Global Knowledge Tailored Solutions · practices—are the companies that stand the best chance of...

Collaboration across the planet. Customizing each business case to the needs that align with your long-term business strategy.

Global Knowledge Tailored Solutions

About Ace Global Solutions

How We Make the Critical Difference

Our Methods and Deliverables

Core Values

Business to Business

Category Management/Merchandising

Customer Experience and Engagement

Leadership Development

Loss Prevention

Marketing Solutions

Organizational Design

Retail Information Systems

Retail Pricing

Strategy Creation

Supply Chain Optimization

Testimonials

Frequently Asked Questions

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jacob Reyes, Director, International ServicesT: +1 630.472.4612 | [email protected] Ace International Holdings, 2200 Kensington Ct., Oak Brook, IL 60523

About Ace Global SolutionsOur Mission: Engage, Build Trust and Grow Businesses

Ace Global Solutions is an Ace Hardware International consulting service that provides

training and strategy recommendations based on Ace’s 94-year retail industry expertise.

Our services drive significant and sustainable performance improvements, so you can

accomplish your company’s most important business objectives.

We are uncompromising in our approach to helping Ace International Retailers make

better decisions, deliver results and address complex retail and organizational issues that

require focus and effort, but have a substantial return on investment.

We collaborate exclusively with Ace Hardware retail customers located outside of the US seeking experienced global support on their most important, complex business opportunities. Our roots and core expertise is in retail consulting, every aspect of retailing. We persistently focus on helping our customers develop and deploy strategies to achieve excellence on the sales floor, receiving and the back office. We work alongside them to develop and implement customized solutions that address today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities.

We're in the business of building businesses.Innovation is in our DNA

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How We Make the Critical DifferenceA Clear Mission Customized Solutions Experience and

Know-HowOur goals are straightforward. Everything we do is intended to drive value, reduce cost, assure quality and simplify business processes.

No two customers are the same. We tailor each business case to your needs and deliver practical solutions that align with your long-term company strategy.

We quickly assimilate into your environment, listen to your goals and build alignment to define a process that is right for you. Ace Global Solutions has developed, published and trained on operating methods, SOPs and best practices in nearly all facets of the business.

Long-term Vested InterestWe have an ongoing stake in making our customers bigger and better retailers. The more successful our stores are, the more successful Ace International Holdings (AIH) is as a whole. Ace Global Solutions is a prime branch toward AIH’s longer-range objectives of improving shareholders’ return on investment.

Home ImprovementIndustry-OrientedAce Global Solutions knows and understands retail and wholesale, specializing in the home improvement space. It looks to partner with international customers to take advantage of its 94 years of expertise and leverage its best-in-class retail base and distribution network to do so. Not many consulting firms have direct access to a platform of best-in-class stores and a prominent wholesale environment.

More TacticalStrategy without frontline action is a daydream. Ace Global Solutions provides both retail and wholesale macro-level strategy, but can also create and support implementation all the way down to a tactical level. Ace Global Solutions doesn’t adhere to textbooks, manuals, or one-size-fits-all recommendations. Instead, we offer a fresh perspective toward redesigning no longer relevant practices and resolving persistent challenges.

Collaborating with you to achieve your most important objectivesBright solutions, profitable results when you need them, where you need them.

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Our Methods and Deliverables

Key Elements to Our Approach

Ace Global Solutions is deeply rooted in the principle that business is a marathon, not a sprint. In

today’s global marketplace, running a successful business has become a continuous, ongoing race.

Enterprises that work creatively and put in the hard work to become more f it—developing nimble,

eff icient processes that can go the distance in terms of sales, operations and supply chain

practices—are the companies that stand the best chance of winning and fueling growth.

Ace Global Solutions helps businesses successfully prepare for and run that race. Our comprehensive

services go beyond typical, generic solutions. They leverage proven knowledge and decades of

experience in planning, designing and implementing more advanced business processes that

measurably improve our customers’ ability to navigate through complex business issues and unlock

the opportunity. Ace Global Solutions gives your business the forward-thinking operating methods

and deployment plan it requires to better compete and effectively respond to ever-shifting retail

requirements, increased competition and fluctuating changes in the global market.

