ICT Solutions for the Retail & Healthcare Market in South Africa

CASE STUDIES

RETAIL PHARMACY

MediRite Pharmacy Group

Back Story

The MediRite Pharmacy Group forms part of the Shoprite Group of Companies which is Africa's largest supermarket retailer, operating more than 2,892 stores across Africa.

The MediRite Pharmacy Group, with a primary footprint within FMCG retailer Checkers, owned by the Shoprite Group of Companies, was established in 1998 and today has a store count 147 stores.

MediRite is a designated service provider and preferred partner to most medical aids, which means customers can conveniently fill their chronic and acute prescriptions while doing their grocery shopping. In addition, MediRite also offers the following Value-Added Services:

Specialised Healthcare: A trusted range that is available at MediRite pharmacies and includes wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and more.
Medication Delivered to Your Door: Customers can enrol to have their medication delivered to their door using Medirite’s courier pharmacy. The MR Delivery App can also be used to order Medication from the closest Medirite pharmacy.
Quick Collect: With its Quick Collect service, MediRite offers the added convenience of ordering and paying for medication online before collecting in-store.
Wellness Screenings: Wellness screenings on a range of services.
Virtual Doctor Consultations: As the name suggests, the service allows customers to engage a network of doctors virtually.

For more information on the MediRite Pharmacy Group, please visit www.medirite.co.za

Vexall offering

Services

In December 2020 the MediRite Pharmacy Group contracted Vexall to take over ICT support services across its entire pharmacy network cascading 147 stores with just over 600 Dispensing terminals.

Vexall’s offering which cascades across the entire MediRite Pharmacy Group includes:

Helpdesk Support: ITIL aligned incident management service delivered by skilled and experienced subject matter experts who understand the retail business and its associated systems and processes.
Pharmacy Bureau: Price and Medical Aid Updates on pricing structures, medical aid rules, and drug selections aligned to industry governance standard.
Medical Aid Recon or ERA: Digital Medical Aid reconciliation service solution that manages all elements relating Medical Aid Payments and reconciliation.
Consultancy Services: Expert technical, administrative, and functional consultancy services to reduce operational risk, seize opportunity and drive business continuity.

Key Service Highlights

Closed Calls - 840
SLA – 96,1%
Customer Satisfaction Rating @ 4,9 / 5

Client Experience

"The Medirite Pharmacy group contracted Vexall in December 2020 to look after Help desk support, Bureau services, ERA and onsite consultancy within our operation. The transition to Vexall as a service provider was quicker than expected and without problems. Vexall's staff are skilled and has vast experience in providing the services we contracted them to do. We are very pleased with the partnership we have with them." - Herman Pretorius (IT Manager)

"The Medirite Pharmacy Group is contracted to most medical aids in both the Retail side as well as the Courier side. The Vexall Pharmacy Bureau services makes managing the setup and maintenance of the Medical Aid and Price files a real pleasure! The help desk is quick to respond and the individuals tasked with different aspects are truly knowledgeable and always available to assist." – Lizelle Viljoen (Regional Manager)

Cornerstone Pharmacy Group

Background

Started in December 2020, the Cornerstone Pharmacy group owns and operates a total of nine Retail Pharmacies, primarily in and around Johannesburg and its neighbouring suburbs.

The pharmacy chain is contracted to all reputable medical schemes and preferred providers for Discovery patients considering their community pharmacy network. As a close business partner to the N.H.C., the pharmacy group also services patients within the N.H.C. medical networks.

Cornerstone Pharmacy prides itself to service excellence and supreme customer satisfaction within the community-based pharmacy environment.

In September 2019 Cornerstone Pharmacy contracted Vexall to take over ICT support services across its entire pharmacy network cascading into 9 stores, 42 Point of Sale terminals and 63 Dispensing terminals.

For more information Cornerstone Pharmacy, please visit www.cspharmacy.co.za

Vexall offering

Services

Vexall Provides a range of ICT Support Services to Cornerstone Pharmacy which cascades across all nine pharmacies and includes:

Helpdesk Support: ITIL aligned incident management service delivered by skilled and experienced subject matter experts who understand the retail business and its associated systems and processes.
On-Site support: Hardware maintenance and support as well as ADHOC projects and / or installations delivered through a network of qualified field services technicians.
Pharmacy Bureau: Price and Medical Aid Updates on pricing structures, medical aid rules, and drug selections aligned to industry governance standard.
Medical Aid Recon or ERA: Digital Medical Aid reconciliation service solution that manages all elements relating Medical Aid Payments and reconciliation.

Key Highlights

Closed Calls - 394
SLA – 97,1%
Customer Satisfaction Rating @ 4,5

Client Experience

"The Cornerstone Pharmacy Group contracts Vexall for a variety of ICT related services and have been doing so since 2019. It goes without saying that changing service providers always comes with a few inherit risks, however, the migration to Vexall almost seemed effortless without any disruption to the Cornerstone Pharmacy Group. The ongoing service delivery standards the Cornerstone Pharmacy Group receives since the migration has been nothing short of exceptional, a testament shared by the team on the ground and management” Heinrich du Toit (CEO)

Dis-Chem Pharmacy Group

Dis-Chem is one of the two largest Retail Pharmacy Chains in South Africa, with 216 stores in Southern Africa, plus 4 branches in Namibia and 2 in Botswana. The chain reported a total revenue of 26,3 billion South African rand in FY2021 and employs around 18 700 people. The Dis-Chem Group have also recently acquired Baby City which now consists of 37 stores in Southern Africa, and the Medicare Pharmacy Group, consisting of 55 stores in SA.

