Alliance, Voronezh (Kleverens: Warehouse 15)

2025: Honest SIGN - a boost to growth, or how "Alliance" prepared the warehouse for labeling a year before the start of the mandatory stage

100 tons of liability

There is no place for mistakes in the logistics of perishable products. One day of delay - and the company is already incurring losses due to spoiled goods. This is especially true for dairy products, where the implementation time is short, and the storage requirements are tough.

The Alliance company from Voronezh has a huge burden: every day they receive and ship about 100 tons of dairy products from more than 2,000 suppliers. The warehouse works without stopping: products come in the morning, and in the evening they go to retail chains. No leftovers, no delays. But that is why a accounting error can be fatal.

We work in conditions where the production date is a critical parameter that must be taken into account along with the name and quantity of the product. told Alexander Zolototrubov, Logistics Director of Alliance LLC

The Three Main Issues

With the introduction of mandatory labeling through the Honest SIGN system, the old methods of work ceased to meet the accounting requirements, and employees ceased to cope with the load. Previously, storekeepers were guided by two parameters: name and number. Now the third has been added - the expiration date. And it became impossible to check him with his eyes on paper invoices.

The first problem is picking errors. Due to the overload of employees and the high pace of work, overdue shipments began to appear. Each error triggered a chain reaction: recalculation, correction of documents, unscheduled inspections.

The second is working with large manufacturers who require combining several invoices into one delivery. This manual operation took up to two hours and often ended with new errors.

The third is the lack of a unified control system. Accounting was carried out partially manually, the data fell into 1C with a delay, and checking the expiration dates was purely visual.

Imagine: you need to find 15 invoices in the system, check the deadlines for each, combine them into one delivery - and all this under pressure from time. Checking three parameters with your eyes on a piece of paper is like looking for a needle in a haystack. told Alexander Zolototrubov

The solution was not immediately found

The management of Alliance LLC understood that this could not continue further. But automation is not only and not so much about the purchase of equipment. This is a full-fledged change in the entire culture of work. Therefore, we decided to proceed carefully.

The choice fell on software Kleverens the data collection terminals themselves to account for goods using shipping documentation. iData K3S-2 The implementation partner was a company - "Terabyte" a team with experience in. food to logistics

The project began with a test launch: only two terminals, only the main operations - acceptance, shipment, configuration control. The main goal was to check how the system will cope with the flow and specifics of dairy products.

The result exceeded all expectations, and after a few weeks it was decided to scale the implementation. The system stably coped with the load, did not fail at a high pace of operation and accurately, automatically checked the shelf life. Storekeepers began to actively use shipping documentation in their daily work - without reminders, on their own initiative. This was the main signal: the technology is accepted, it works, the company is ready for growth.

Processes change, people - too

At the first stage, the integrators focused on adapting the system to the real needs of the warehouse. The standard configuration "1C: Trade Management 10.3" was not enough: the functionality for batches and shelf life was limited, and work with marking through the Honest SIGN system required accurate accounting at the batch level.

I had to refine the subsystem from scratch:

• Added props "Print Mode" - to flexibly control the output of labels during acceptance;
• The "PrintingBarcodeISerii" handler was implemented - for the correct formation of marked documents;
• We have set up tables for accounting for goods by series - now the system sees each batch separately;
• We introduced the possibility of filtering by the target shelf life during shipment - the storekeeper sees only those goods that meet the customer's requirements.

The most difficult thing is to integrate the process of working with series into a system where there are essentially none. I had to refine the shelf life accounting subsystem from scratch. told Dmitry Buryanovsky, Terabyte Implementation Specialist

Now the system itself checks the compliance of the article, batch and expiration date. If the storekeeper tries to ship the goods with the wrong date, the transaction is blocked at the shipping documentation level. This excludes the human factor and ensures that only parties suitable for the date of the batch fall into retail chains.

The interface on the terminals was deliberately simplified. Only three buttons are left: acceptance, shipment, picking control. No extra functions, no stress.