Understand long-term vision and objectives via strategic business reviewAssess current state of affairsUtilize a proven project structure primarily staffed by the customers’ knowledgeable opinion leadersEngage global experts and best-in-class retailersSet achievable KPIsDeploy in-market solutionsSharpen brand performanceStreamline processes/dissolve wasted costsBuild up high-performance teamsCustomize formats and action plansConsistently follow up and advise

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Core ValuesA strong culture anchored in a clear set of values is important to making a real difference. Driven by the passion

for results, Ace Global Solutions is determined to achieve excellence in all that we do. These values provide the

framework for our culture, and we believe, are necessary in working jointly with our customers. They continue

to govern every aspect of the way we do business, as well as influence our decision-making process.

Accelerate, Collaborate, ElevateWe speak fluently in performance. Experience the 90-plus year Ace advantage,

its best-in-class store base and corporate distribution network.

Accountability Collaboration ExcellenceWe set our standards for value creation extremely high. We hold ourselves accountable for the results you expect by engaging candidly with customers about the level of value created by our joint efforts.

Building partnerships that serve as the conduit behind quality solutions, we leverage the full measure of our expertise, achieving outcomes intended to go beyond expectations. We respect our retailers' strategic initiatives and fully appreciate the challenges they face. We seek to identify our customers' real needs over and above just delivering good work.

Unmatched customer service supports unrivaled solutions to ensure premium value for our retailers. We deliver tangible and positive change, not simply presentations or ideas.

InnovationCreativity fuels a culture of continuous process improvement, deriving advances that lead to superior customer accomplishments. Our work must lead directly to customers taking action and executing their business in new ways.

IntegrityEvery interaction between our customers is guided by a code of ethics and a culture of respect and doing the right thing. We take the time to consider our actions and ask whether we can defend them openly today and tomorrow.

Customers FirstWe measure our success by our customers' success. We seek to identify our customers' true needs and leverage all of our resources to make a difference and high impact.

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Business to Business

B2B opportunity in the home improvement industry is a top growth engine in global retail. Our solutions are geared toward developing and deploying a company-wide culture focused on sales growth from existing and new business customers.

Return on Investment

Sales growth from your existing customer base

Measurably higher gross profit margins and dollars on business sales

Improved brand awareness

Higher customer loyalty

Higher levels of market predictability/stability

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Category Management/Merchandising

Finding ways to get products into the shopping carts of your consumers starts with making it easy for them to shop your stores. Our merchandising offerings focus on assortment planning, creating a dynamic and unique store environment and buying in an omni-channel environment.


Increase sales typically between 6–10%

Improve product selection and add-on sales

Increase inventory turns

Differentiate yourself from the competition to make customers want to come back

Reduce SKU redundancy for an improved assortment

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Customer Experienceand Engagement

In today's increasingly competitive environment, retailers will live and die by their investment in the customer experience. Ace Global Solutions partners with you to design and implement a customer experience within your organization that is differentiated and tailored to meet the needs of the end consumer.


Increase sales between 5–7% and with sustainment year over year

Achieve 80% greater customer satisfaction level

Increase average ticket and repeat business due to higher customer loyalty

Differentiate yourself from the competition to make customers want to come back

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LeadershipDevelopment

You recognize the transformational power of exceptional leadership and so does Ace Global Solutions. In the face of today's unrelenting competitive pressures, shifting market dynamics and ever-increasing customer expectations, the organizations that will be most successful are those that have the right people in the top leadership roles working together effectively.


Improve your store’s culture and profitability

Energize and empower team with a clear vision of success

Effective delegation of tasks

More engaged staff and higher levels of innovative thinking

Increased productivity

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Loss Prevention

Shrink at retail is becoming a progressively larger expense. Ace Global Solutions will help you identify the areas in your organization that are vulnerable to the loss of merchandise or cash via a thorough assessment of your business footprint and reviewing product placements to assess risks.


Reduce shrinkage of up to 25% the first year after implementing new controls

Increase ability to recognize risks and deploy appropriate action

Increase knowledge of how to recognize risks and address them

Mitigate costly safety issues and hazards

Sustainable plan

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The heart of any business lies in successful marketing and customer relationship management. We help retailers optimize their marketing strategy, loyalty programs, consumer insights and research to drive profitable growth.


Increase visibility of your brand

Develop lasting relationships with your consumer

Improve brand awareness and recognition

Create loyalty and trust

Build authority and credibility

Increase foot traffic

Marketing Solutions

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Organizational Design

Reorganization does NOT have to create chaos, but many times it does if not vetted properly. Ace Global Solutions is positioned to assist your organization with expertise capable of reviewing your current organizational structure and recommending a new, more effective structure. We generate a full-bore business review of the current organizational landscape versus long-term strategy, objectives and competitive advantage.


