Profcast (Kleverens: Warehouse 15)

2025: How Profcast learned to see every step of production

When production fades into the background

Profcast from St. Petersburg has a complex production. It produces more than 1,500 unique radiator configurations: design radiators, retro-style cast-iron models, internal convectors, towel dryers. Almost all products are ordered, with individual parameters: RAL color, height, connection type.

Until recently, the manufacture of products was controlled manually. Information about where the order is located - on assembly, painting or packaging - was transmitted through paper route sheets. The data in the accounting system was late, and the exact status of each product had to be found out by phone.

We're not just putting radiators together. We produce heat. And each stage - from cutting metal to packaging - should be under control. One mistake - and the product is not suitable for the client. And this means a breakdown in deadlines, claims and loss of trust. told Natalia Malik, project manager "Profcast"

"Blind spots" at the plant

The main problem was the gap between the workshop and the warehouse. Production was carried out in "1C: Management of our (small) company," and logistics and sales - in "1C: Management of trade." These systems worked almost independently of each other.

The product could be idle on the packaging until space was available in the warehouse. The shipment was delayed because the readiness data did not have time to transmit. And if it was necessary to understand why the deadlines were broken, dozens of papers had to be dug.

The same products are white, matte, 1600 mm, with a lower connection there can be ten pieces. Without accurate marking, it is difficult to understand which one is already ready and which one is stuck in painting. narrated by Natalia Malik

Need a system

The company's management understood that it was impossible to scale without a single digital ecosystem. It was decided to implement the Warehouse 15 mobile software from Cloverens, which will tie everything together - from the workshop to the client.

The implementation of the project was entrusted to the specialists of the VIANT company. The choice of the integrator was due to the experience of the team with production cycles and the willingness to adapt the system to the unique speciality of Profkast.

We needed not just software, but a system that "understands" what production is. And from the integrator we expected not a banal installation of the program, but the fact that it will delve into the essence of our processes. reported by Natalia Malik

In addition, Profcast is participating in the Honest Sign experiment, so it was important to immediately select shipping documentation that can read DataMatrix codes and configure the entire system to interact with the regulator.

How they began to change processes

Automation in production is not just about replacing paper with terminals. This is a rearrangement of all work logic, from when the order was started to when it was packaged and shipped. Profkast understood that without a deep study of each stage, even the most modern software will not give results. Therefore, the implementation began not with the installation of software, but with a detailed analysis of where exactly time is lost, where errors occur and why the accounting system does not reflect the real picture.

First of all, the VIANT team conducted an audit. Revealed the main points:

• no control over the time of operations;
• Picking errors
• manual document flow takes 3 hours a day;
• disparate accounting systems.

The standard scheme in 1C was not suitable. Therefore, you have created a custom system based on the Manufacturing Order document. Developed new states, refined business processes and implemented barcoding.

Now each order has a digital passport - a printed form with QR codes for each item. This allows you to unambiguously identify even the most similar products.

When trust in the system turned to confidence

The Profcast plant employs experienced personnel who have been building work algorithms for years: from transferring an order from workshop to workshop to manual registration of product readiness. Any changes caused natural resistance - not because of unwillingness to work in a new way, but because the old order was time-tested. Integrators needed to simply implement shipping documentation, and make the system understandable, predictable and useful for each employee.

To do this, the interface on data collection terminals was simplified as much as possible. Now everything is simple: the employee scans the barcode of the document - and the system itself tells you what to do next. No extra buttons, no confusion. All you need is to perform the operation and click Finish. After that, the product automatically goes to the next stage, and the start and end dates are fixed in the system.

All orders are reflected in the terminal. We scan the barcode - we accept it for the stage. Pressed the button - finished. Then the product proceeds to the next stage. told Natalia Malik, project manager at Profcast

To speed up adaptation, the VIANT team prepared detailed instructions and conducted training. After a couple of days, employees confidently worked with shipping documentation. The system ceased to be perceived as alien technology and became part of the everyday rhythm.

