Braintree, the consulting and integration division of Vox, has been named as LS Retail Diamond and LS One Gold Partner for 2021, highlighting the company’s expertise and continued successes in helping businesses within the South African and regional retail industry to digitally transform their operations. In addition, Braintree has been elected to LS Retail’s Partner Advisory Council for the first time.

LS Retail is a world-leading provider of all-in-one business management software solutions for retail and hospitality companies across the globe. The LS Retail partner ecosystem has grown steadily over the years and today counts over 380 companies in 88 countries. To become an LS Retail partner, companies need to satisfy a specific set of requirements, including passing official training in the LS Retail solutions.

“We are delighted to have been awarded Diamond Partner status for the third consecutive year. In addition to this prestigious award, Braintree has also been recognised as LS Retail’s best performing partner globally. This demonstrates our expertise in the South African and continental retail industry, and a thorough understanding of LS Retail’s products and solutions. None of this would be possible without our valued customers, with whom we continue to build long-term relationships,” says Heath Huxtable, Executive Head of Braintree by Vox.

The Diamond Partner level is the highest achievement for an LS Retail partner, and is limited to companies who displayed extraordinary dedication to the LS Retail solutions and drove unparalleled sales success during the previous year. The Gold Partner level is limited to companies who displayed extra dedication to the LS Retail solutions and drove notable sales success during the previous year. In addition to the two prestigious awards, Braintree has also been invited to join LS Retail’s exclusive Partner Advisory Council.

“This is a real honour for us – only Diamond partners are nominated to serve on this council, and not all get elected. Being part of the Partner Advisory Board affords Braintree the ability to provide input and feedback directly to LS Retail’s management team, and connect with other leading LS partners from around the world. This means that we can now more actively participate toward the refinement and improvement of the LS Central and LS One products to ensure we continue to meet customer requirements in future,” adds Huxtable.

Leader in African retail transformation

The retail industry operates in a dynamic market, and organisations must be able to respond instantly to changes in customer demands and tastes. This includes digitising operations, opening online storefronts and even using technologies like AI to improve the online shopping experience. As such, retailers are looking for complete end-to-end solutions with high flexibility and ease of use that enables management to run their business centrally from the back office.

Braintree for its part is the largest Microsoft Dynamics company in Africa, with over 26 years of successful implementations experience. The company is a leader in retail solutions, e-commerce, customer relationship management, marketing technology, wholesaling and enterprise resource planning. It further has significant consulting and product capability, including Dynamics 365, Azure, Office 365 and Analytics.

“We’re the only partner in Africa that is authorised to sell, implement, and support both LS Central and LS One, and the only partner in South Africa to have either a Diamond or Gold partner status. The retail industry is a close-knit one, and our growth is being driven by the success we are having with existing customers, which has helped build our reputation in the market. It is a testament to the skills and expertise we have within the company, our work ethos and our commitment to delivery,” says Neville Levinthal, Head of Business Development at Braintree by Vox.

Certified LS Retail partners are experts in retail and hospitality, as well as in the LS Retail products and solutions. They know the local requirements and legislation of the countries where they operate, and offer ad hoc services such as customisations, localisations, project management and technical support. LS Central is integrated into Microsoft Dynamics Business Central and is an all-in-one ERP and Retail system, while LS One is a retail-only system that is ERP agnostic and can be integrated to the customer’s ERP system of choice.

“Before deploying our solutions, our partners play a critical role in helping our customers realise what solutions they need for their business.” says Magnus Norddahl, CEO and President of LS Retail. “At LS Retail, we are incredibly proud of our partners and have at heart to celebrate their outstanding contributions and achievements. By demonstrating deep domain expertise and displaying commitment to the LS Retail products and solutions, our partners excelled this year in delivering the most end-customer value.

“We are proud to recognise and honor Braintree as LS Retail Diamond partner for their ongoing partner-customer relationship, their exemplary use of LS Retail solutions, and their positive impact on our partner ecosystem over the past year.”