CHENNAI, INDIA: Cognizant, a provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services,today announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Zaffera, LLC, a strategic SAP retail consulting and software development firm based in Princeton, N.J.

The acquisition will significantly expand Cognizant’s ability to provide industry-focused SAP consulting and software solutions to help major retailers gain better insights into their business, streamline operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and improve responsiveness to changing market conditions, said a press release.

To provide retailers with real-time visibility into what products are on their shelves, the rate at which they are selling, and who is buying them, Zaffera has developed a portfolio of SAP retail solutions and accelerators in areas such as business analytics, retail planning, point-of-sale (POS) integration, and store operations.

“The retail industry is facing intense economic and competitive pressures. The advent of new technologies like social media and mobility have created a more empowered, savvy consumer, and retailers are working harder than ever to attract and retain customers in the face of thin margins,” said Francisco D’Souza, president and CEO, Cognizant.

He added that this acquisition will strengthen their ability to help retailers address these challenges and seize new opportunities created by multi-channel retailing. Zaffera’s outstanding consulting expertise and software solutions will enhance Cognizant’s rapidly growing SAP retail practice and their ability to deliver complex, large-scale global business transformations.

“As part of Cognizant, an SAP Global Services Partner, we can offer our retail clients greater scale, a broader range of services, and world-leading consulting and business process expertise to help them meet new market demands,” said Jim McMurray, CEO, Zaffera.

He added that they will combine business insights, state-of-the-art technology and a client-first approach to create industry-leading solutions to complex supply chain management, merchandising, eCommerce, and store-management challenges.