We deliberately started from two terminals - we wanted to test the system in real conditions. The interface was made as simple as possible: only acceptance, shipment, inventory. Three buttons - three actions. The fewer buttons, the fewer errors. reported by Alexander Zolototrubov

The training went quickly. A week later, all operators worked confidently. Soon after the launch, it became clear: the technology is not just more convenient - it is 1000 times more reliable than manual accounting.

When technology made a warehouse predictable

One of the most difficult tasks in the Alliance warehouse was to prepare supplies for large manufacturers that require combining several invoices into one. Previously, this operation was carried out manually, took up to two hours and often ended in errors: expiration dates were confused, documents were lost, and there were discrepancies in accounting.

After the introduction of Kleverens software for accounting for goods using shipping documentation and the iData data collection terminals themselves, the K3S-2 process has changed dramatically. The system now automatically generates documents, filters items by target shelf life, and helps the storekeeper select only suitable batches. Each scan is checked for compliance with the series, name and date - if something does not match, the operation is blocked at the shipping documentation level.

Thanks to this:

• Shipping errors with incorrect expiration dates decreased by 90%;
• Order assembly accelerated by 20% after employee adaptation;
• Accounting has become transparent: data is updated in real time, accounting no longer spends a day reconciling paper documents;
• Full control over the series has appeared - now you can accurately track where each batch of dairy products is located.

Previously, the accounting department checked the pieces of paper for days - now all information is updated in real time. We do not even imagine how they worked without shipping documentation. told Alexander Zolototrubov, Logistics Director of Alliance LLC

Now the warehouse works as a single mechanism. All processes - from acceptance to shipment - are controlled by the system. There is no more running around with notebooks, confusion about overhead or fear that something will be forgotten to contribute. Automation did not replace people - it freed them from the routine, allowing them to focus on quality of service and prompt task solving.

The success of the first stage was the starting point for growth. Today, the warehouse has 9 terminals, and the plans are to connect all 40 storekeepers to a single accounting system. The team is also working on the complete automation of invoice pooling and the introduction of shelf life analytics.

Now we are working to ensure that the system itself prompts which batches to take in the first place, based on the timing and delivery routes. reported by Alexander Zolototrubov

Automation has ceased to be just a solution to the problem - it has become a competitive advantage. Thanks to the introduction of Kleverens and shipping documentation software, Alliance was able to meet the requirements of large manufacturers, join the Honest Sign experiment and position itself as a technological partner.

In the near future, the company plans to use the digital maturity of the warehouse as an argument in negotiations with new suppliers and turn automation into a leading part of business strategy.

What remains after implementation: practice instead of theory

Warehouse automation always involves deep restructuring of processes, thinking and culture of work and abandoning old habits. Success depends not so much on technology as on how competently they are built into real work.

The experience of the Alliance has shown that even in difficult conditions - with a limited 1C configuration, high deadlines and the special nature of Fair Sign labeling - you can achieve results if you follow proven principles.

Here's what helped make it a success:

• Start small. The implementation began not with large-scale purchases, but with two iData K3S-2 terminals. The test launch made it possible to evaluate the system in real conditions, minimizing risks and convincing the team of its effectiveness.
• Do not complicate the interface. Only three main functions are left at the shipping documentation: acceptance, shipment, procurement control. The simpler the interface, the faster the staff adaptation and fewer errors.

The fewer buttons, the less an employee needs to think - which means less chance of error. noted Alexander Zolototrubov

• Work with a strong partner. Without the expertise of Terabyte, it would be impossible to finalize 1S:UT 10.3, implement batch accounting and configure the correct integration. The integrator helped not only technically, but also strategically - he clearly planned the stages and promptly resolved emerging issues.
• Make hybrid decisions. Since the Fair Sign marking codes do not pass into the ownership of the company, I had to combine scanning and manual data entry. However, the system provides tight control: each action is checked, and the risk of error is minimized.

Now we can boldly say: yes, automation requires investment. But these investments pay off not only in money, but also on quiet nights without nightmares about checks. added Alexander Zolototrubov

This is the experience of a wholesale company, suffered in practice. And it's poised to be a starting point for others just beginning their journey to the digital warehouse.