Custis: an information system for the trading companies

In such promptly growing and changing industry as trade, capability of the information system (IS) to development becomes a necessary condition of fixing and fast distribution of competitive technologies in all divisions of retail chain stores. Custom project software development allows in close interaction with the customer to create the individual version of his IC, to keep its permanent updating development in those directions which are priority for the customer.

Specifics of custom projects of software development such is that demands from developer company of permanent tracking and implementation at itself new technologies - as actually software developments, and maintaining projects. As a result the customer receives the solution on the basis of modern IT, flexible and upgradeable.

The information system Custis for trade enterprise based on modern technologies successfully solves such problems of fast-growing business as:

• Business scaling - on turnover and the territory
• Preserving of control and controllability with a growth of scales of business
• Fast expansion of a range of offers and services for wholesale and retail clients
• Operational interaction between different divisions (head office, shops, logistic services, warehouses, etc.)

For wholesale and retail retail chain stores the Custom InformSystems company offers a set of program components for automation of the most difficult, resource-intensive and dynamic business processes:

• Directory of goods
• Management of a trade inventory
• Supply of points of retail
• Retail store
• Wholesales
• Analytical storage

Components of the information system Custis can be installed and work in trade enterprise in different configurations. Interaction between modules is performed on the approved API. Interaction with third-party software also can is performed on API.

(At different times, since fall of 2003, the listed ICs program components were implemented and work in retail chain stores Sportmaster)

Directory of goods

It is intended for maintaining the commodity directory of large trade holding or retail retail chain stores. Hierarchically organized directory supports control functions by the prices and a complex system of discounts for separate goods, provides storage of related documents (certificates, descriptions, customs declarations, etc.).

New collections of goods are loaded into the directory automatically. Management of properties of goods and also, up to separate attributes, is performed by access rights to information in the directory without programming.

Competitive functioning with the uniform "Directory of goods" of all divisions of the distributed retail chain stores - work of thousands of users with extraordinary large volumes of information is ensured. The set of qualifiers for the description of properties of goods, information on pricing for different groups and types of goods and also information on a remaining balance of goods in places of their storage is supported.

During commercial operation "The directory of goods" supports a full-fledged work about more than 500,000 commodity articles.

Management of a trade inventory

The logistic module automates merchandising in retail network. The solution allows to manage merchandising in extensive retail chain stores, to solve problems of distribution of goods between warehouses and also to plan distribution of goods between sales channels even before its arrival for warehouses.

Special attention in the module is paid to distribution of the entering goods flow by responsible and to sales channels. At distribution of goods priorities and the weight both sales channels, and separate groups of goods are considered. Also in the module problems of accounting of results of inventory of warehouses, withdrawals of goods from the address, productions of goods from component parts are solved.

The module is integrated with WMS (warehouse management system). In case of integration of the module with WMS warehouse registers are processed in the automatic mode.

Supply of points of retail

The logistic module is held for use in retail chain stores for maintenance of optimum level of trade inventories in shops. The module automates distribution of goods between different sales channels and shops. Control of uniformity of shipments by orders of shops is provided. Merchandising control a warehouse - shop is performed at all stages from arrival of goods on the central warehouses before its shipment to shops.

The problems of logistics of retail chain stores solved using the module:

• Distribution planning of a trade inventory between goods sales channels on the basis of the analysis of rates of sales
• Distribution of goods between sales channels on the basis of goods inventory data by outlets (shops)
• Regulation of distribution of goods
• Processing of results of inventory
• Accounting of requirements of shops at the "pushing" scheme of replenishment of a commodity remaining balance (when an initiator of replenishment is the head office of retail chain stores)
• Accounting of requirements of shops at the "pulling" scheme of replenishment of a commodity remaining balance (when the shop acts as the initiator of replenishment of a commodity remaining balance)
• Accounting of merchandising between a warehouse and shops
• Planning and accounting of distribution of a retail store equipment in shops

Retail store

The module is the standard solution for shops in retail chain stores with the complex organization. In it control of all process of trade from goods acceptance before final implementation is provided, problems of automation of fabrication cycles of sale, internal processes of office-work, efficiency analysis of shops, accounting of trade inventories and their movements are solved.

The module Retail store provides the following business processes in shop:

• Organization of work of a trading floor, sale of goods and interaction with a warehouse
• Organization of work of a warehouse
• Document flow
• Accounting
• Obtaining analytical reports

For the analysis of results of activity and decision making in the module specialized reports form:

• The sales statement on sellers
• Hourly sales statement
• Report on returns
• Sales statement at a discount
• Report on the movement of goods on goods and goods issue slips

The module Retail store supports work with a various retail store equipment:

• Cash registers (CRs)
• Displays of the buyer
• Data collection terminals
• Printers of labels
• Readers of a magnetic band
• Scanners of barcodes

Analytical storage

The data warehouse about financial and commodity transactions is intended for integration of operational information from the heterogeneous accounting systems ensuring the current functioning in different divisions of retail chain stores. Allows to prepare the corporate management reporting.

The analytical Storage thanks to integration and joint accounting of separate data with which operational work is conducted in systems which are not connected among themselves provides the solution of such relevant tasks as:

• Conducting settlement with suppliers (accounting in different currencies, daily revaluation)
• Cost accounting (book value) of goods
• Maintaining corporate balance
• Granting a flow of documents bases for the reference book "VAT Rates on Goods"
• Calculation of change of quotas of goods for shipment from warehouse in shops on the basis of data analysis about the goods confirmed to a SCD

During trial operation in large retail chain stores daily in storage 400-500 thousand lines of new documents are loaded and processed on average. At the same time forces of two IT specialists of the customer provide not only maintenance of the module, but also data loading from six related external applications and also support of changes and additions in Analytical storage.

Wholesales

The module provides support of main types of wholesales: sales of stream and collection goods and also transfer of goods on implementation. In the module settlement with clients based on wholesales is conducted, the balance of settlings with clients is controlled and also management accounting of wholesales is kept.

The module "Wholesales" automates the following business processes:

• Wholesale shipments. Support of various types of sales is implemented. Each sale begins with formation of the order by the client (the Internet access) or the manager of the selling division. The goods from the created order can be reserved and, further, to ship to the client.
• Settlement and obtaining balance of settlings with the client. Different algorithms of comparison of flows of payments and shipments are implemented, and all range of algorithms from completely automatic to manual is supported. There is an opportunity to organize and conduct commodity loans, to consider the provided discounts.
• Maintaining contracts. Process provides formation and maintaining long-term contracts with clients. Such contracts are profitable as the seller, giving him the chance of long-term planning, and to the buyer receiving considerable discounts.

In all listed types of sales preliminary short-term reservation of goods is provided. Also the goods in the module are subject to quoting - fixing of the obligation to sell these goods behind a certain selling division. Quoting purpose: to evenly distribute both running, and unmarketable goods between divisions. At a design of wholesales it is possible to set and control limits on each client / customer group.

The module provides interaction with WMS (warehouse management systems).

The technologies used in the Custis ERP system for retail chain stores

The software components are developed for retail chain stores of Custom InformSystems company on technologies of Oracle and Microsoft (Microsoft .Net). For creation and development of the interface forms the Custis Forms technology (CIS Forms) developed in Custom InformSystems company based on. net Framework Redistributed, SQL*Net is used. These tools allow to provide good high-speed performance and ergonomics during the work with large volumes of data.