Dis-Chem started in 1978 when pharmacists Ivan and Lynette Saltzman, opened their first retail pharmacy in Mondeor, a southern suburb of Johannesburg. They introduced the concept of a discount pharmacy with product categories that until then, had not been offered in South African pharmacies because of prohibiting legislation.

In November 2016, Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited group listed 27.5% of its listed share capital on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. It was the second-largest IPO in the exchange's history.

Dis-Chem target customers that are in the mid to upper Living Standards Measure (“LSM”) categories and their strategy is built around our PHARMACY FIRST approach, which means each Dis-Chem store has a dispensary.

Dis-Chem operates two main segments: Retail and Wholesale.

The Retail segment

Operating from formats including Dis-Chem Pharmacy, Baby City and The Local Choice. It is positioned to be a destination store with that is segregated into four core categories, namely:

Dispensary
Personal Care and Beauty
Healthcare and Nutrition
Baby Care

The Wholesale segment

The wholesale segment operates a fine picking wholesale business. Its three contributors to revenue include Dis-Chem retail stores, independent pharmacies, and TLC franchisees. The Group has four fully operational distribution centres located in Midrand, Delmas, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

For more information on the Dis-Chem Pharmacy group, please visit: www.dischem.co.za

Vexall offering

Dis-Chem, who’s been a client since inception, is also a strategic partner and owns a minority stake in the Vexall business.

Support Base

Brand	# Stores	# POS Terminals	# BO Terminals
Dis-Chem	216	3 016	2 000
TLC	2	17	15
Baby City	37	121	-

Services

Helpdesk Support: ITIL aligned incident management service delivered by skilled and experienced subject matter experts who understand the retail business and its associated systems and processes.
On-Site support: Hardware maintenance and support as well as ADHOC projects and / or installations delivered through a network of qualified field services technicians.
Pharmacy Bureau: Price and Medical Aid Updates on pricing structures, medical aid rules, and drug selections aligned to industry governance standard.
Medical Aid Recon or ERA: Digital Medical Aid reconciliation service solution that manages all elements relating Medical Aid Payments and reconciliation.
Project Management: Project Management delivery in line with PMBOK methodology to ensure projects are delivered in scope, on time and within budget.
Consultancy Services: Expert technical, administrative, and functional consultancy services to reduce operational risk, seize opportunity and drive business continuity.
V-Sign: Platform that enables a pharmacist to issue, manage and store copy scripts digitally, a cost effective, fast and efficient substitute to the more traditional printed versions.

Key Highlights

2021 Closed Calls – 35 997
Current SLA – 98,58%

Client Experience

“Since contracting Vexall as Dis-Chem’s ICT support partner back in Sep 2019, Vexall has become a strategic partner to Dis-Chem, supporting the business in executing its strategy in a fast paced and ever evolving business environment. Partnering with Vexall has been an absolute pleasure and their continued service excellence will be well received by any prospective client” Riaan vd Westhuizen - Dis-Chem IT Manager

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FASHION & GENERAL MERCHANDISE

The client references as listed below are directly contracted with Retail Directions prior to Vexall’s partnership. Updated references of South African clients jointly contracted by both Vexall and Retail Directions will be published in due course.

Retailability Group

Background

Client since 2016
Multi brand leading retailer in Sub Saharan Africa
3000+ Lanes
570 stores in 6 countries
4 Brands
Acquired Edgars Department Stores – 130 stores, 2000 epos units implemented SMS and cutover to RMS in 9 weeks remotely at height of Covid 19 pandemic
Solutions implemented- Full Suite, Loyalty, e-Comm, SMS, RMS, Advanced Warehouse Management

Client Experience

“The RD team and its integrated system Platform has been a critical enabler for the rapid expansion of our business throughout Southern Africa.” Norman Drieselmann - CEO

Cotton-On Group

Background

Client since 2006
Purchased solution when they had 50 stores
Now 1,500+ stores in 18 countries (including US)
18 TB Database
Mix of company owned stores and franchisee owned countries
8 brands
Now implementing – Analytics, Wholesale & SMSmobile

Client Experience

“If you are looking for a new retail system - look no further .” Ash Hardwick - Director

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TESTIMONIALS

Client: Klinicare Blooms

Consultant: Andre Krause

Comments: Thank you for great support, everything working fine.

Client: DisChem HQ

Consultant: Antonio Williams

Comments: Thank you for amazing assistance.

Client: DisChem HQ

Consultant: Adiel Abed

Comments: Great training, thank you.

Client: DisChem Jean Avenue

Consultant: Francois Oberholzer

Comments: V-Sign is working good.

Client: Libra Pharmacy

Consultant: Hanro Zwiegelaar

Comments: Very satisfied with the service.

Client: MediCare Weltevreden

Consultant: Phuthi Mashala

Comments: Much appreciated for the prompt service.

Client: Derdepoort Pharmacy

Consultant: Casper Garapo

Comments: Very Happy with the service and trouble shooting.

Client: Healthchem Pharmacy

Consultant: Tshepo Mokone

Comments: Fast and Efficient service and friendly.

Client: Phalaborwa Pharmacy

Consultant: Zak van Reenen

Comments: Thank you it was perfect assistance.

Client: Cross Care Chemist

Consultant: Peter Bartheil

Comments: Very Happy, sorted out quickly thank you.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

CASE STUDIES

RETAIL PHARMACY

Back Story

Vexall offering

Services

Key Service Highlights

Client Experience

Background

Vexall offering

Services

Key Highlights

Client Experience

The Retail segment

The Wholesale segment

Vexall offering

Support Base

Services

Key Highlights

Client Experience

FASHION & GENERAL MERCHANDISE

Background

Client Experience

Background

Client Experience

TESTIMONIALS

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