Company Profile

Ariston Informatik GmbH

Our Merchandise Management System evolved from the fusion of two successful systems on the market, the AIS by the Ariston-Shoe-Trading-Association (now "Ariston-Nord-West-Ring eG") and the WWE by “EDV-Beratung Luthardt GmbH”.
Development of AIS
AIS = Ariston-Informations-System
In the beginning of 1976 people at the "Ariston Schuheinkaufsvereinigung eG" in Düsseldorf, Germany, saw the need of information technology for the organisation of the footwear market.  To fill that need specialist of the Ariston IT department developed the first merchandise management system for the IBM 3741 data collection screens.  Afterwards the collected data are transferred to a mainframe computer where they got processed. Several innovative shoe shops used that system, formed workshops and developed an evaluation and analysis system.
From 1979 onwards small, mobile data acquisition devices of the Micronic type were used, which piece by piece got replaced with PC's.
Between 1984 and 1988 an Ariston employee developed a AIS version, basing on PC technology, which facilitated the first on-site data analysis. All product master data and accounting data had to be recorded by the user. Thereafter analysis could be performed in the computer centre without any further delay.  Over the years intelligent evaluation methods evolved, some of which are still used for business management supply organization.
Origin of WWE
WWE = "Warenwirtschaft für den Einzelhandel" (Merchandise management for the retail trade)
In the beginning of 1986 the shoe store "Häsler" in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany was searching for powerful merchandise management system suitable for networks, chain stores and useful for retailing footwear. The owner of that company, Mr Arning, contacted a local software company, which received public funding for the development of a merchandise management system.  But after the necessary prerequisites for the funding were fulfilled the development stagnated and Mr Arning was forced to back out and search for a suitable system on the open market.
Together with Mr Luthardt, Mr Arning analysed all PC systems which were available at that time, but even after a long careful search one couldn't find one. Therefore Mr Luthardt, who already had 5 years experience programming home computers, PC's and mainframe computers, started to develop his own merchandise management system as a hobby.  The outcome after just a few month was a still basic but suitable system, which found its application in the shoe store "Häsler".  On the basis of that early program further program modules were developed and combined to complete system. Already during the development maximal attention was put on the flexibility of the program to make the use by other retail companies possible.
After about two years of software development two shoe trading colleagues had a look at the program and got so excited that they immediately bought the program for use in their stores. At the moment when about 10 installations could be realized by word-of-mouth advertising, Mr Luthardt quit his job as leader of an industrial IT department, to dedicate his full work power to the development and marketing of the merchandise management system. Therefore in 1989 he started up his own company "EDV-Beratung Luthardt GmbH" located in the Black Forrest village Königsfeld, Germany.
1992 the "Luthardt & Kunicki GmbH" was established in the technology centre in St. Georgen, Germany, which had the function to take over the further development and distribution of WWE.  Presentations at several national and regional trade exhibitions followed and more and more retailers decided to use the WWE system.
End of 1992 a cooperation agreement was signed with the Ariston-Shoe-Trading-Association to offer a second, independent merchandise information system on top of the AIS, to all the association members. The head office of development was moved from St. Georgen to Neuss, Germany.
Origin of HIS and Ariston Informatik GmbH
1994, after a one year collaboration period the "Ariston Informatik GmbH" was established by Ariston and Mr. Luthardt, with a share capital of 100,000 DM..
Main focus of the Ariston Informatik was to form a new system out of the two competing systems AIS and WWE, the so called "Handels-Informations-System" or HIS. The functions of both systems were analysed and the WWE system was supplemented with the missing program pieces and lists. Bases of the current HIS is WWE out of which about 90% of the functions have been used.
Due to the historically different origins and performance characteristics of AIS and WWE a system resulted in form of HIS, which is perfectly suited for all kinds of trading businesses (small, medium-sized or big retail companies from the footwear, sports, textile or leather goods sectors). Thanks to the open development a maximal amount of flexibility, performance and safety has been achieved.
Because of a growing number of employees and customers it was necessary in 1995 to move to the building of Ariston eG inside Neuss.
1999 all of our customers systems were successfully switched over to the year 2000.
In 2001 the change to Euro as main currency went as smoothly.