The Company

Henderson Group, a leading distributor in Northern Ireland, owns prominent grocery franchises such as SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXTRA, and ViVO Essentials. With over 120 years in the convenience retail sector, the group operates through four independent entities: Henderson Wholesale, Henderson Technology, Henderson Print, and Henderson Foodservice. As part of their commitment to delivering value to their 500 retailers across the region, rebates have always played a critical role in their business strategy.

Leanne Hamilton, Business Support Manager at Henderson Group, oversees the management of rebates, ensuring the smooth processing of agreements with both suppliers and retailers. She reflects on the importance of rebates: "Rebates have always been a significant part of our business. Freeing up cash flow is essential, especially with more retailers expecting us to provide rebates. It also ensures that we're not giving away money that hasn't been passed on to the end consumer."

The Challenge

Reliant On A 15-year-old Bespoke System

Historically, Henderson Group relied on an in-house system that was custom-built and over 15 years old. While it has served them well, the system’s limitations were becoming increasingly apparent, particularly in the context of an evolving food industry that demands more efficient, user-friendly systems.

Hamilton tells us, "We had considered rebuilding the system, but it was clear that in this era of cloud solutions, a more modern, intuitive rebate management platform would better suit our needs."  

Henderson Group experimented with a few third-party solutions before Enable, but the solutions were often either too complex or not fully aligned with the group’s specific needs. Enable’s platform was a particularly good fit because it aligned with their existing systems and the requirements of both their food service and retail businesses.

‍Speed of Processing Rebates

Processing rebates quickly, efficiently, and accurately remained on of Henderson Group's primary challenges. Ultimately, this impacted their ability to maintain a competitive edge. With a large customer base of 500 retailers, ensuring that rebates were processed quickly and accurately was critical to support their retailers’ cash flow and maintain strong relationships.  

Hamilton explains, “We were facing delays in processing rebates, which meant our retailers weren’t receiving them as quickly as they needed. Timely rebate payments are vital for their cash flow, and we knew we had to find a rebate management solution to speed up the process while maintaining accuracy and transparency.”

The Platform

Enable’s Attention to Detail

Hamilton describes the onboarding process: "Enable was thorough and well worth the effort. Given our company’s complexity, Enable took the time to ensure everything was set up perfectly, particularly when aligning supplier promotional calendars with our own. Their attention to detail made the transition seamless and ensured we got everything right from the start."

Flexible Platform for Running Rebate Calculations

The Enable platform offered flexibility and transparency. This flexibility has been especially useful in simplifying the rebate process and improving accessibility for the team. Hamilton says, “Enable is user-friendly, and once the training is completed, it becomes quite intuitive. The ability to track all transactions and calculate rebates accurately is invaluable."

The ability to run rebate calculations independently of the ERP system has been a significant time-saver for the trading department at Henderson, giving them more control over the process. “It’s quicker now. We don’t have to wait for the ERP to run those for us—we can run them anytime we want,” says Hamilton.

Error-Free Signoffs

Enable’s platform has also allowed Henderson Group to gain better control over their rebate processes, minimizing the mistakes that often occur during manual sign-off procedures. Hamilton notes, "We're still in the early stages of our journey with Enable, but the platform has already helped us improve pre-sign-off processes to reduce errors."

Transparent and Accurate Agreements

In addition to improved efficiency, Enable’s system has prompted Henderson Group to thoroughly review their rebate agreements, improving transparency and accuracy. "Having to go through every granular detail of each agreement has deepened my personal understanding of rebates, which I hadn't fully grasped before," Hamilton states.

Rethinking Rebate Management

Looking ahead, Hamilton acknowledges that while they haven't fully finished implementation, Enable has opened their eyes to new opportunities. By moving away from outdated systems and leveraging modern technology, the company is well-positioned to continue growing and serving its retailers.  

Hamilton says, "Enable has really helped us rethink how we approach rebates. I would highly recommend Enable to anyone looking to streamline their rebate process and get a clearer view of their agreements."

She concludes, "Enable has really opened our eyes to some of the things we didn’t know before, and we’re excited to see where we can go in the future with it."