Kopek (GESTORI Pro)

Features of automation of multiformat network "KOPEYKA"

Three formats are provided to Kopeyka networks:

"economic supermarket": 700-1.000 sq.m, the range of 2500 goods, 7-9 POS in each shop;

"economic hypermarket": 2000-3500 sq.m, the range of 10.000 goods, 18-25 POS in each shop;

"shop at the house": 300-400 sq.m, the range of 1000 goods, 2-3 POS in each shop.

At the moment control of merchandising is exercised of the integrated software package including a corporate information system of SAP R/3 and the special version of the information system GESTORI Pro from FIT company.

Both interacting a software package have the centralized architecture that provides the most effective management system for a distributed network.

It is also necessary to note that the GESTORI Pro system acts also as the centralized cash server, managing all functions of a trading floor: providing different discount programs, formation of acts of revaluation, control of the specialized equipment, collecting and data processing, including base of checks about more than 850 POS terminals.

Integration of SAP R/3 and GESTORI took place in two stages.

1. Integration from a financial component of SAP R/3.

2. Profound integration of SAP R/3 and GESTORI at commodity level.

At the first stage the GESTORI system automated management of merchandising in the field of internal logistics of the company. At the second stage the GESTORI system plays an IC role on management of retail sales.

THE FIRST STAGE OF INTEGRATION

Foreign experience shows that implementation in the trading companies of an ERP system is most often limited to spheres of finance and accounting. Such companies as Wal-Mart and METRO ERP-системы interact with specialized Retail-packets which solve problems of logistics management of trading floors. Nevertheless, experience of Kopeyka company showed that for formats of shops which they chose and it is economic supermarkets, deeper integration is possible.

At the first stage of integration SAP R/3 and GESTORI standard tasks – the same were solved, as at integration with simple accounting packets, such as 1C, BEST, etc.

About specifics of creation of an information system in relation to network of supermarkets Kopek

Mr. Novikov V.E., PhD in Technological Sciences, the technical director of the company of FIT tells.

The project begun in 1998 by one of clients of FIT Felma company which made the decision on the organization of discount network of supermarkets Kopek (Moscow) is selected with qualitative novelty. The many-sided task – to provide was set for FIT company:

* a common information space for decision making in real time;

* a possibility of carrying out the consolidated purchasing policy of the trade enterprise (TE) at any moment on the basis of up-to-date information;

* the maximum automation in solving of tasks of replenishment action of shops;

* possibility of centralized operation by pricing;

* "tough" assortment management;

* relevant monitoring of functioning of TP in any workplace, including a possibility of effective remote access;

* ensuring optimal premises for the concentrated placement of managerial infrastructure of TP;

* greatest possible reduction of quantity of a managerial personnel in shops;

* the operational consolidated analytics of work of TP.

For providing the set operating conditions, the decision on installation of the information system GESTORI in a configuration from a uniform, central DB was made. For ensuring remote database access the allocate circuits connecting the central office to the distribution center and all shops were constructed.

About results of implementation

Mr. Dmitriyev S. Yu., PhD in Technological Sciences, the director of the department of information technologies of network of supermarkets Kopek tells.

The first supermarket Kopek was open on May 7, 1998. Relying on own experience and experience of other Russian enterprises for management of network structures, the company management initially was guided by tough centralized operation of supermarkets by network. This circumstance predetermined also the choice of the centralized scheme of creation of an information system with the single database.

The main outcomes of implementation of the centralized information system are in the field of core business:

* intensification of all internal logistic processes: for example, cycle duration "order delivery" from the beginning of formation of the order in a supermarket before delivery it from the distribution center does not exceed 12 hours at the nomenclature about 1000 names;

* pricing simplification: the price is quoted once on one goods, and this transaction is done at the central office till 20 o'clock, and the next morning at 9 o'clock price labels already stand in supermarkets;

* complete elimination of double entry and double control of information;

* existence of the comprehensive information about relationship with the supplier: orders, deliveries, the prices, returns, etc. regardless of a point of delivery to networks of supermarkets;

* an opportunity to make on the centralized scheme and direct deliveries in supermarkets of separate types of goods (in this case cycle duration does not exceed "order delivery" 18 hours);

* economy of the highly qualified personnel occupied in marketing, logistics and accounting due to high automation of basic processes and separation of personnel into analysts and operators in the ratio 1 to 4 (the general economy of highly qualified personnel makes up to 25 people now, and this trend amplifies with growth of number of supermarkets).

Operating costs are reduced for the centralized information system by the main thing of images for the account:

* sharp cutting of costs for keeping of personnel of IT services, administration and maintenance it is performed from the central office with rare departures into place. So the IT personnel number relation to number of supermarkets makes 0.75 whereas in a traditional case this indicator is more than 2, and this trend amplifies with growth of number of supermarkets;

* significant reliability augmentation of all system due to use of hi-tech software products (the used GESTORI complex of production of FIT company is constructed based on Progress DBMS), high-performance Alpha-servers of production of Compaq company, modern telecommunication equipment of Motorola company and also high-quality data transmission channels of Golden Lyne company. Centralization allows to consolidate expenses and, once purchasing high-class technical solutions, to save;

* uses of modern "boundary" technologies, such as, for example, "voice over IP". This technology using the equipment of Motorola company without essential additional costs allows to organize on the centralized data network a corporate telephone network which cost of operation is close to zero as opposed to the constant tariffing admitted to MGTS. The MGTS phone is used only for negotiations with territorial authorities and with special services of the city. Economy from use of such technology allows to cover from 40 to 70% of rent costs of data transmission channel to a supermarket.

Except the listed sure gains also advantages which are difficult for estimating in terms of money are had. For example, a possibility of keeping of one-two high-class IT specialists on each of the main areas of work.

Relying on experience of the last two years, one may say, that all advantages of the centralized creation of network management of supermarkets at the same time become noticeable, starting with the 5th … the 6th supermarket. And that to receive them, it is necessary to make difficult management decision – to initially build a network management system on the centralized scheme.

The IT personnel of Kopek are responsible for smooth functioning of all range of the IT equipment, since the cash equipment, scales, scanners, and finishing a LAN with the office equipment (printers, copiers, etc.) and also all range of software solutions.

THE SECOND STAGE OF INTEGRATION

At the second stage of integration SAP R/3 and GESTORI effective methods solutions of a number of difficult tasks were found:

1. Directory synchronization, necessary for management of retail sales, such, as commodity, structural divisions, etc.

2. Organization of import of documents of establishment of retail prices for goods.

3. Gain of audit of retail sales about more than 460 POS terminals before export to SAP R/3 system. 4. Organization of export of retail sales to SAP R/3 system.

5. Implementation of procedural pseudo-on-line of the mode of delivery of sales from cash desks in the GESTORI system.

Use of the GESTORI system in the Kopeyka trading company on an extent of more than 12 years allowed managers of the retailer to debug a business model that significantly reduced amount of works on SAP R/3 system implementation.

As a result of project implementation of deep integration of the GESTORI and SAP R/3 systems the solution combining powerful functionality of one of the most effective ERP systems and specialized functions of the GESTORI system, most popular in automation of the Russian network retail, is received.