CUSTOMER:
The Second Cup Ltd.
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
www.secondcup.com
INDUSTRY:
Specialty coffee retailer
Locations: 400
Employees: 300
Annual sales: $200 million
Users on Sage Accpac: 20
“Having partnered with Impac Solutions for more than five years, we consider them an excellent fit… We anticipate significant savings from their system’s ability to track budgets more closely.”
— Paul Anonen Director of Finance The Second Cup Ltd.
(416) 385-3114
675 Cochrane Dr.
East Tower, 6th Floor
Markham, Ontario L3R 0B8
www.impacsolutions.com
Success Story
Impac Brews a Better Solution for Second Cup
“We had a software system designed for Goliath. We needed one for David.”
That was the initial impression of Paul Anonen, Director of Finance of Dinecorp, when it acquired Second Cup. The coffee giant had been running a well-respected business system that was meant for a much larger and more bureaucratic company. “Impac Solutions suggested Sage Accpac ERP, a smaller, more agile system. Within just a few months we had a new, fully webenabled and seamless financial system that matches both our needs and our corporate culture. We have been extremely pleased with the results.”
Canadians Love Their Second Cup
From a humble beginning in 1975 as a shopping mall kiosk that sold only whole bean coffee, Second Cup has become Canada’s largest franchisor of specialty coffee cafés. Starbucks’ biggest rival in Canada, the company has grown to include nearly 400 cafés across Canada and around the world, making Second Cup a second home to hundreds of thousands of guests every day. The Second Cup product line now features more than 25 premium coffees, specialty beverages, complementary foods, and merchandise items. Second Cup is almost entirely franchised with over 90% of its cafés owned by franchisees. In
SOLUTION: Impac Solutions designed an implemented a sleek, fully web-enabled Sage Accpac solution, with a complete suite of financial management modules |
RESULTS: Second Cup has automated its accounting functions, streamlining management of payables, receivables, and new store construction and franchising operations |
2002, Second Cup became a member of the Cara Operations family of restaurants, which includes Milestones, Kelsey’s, Montana’s, Swiss Chalet, and Harvey’s. In 2006, Second Cup became a wholly owned subsidiary of Dinecorp Hospitality, Inc. which has since been renamed Second Cup Coffee Company Inc.
Java Jolt for Finance
Second Cup uses its new Sage Accpac ERP system to manage the corporate owned cafés, as well as royalties and advertising for all locations. The system also automates payroll for the corporate cafés and home office, tracks operating expenses, and manages the company’s fixed assets.
“All financial transactions are handled through Sage Accpac ERP,” explains Patricia Bautista, manager of accounting. “I had used the software earlier in my career, and was glad to see all of the features and functionality that have been added. Not only is it a very powerful system, but it’s also extremely user friendly and easy to learn. Practically anybody can pick it up and use it on their own, so staff members no longer need to depend on others for data extraction.”
Extra Shot of Financial Data
Second Cup management appreciates the robust reports that can be created within Sage Accpac ERP. “Impac Solutions implemented many standard reports, such as basic financial statements. They have also written many custom reports to meet our specific needs. The best thing about their reports is that we can export them easily, providing greater access to financial data throughout our organization,” says Bautista.
Customized tracking reports for construction costs are becoming increasingly important for Second Cup as it acquires new cafés. “Whether we are keeping a new location as a corporate café, or offering it to franchise partners, we always perform a complete renovation,” Bautista
explains. “This involves a great deal of construction management, which has been a headache. New capabilities in Sage Accpac ERP will make the job much easier.”
Kudos for Impac Solutions
“Impac Solutions is very adept at finding easier and more efficient ways to run our business,” Bautista continues. “They can look at a scenario, and quickly come up with an answer that will streamline our workload. If we ask them something specific, whether it’s for an internal or external requirement, they’ve been able to deliver for us.”
She also likes the way that her business partner goes the extra mile. “Once, when our system was brand new, we needed to collect royalties and advertising fees from more than 300 cafés, and experienced a glitch in the software. Impac Solutions stayed here until late at night to ensure that we met our deadline. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their promises, and they’re always here for us when we need them,” notes Bautista.
Anonen agrees. “Having partnered with Impac Solutions for more than five years, we consider them an excellent fit,” he says. “At Second Cup, they created a system that integrates data from diverse departments, such as construction, finance and franchising, into a single format. We anticipate significant savings from their system’s ability to track budgets more closely.”
About Impac
Impac is a leading provider of IT services, offering specialized solutions and resources that meet the evolving needs of business. Clients include many of Canada’s Fortune 1000 companies, as well as national charitable agencies and a variety of other organizations requiring the strategic application of IT. Its service portfolio includes support, training, and project management of enterprise solutions, all with a strong emphasis on systems integration, networking and e-business solutions.
© 2008 Impac Solutions. The Sage Software logo and the Sage Software product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc., or its affiliated entities.