Design Within Reach Refurnishes Its IT With Microsoft Dynamics AX

Rapidly growing modern furnishings retailer selects Microsoft ERP system to focus on its business, rather than software development.

REDMOND, Wash. — April 11, 2007 — Design Within Reach Inc. (Nasdaq “DWRI”), a rapidly growing retailer of modern furnishings, has extended its appreciation for cutting-edge, contemporary products to its business software. The San Francisco-based company is replacing its custom-built business management system with Microsoft Dynamics™ AX.

Design Within Reach chose Microsoft Corp.’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system over offerings from SAP AG and other companies for its easy implementation and system maintenance; overall features vs. cost; and ability to manage the rapid growth of the company’s showroom, catalog and online sales. In February 2005, Design Within Reach’s public earnings release showed an increase of 49 percent from the previous year in net sales.

“We need software that’s going to help us keep up with our growth, and the flexibility and scalability of Microsoft Dynamics AX will help us do this,” said Joe Martins, vice president of IT for Design Within Reach. “With Microsoft Dynamics AX, we can focus on what we do best — bringing modern-design furniture and accessories to our customers. We don’t have to be in the software development business.”

Design Within Reach expects to realize the following advantages with Microsoft Dynamics AX:

• Easier growth, by design. Microsoft Dynamics AX operates in three distinct tiers, each of which uses standard PC and network technology and standard Microsoft® operating systems for both clients and servers. As its business and computing needs continue to grow, Design Within Reach will be able to simply add more servers. The tiered design of Microsoft Dynamics AX eliminates the need to replace or reconfigure the entire system when new components are added or changes made to specific tiers.

• Better, faster reporting. Design Within Reach expects the integration of financial and other data within Microsoft Dynamics AX to reduce the time it takes to close its quarterly books from weeks to days. Specifically, integrated inventory, financials, sales, trade, logistics and other modules will meld different types of transactional data. Business forecasts, which the company formerly maintained in disconnected spreadsheets, will now be based on common, shared data.

• Preparation for the future. A fast-growing community of independent companies develops add-on software for Microsoft Dynamics. Design Within Reach expects the volume and diversity of products created by these independent software vendors to make it easier than with other ERP systems to adapt to future business challenges.


The ERP system developed and implemented by Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Tectura Corp. adds industry-specific features to the core Microsoft Dynamics AX system. These add-ons include functionality to support various order entry and other customer service-related business processes, along with Supply Chain Execution for Microsoft Dynamics AX, a Microsoft Industry Builder initiative product created by Manhattan Associates Inc. This warehouse management solution is seamlessly integrated into the overall solution architecture. Tectura’s deep knowledge of Microsoft’s technology platform was essential in identifying the right technology for Design Within Reach’s business needs.

“Rapidly growing companies used to have two options: pay an exorbitant amount for a business management system with features and capacity that they don’t need until they grow much larger — or save their money and sacrifice operational excellence,” said Michael Park, corporate vice president for U.S. Microsoft Dynamics. “With Microsoft Dynamics AX, businesses can start small and then add additional capability and scalability as their needs increase — without ripping and replacing their entire system or suffering through a multimillion-dollar process-management project.”

Learn more at: www.tectura.com.