during the pandemic are still very much in play. The importance of the supply chain has been spotlighted, and this is an area of focus that Jesta is more than ready to address. Arvind says, “Consumer engagement has been changing over the years, and the pandemic has served to accelerate the process. We believe these changes will continue over the next few years, and the purpose and vision of the store will continue to evolve. It will no longer be TikTok versus going to the store. Shopping is going to blend in with entertainment, gamification, social events, and more.” He also observes that supply chains are going through a major reckoning. Right now, it takes 100+ days for a container to leave a factory in China and arrive at a warehouse in North America – and that is after the goods have been produced. This cycle is not sustainable, so as things change and supply chains get nearer shore, Jesta plans to take its cloud-based supply chain framework to a whole new level that allows the supplier to become agile and deliver products to the customer in a matter of weeks, if not days. Arvind explains, “While Just in Time inventory has been a concept for years, for countless retailers and brands, they still source goods in the Far East. Due to the current supply chain issues, there is a move to identify suppliers that are more localized. Businesses are beginning to recognize that customers are willing to pay a little bit more if you are producing a product closer to home. As a result, we are seeing that we need to enable a larger platform ecosystem for this localized supply chain to deliver products and services for our clients to the consumer in a very, very narrow timeframe.” And we are rooting for the company as it heads toward its bright and innovative future. Company: Jesta I.S. Contact: Mr Arvind Gupta Email: agupta@jestais.com Website: www.jestais.com
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