Donated Goods Retailer

Goodwill of the Great Plains cuts processing time with enterprise retail software

Robert Josefs

August 20, 2026

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SUCCESS STORY

Goodwill of the Great Plains cuts processing time with enterprise retail software

Goodwill of the Great Plains managed store operations manually, making tasks such as financial reconciliation more complex and time-consuming than necessary.

The organization needed a donation and retail point of sale system to streamline inventory tracking and manage programs such as its “color of the week” rotations.

With a more efficient checkout and donation process, processing time has been reduced and donated items can reach the sales floor faster.

COMPANY

Goodwill of the Great Plains

INDUSTRY

Donated goods retailer (DGR)

SOLUTIONS

Point of sale, donated goods management, custom mods

Stratus Enterprise since 2021

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

Measurable impact that drives growth

Since partnering with Celerant, Goodwill of the Great Plains has seen significant improvements across key business metrics.

Faster transaction processing

Real-time inventory insights

Flexible "Color of the Week"

Simplified donation processing

THE JOURNEY

Challenge → Solution → Results

A strategic partnership built on understanding, innovation, and measurable outcomes.

CHALLENGE

Manual processes slow daily operations

Goodwill of the Great Plains relied on manual processes to sort inventory, handle transactions and track constantly changing stock. Because credit processing was handled in a separate system, staff also had to reconcile numbers at the end of each shift, adding time to routine tasks.

Outdated procedures: Transactions, training and onboarding relied heavily on pen-and-paper processes
Inventory challenges: Manual stock tracking made it harder to manage changing inventory accurately
Promotional limitations: Inventory difficulties made it harder to plan weekly sales and promotions

SOLUTION

Connected retail software simplifies store operations

Goodwill of the Great Plains uses Celerant’s DGR point of sale system to connect registers, back-office operations, inventory and reporting in one platform. The software is easy to customize as business needs evolve, while simple workflows make everyday processes easier to manage.

Flexible software: Easy-to-navigate functionality helps speed up in-store processes
Inventory optimization: Detailed inventory metrics support better forecasting and promotional planning
Simplified training: Logical checkout screens help new staff learn the system quickly and efficiently

RESULTS

Faster transactions with simpler inventory management

Goodwill of the Great Plains now benefits from faster transactions across both registers and back-office operations, while “Color of the Week” sales can be activated or adjusted as needed.

Flexible payment options and improved reporting give the organization better insight into inventory and help support more informed business decisions.

Staff can now photograph donated merchandise and add attributes on the fly, eliminating the need to manually sort through large piles and complete individual information cards.

“

We chose Celerant because we needed a customized solution that meets our needs. We were coming from a manual solution, and Celerant allows us to seamlessly integrate the different aspects of our business.

Angela Renders

Director of Retail, Goodwill of the Great Plains

ABOUT THE CLIENT

About Goodwill of Great Plains

Goodwill of the Great Plains, based in Sioux City, IA, started as Wall Street Mission in 1890 and joined the Goodwill movement in 1923. Over the years, our territory has expanded to serve northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska, southwest Minnesota and all of South Dakota. We have locations from Mason City, IA, to Rapid City, SD and currently operate 23 retail stores and donation centers, two online stores and an Outlet Center. We also operate mission programming through various services, programs and special events throughout our territory.

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