Leading digital innovator Avanade and K3, a prominent Microsoft technology solutions provider for retail, today formally announced a strategic partnership focused on developing retail solutions to optimize the customer experience and provide businesses with detailed, intelligent insights into consumer spending habits.

The combined Avanade and K3 team is already helping a number of retail clients, including:

• A retail outlet operator at one of Europe’s busiest airports who works with global brands including Burberry, Hugo Boss and Versace, recently selected Avanade and K3 to help it become a more intelligent enterprise by replacing the legacy merchandise management system with Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations. The client is also benefiting from axis, K3’s unique concept-to-consumer solution, which provides a tailored environment to gain greater insight and control over its processes.

• A Belgian fashion retailer who recently appointed Avanade and K3 to optimize its store and HQ operations to respond to rapid changes in a very competitive retail sector. The retailer’s existing application landscape was based on multiple, heavily customized IT building blocks. Avanade and K3’s axis solution helped move operations onto a unified Dynamics 365 platform, enabling the retailer to speed up time-to-market by focusing its resources on key business challenges instead of IT-related issues.

K3’s fashion and retail products fully support Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, with product extensions built for the retail industry covering the entire lifecycle from design to sale.

K3 will use its solution and subject matter expertise in the fashion and retail sectors to complement Avanade’s expertise in this area for large, enterprise clients.

Recognized by industry analyst Forrester as a leading provider of Dynamics 365 services1, Avanade’s global reach, innovation culture and delivery capability, combined with K3’s platform and deep industry expertise, will provide fashion, apparel and retail companies with tailored environments, insight and control over all of their processes and channels to market.

“We always seek excellence across every aspect of our business, and this includes our partner ecosystem. K3’s solutions deliver market-leading fashion and retail functionality which complements our own capabilities within this sector,” said Francois Matte, Global ERP Lead, Avanade. “In the era of intelligence, enterprises need to transform to take advantage of massive advancements in technology to predict and lead. This alliance with K3 to innovate with retail industry relevant solutions will help our clients gain competitive edge, delight their customers, and attract and retain top talent.”

“This strategic global alliance with Avanade will enhance an already established relationship, and strengthen and accelerate our joint go-to-market proposition,” said Adalsteinn Valdimarsson, CEO at K3. “My team and I are delighted to be working closely with Avanade to bring new and innovative solutions to the fashion and retail sector.”

“Microsoft is working with retailers to help them reimagine their business and create new revenue streams and business models,” said Karen Garrette, Global Retail Director, Microsoft Corp. “This new Avanade and K3 partnership brings together worldwide Microsoft Dynamics 365 delivery capability with enhanced industry specific software to help retailers embrace the use of massive data streams, creating relevant insight and competitive edge. We’re excited about helping this combined value proposition with Avanade and K3 grow.”