Establish committed culture and engaged employees

Increase profitability and reduced labor costs

Increase alignment with growth

Improve execution and communication/decision-making flow

Develop a repeatable operating model that can be replicated as the company grows further

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Retail InformationSystems

Technology changes daily at retail, but is absolutely fundamental to evolving and growing the business. Ace Global Solutions approaches retail information technology by focusing on strategic initiatives, business value and outcomes. We take our customers' perspective and eliminate the "tech-speak" to analyze and address the applications, infrastructure, people and processes that have the greatest impact.

Return on InvestmentSimplify processes and procedures

Stay relevant with customers

Reduce long-term operating costs

Integrated approach to business operations

Improve workflow efficiencies

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Retail Pricing

How you establish retail prices has numerous implications on your overall business. Understanding your cost structure and choosing the right pric-ing strategy are key steps toward achieving optimal profit targets. This means having a framework that accen-tuates your brand image and how you are perceived by your consumers toward fueling business growth. Ace Global Solutions is here to help.

Return on Investment:Add an additional 0.5-2.0% to gross margin

Increase profitability through identi-fying lost profit opportunities down to the category and SKU-level

Segment items price sensitivities to sharpen your brand image with shoppers

Establish a price strategy that is driven by perceived consumer value

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We collaborate with company leadership to help solve your most challenging and complex problems by bringing an approach to practical strategy that combines industry expertise, fact-based analysis and insight to enable confident action.

Strategy Creation

Return on InvestmentEstablish a clear direction

Improve quality business decisions

Create longevity in the business

Increase profitability and market share

Devise a micro-based plan and realis-tic executable tactics to drive the design

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Ace Global Solutions provides management, guidance and direction in all critical aspects of inventory management, logistics, distribution and warehousing solutions, including inventory record accuracy, leaning unproductive inventory, minimizing out of stocks and enhancing the movement of products from supplier to end consumer.

Return on InvestmentIncrease average sales up to +3.1%

Reduction in inventory by +11%

Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty due to fewer out-of-stocks

Increased awareness of inventory issues that contribute to stock avail-ability conditions

Establish the foundation for many other business functions

Supply Chain Optimization


Testimonials

"What I enjoyed most about the engagement was the advice and guidance given during the visit. The next steps to follow are very customized to our company's needs and strategy. I would certainly recommend this to other retailers needing similar support."

Lilian del Rosario – Centralized Inventory Manager with CEMACO on Supply Chain Optimization Solutions

"B2B is an important part of our long-term company goals. The consulting group worked with us to bring all the knowledge and expertise on this subject matter and turn it into a business plan. I loved the process of piloting with a sample size of stores, adjusting and successfully rolling out to the others. We found partnering with Ace Global Solutions made implementation easier and impactful."

Alejandro Heinemann – B2B Manager with CEMACO on Business-to-Business Solutions

"Ace Global Solutions worked with us on inventory control and margin issues, particularly how to approach these areas with the tools available in Epicor. They provided an increased understanding and an improved utilization of the Epicor system to our entire senior management staff. We are much better equipped to use these tools for our benefit since the training has occurred. They relayed large amounts of information with out it becoming confusing or tiresome. They were able to switch gears from one topic to the next as our staff's questions and needs demand during training. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone needing assistance."

Jarred Dean – Operations Manager with Virgin Islands on Supply Chain Optimization Solutions

"Your knowledge, patience and flexibility has made it easy for us to tackle a variety of subjects and tasks in a short amount of time. Thank you for the summary, which will help us ensure we're on track."

Ngaire Ho Ching – Owner and Operator of American Samoa

"The engagement always works for us as an eye opener. Ace Global Solutions team shows unlimited support at every stage of this project. The level of expertise and the know-how has truly being beneficial to all SACO teams. Without hesitation, we'd recommend them to others. The amount of information and value presented by Ace is worth every dollar."

Fadi Salah El-Deen – Inventory Control Manager/Risk Management Director - SACO

Satisfaction GuaranteeIf you are not completely satisf ied with the value we help add to your business,

you don't pay.

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1. What is Ace Global Solutions?Ace Global Solutions is an Ace Hardware International consulting service that provides training and strategy recommendations based on Ace’s 94-year retail industry expertise. Our services drive significant and sustainable performance improvements, so you can accomplish your company’s most important business objectives.