After starting the system, all production processes - assembly, shot blasting, painting, packaging - began to be recorded in real time. The employee scans the document barcode on the shipping documentation, and the system records the beginning and end of each step. Thanks to this, management has gained full transparency: now you can see for sure at what stage each order is, whether there are delays and whether the deadlines are met. The report on active production documents allows you to filter data by workshop, manager and status, which makes management more accurate and operational.

Transparent chain from assembly to shipment

Digitalization in production rarely has an instant effect. But in "Profkast" after a few months it became obvious: the system ceased to be just a accounting tool and turned into the basis for a new level of management. What used to be "blind spots" - where exactly the order got stuck, how long the painting took, why shipments are delayed - has now become visible, controlled and predictable. Automation has simplified the work and completely changed the culture of interaction between the workshop, warehouse and managers.

Now every product - from the machine to the client - has a digital passport. It can be traced to each stage: assembly, shot blasting, painting, packaging. The system records the start and end times of operations, automatically generates documents in 1C and calculates the dates of the next stages. This made it possible to close the gap between production and logistics, which previously worked in different systems - "1S:UNF" and "1C: UT."

Key results:

• Reduced time for document management - saving 7-10 minutes per document;
• We reduced errors in picking - the system checks the correspondence of the product and the code during scanning;
• We have achieved complete transparency of statuses - you can find out in a second where any order is located, who fulfills it and whether there are delays;
• We accelerated the inventory - the balances are recalculated using the shipping documentation, the data instantly falls into 1C.

We now see how many radiators are made at each stage and how much time it takes. The time savings are huge. reported Natalia Malik, project manager "Profcast"

The routine stopped slowing down processes. Production and warehouse work as a single mechanism. Even the acceptance of finished products has become easier: the storekeeper opens the document at the shipping documentation, scans the items - and the goods are automatically taken into account in 1C. Plus, Profcast has already set up processes to participate in the Honest Sign experiment:

• implemented stickers with unique codes;
• Set up label printing at the packing stage
• prepared the system for mandatory labeling.

The plans are to fully automate the inventory and expand the use of shipping documentation for all employees.

The most difficult thing was to teach the system to "think like a collector." She must understand that a white radiator with a lower connection is not the same as a white radiator with a side connection. We implemented this through multilevel check logic. Now each radiator has a digital passport. told Evgeny Kovalenko, project manager "VIANT"

Automation has proven its value: it not only fixes mistakes, but also lays the foundation for growth, improving service and entering new markets.

Advice from those who have gone the way

Automation in production is only about the introduction of software and the issuance of shipping documentation. This is a profound transformation: from thinking "so always done" to a systemic approach, where each stage is transparent and each decision is based on data. At Profkast, this path was not easy: I had to rebuild processes, change habits, adapt the system to the unique specifics of the radiators produced. But it was thanks to this that the experience became valuable - it showed what works and what is better to avoid.

The story of "Profkast" is a ready-made checklist for any manufacturer:

• Integration is more important than individual solutions. Only the combination of "1C: UNF," "1S:UT" and mobile software gives a complete picture from production to the client.
• Customization is a necessity. Standard solutions often do not take into account the specifics of production. It is important that the system is specific to the operation of the enterprise.
• Barcoding reduces errors. But you need to label the product correctly, otherwise there will be no benefit. A solution with printed form and QR codes has become the key to accuracy.
• Preparation for labeling is an investment. The choice of compatible equipment made it possible to avoid replacing shipping documentation in the future and now participate in the Honest Sign experiment.
• Phased implementation is more reliable. First, they launched control of the stages, then - the warehouse, now - labeling. This approach made it possible to consolidate the result at each step.

Automation had a positive effect on traceability. Accounting has become more accurate, and work is faster. concluded Natalia Malik, project manager "Profcast"