BESTAR INC.
A VL CASE STUDY
THE BUSINESS SITUATION
As Canada’s leading manufactur-
er of ready to assemble furniture, Be-
star had acquired an impressive client
list that included Costco, Staples, Of-
fice Max and WalMart - all EDI capable
and all making the same demands of Be-
star. In response, Bestar decided to im-
plement a system that would meet the
EDI demands of its retail clients and, in
the process, move goods to the final des-
tination-the consumers’ hands-faster.
BESTAR INC.
In 2004, Bestar Inc. of Lac Megantic, Que-
bec realized that to remain a highly competi-
tive supplier in the retail industry, they would
need to highly automate their operations and
adopt more sophisticated electronic data inter-
change (EDI) capabilities. Their existing EDI sys-
tem was showing its age and lack of flexibility.
Founded in 1948, Bestar Inc. underwent major
corporate restructuring in 2004 after a post-
The result was expected to follow
the design intent of Quick Response pro-
grams: the sale of a consumer product gen-
erates an immediate reorder and the sub-
sequent actions to fill that reorder. Stock
turnover is increased, inventory is re-
duced, administrative labor is reduced, but
the number of transactions are increased.
The major challenge facing Bestar
was how to implement an automated
process that could comply with various
national retailers’ EDI implementation
guidelines, but still maintain the same
controls inherent within their account-
2000 downturn. A new management team and
a new manufacturing application meant Bestar
was now poised to expand market share and grow.
ing system (Visual Manufacturing). Be-
star did not want to blindly accept a solu-
tion from any particular retailer; they
needed a solution customized to their
internal needs that would be flexible in
growth, the number of EDI documents
being exchanged, the number of online
trading partners, and the opportunity for
continued integration with their exist-
ing accounting and operational systems.