2. What service offerings are available?See the ‘Solutions’ section of this website. In short, AGS has a base of services available: supply chain optimization, B2B, customer experience, category management, org. design, retail information systems, marketing, loss prevention, etc. None of our retailers are exactly alike, so neither are any of AGS’s listed solutions. They are all tailored to meet the specific challenges encountered. Also, just because it isn’t listed in the brouchure or website doesn’t mean we can’t support it — We customize!

3. What happens with Professional Retail Services (PRS)?PRS are consulting services to Ace retailers in the US, whereas AGS delivers training and consulting solutions exclusive to the needs of international customers. AGS offerings are globally focused with an appreciation for international POS systems, distribution, different organizational store models, cultural distinctions, time zone differences, etc. Jacob Reyes, Director, Int’l Services, is the central point of contact for all inquiries and service offerings from all international customers and will work to understand the business needs, develop the statement of work, establish pricing and manage the project and its resources. PRS or a third-party team may be leveraged for back-end execution.

4. What is the general process involved in an engagement?Most in-market engagements include four phases. The first phase is dedicated to diagnostics work, which is understanding the retailers' overall goals and current state of affairs. The second phase begins solutions design, developing and aligning strategic and tactical means to address the business' issues. The third phase starts the execution/deployment. This is where a big chunk of the work happens. Finally, the last phase is sustainment. This is where confirming processes and procedures are established to manage the issue for the long-term. Engagements can be a ‘one-and-done’ visit, but largely span over multiple visits with follow-up calls in between.

Frequently Asked Questions

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5. How long is a typical in-market engagement?Though this can differ based on the need and whatever is right for the retailer, generally speaking, in-market visits transpire over a minimum of four days.

6. Who typically performs in-store engagements?Execution is matched up with a subject matter expert and professional who has the experience, global know-how and background to drive project success. This may be an Ace or non-Ace professional, but an expert knowledgeable on industry and Ace best practices who will likely work with others to see the initiative through to completion. For example, Jacob Reyes, Director of Int’l Services, will assist in overseeing AGS project deliverables and participate as needed.

7. What is our value proposition over what other consulting firms offer?1. Long-Term Vested Interest: We have an ongoing stake in making our customers bigger and better retailers. The more successful our stores are, the more successful AIH.

2. Home Improvement Industry-Oriented: AGS knows and understands retail and wholesale, specializing in the home improvement space. It looks to take advantage of its 94 years of expertise and leverage its best-in-class retail base and distribution network in order to do so. Not many consulting firms have stores or DCs to leverage.

3. More Tactical: AGS provides both retail and wholesale macro-level strategy, but can also create and support implementation all the way down to a tactical level.

8. What is the cost of Ace Global Solutions in-market engagement?The price of an engagement varies based on the work that needs to be done, the level of effort involved, the consultants required, time in market and the anticipated value of the outcome. The customer is expected to pay the travel costs (airfare, hotel, etc.) of in-market travel. There is zero payment upfront for AGS services, and an interest-free, monthly equal payment plan option is available. In general, retailers can expect to pay less than traditional, well-known consulting firms.

9. How do royalties and licensee fees factor into AGS offerings? Royalties and licensee fees provide country-wide Ace brand exclusivity and are not intended to pay for specialized consulting services. Ace brand assessment fees and consulting services are two completely separate things altogether.

10. What have been some of the results with engagements that have been completed or in process?We have multiple pilot engagements currently in process started as early 2017, including engagements with our customers in Guatemala and Saudi Arabia. Each of these have brought value via incremental revenue and/or dissolving costs, including substantial improvements to inventory record accuracy, higher levels of disciplinied execution, strategic reductions in inventory, B2B sale growth, improvements to organizational structure, etc. See the testimonials section of the website for what other customers are staying.

11. What commitments do we make to our retailers that AGS is the right fit for them?All engagements are backed by a satisfaction guarantee. If they are not completely satisified, they don’t pay!

12. Who do I contact with any further questions?Contact Jacob Reyes, Director of Int’l Services: +1 630.472.4612 or [email protected].

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NOTES

CONTACT USJacob Reyes, Director, International Services

T: +1 630.472.4612 | [email protected] Ace International Holdings, 2200 Kensington Ct., Oak Brook, IL 60523

ACE18204

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