THE multi-million dollar deal between Sigma Pharmaceuticals and the Fred IT group (PD breaking news) will support the technology requirements of more than 700 pharmacies across Australia.
Based on the Fred NXT integrated pharmacy cloud solution, the contract follows an extensive evaluation process, "and will enable Sigma to provide market leading support to its brand members - Amcal, Guardian, Discount Drug Stores, PharmaSave and Chemist King," the company said.
Sigma ceo Mark Hooper said the company now has the largest branded pharmacy footprint in Australia, delivering almost 20% pharmacy retail market share.
"So having a solution that is agile, has full connectivity into retail pharmacy, and supports our growth is critical," he said.
"It strengthens our market position and also provides opportunities to explore extensions of our partnership with Fred IT and the Telstra Health team," he added.
The new platform will underpin Sigma's broader technology and data strategy implementation, and is said to provide a "significantly improved pharmacy user experience, as well as driving synergies across merchandising, pricing and promotional functions".
Fred IT Group ceo Paul Naismith hailed the "commitment and vision" of Sigma in providing its members with an enterprise grade integrated IT solution.
"Sigma's innovative platform will enable Sigma's pharmacy brand members to delight their customers with retail and professional services innovations that are quickly implemented across the entire store network," he said.
Naismith said Sigma members would enjoy lower average store IT costs, along with all the benefits of a modern solution such as security, safety and robustness.
A dedicated Sigma/Fred IT team will oversee the full rollout along with upgrades, conversions and training, with the majority of stores converted within 24 months.
"We can't wait to help Sigma achieve their exciting vision," Naismith concluded.
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