Case Studies

Retail Chains

Agro-Soyuz Corporation

Microsoft Dynamics AX

The Agro-Soyuz Corporation is a large organization which has served the Ukrainian agricultural market since 1991. The corporation focuses primarily on the retail and wholesale trade of agricultural machines. The corporation has more than 100 sales representatives across the Ukraine. Agro-Soyuz has become the first Ukrainian company to use the Distribution Center Solution based on Microsoft Dynamics AX. This solution manages the entire product lifecycle within the warehouse: formal acceptance, storage in saving cells, transfer to completing cells, route formation, completion and dispatch of orders.

Aigas Nams

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Customer is dealing with office stationary retail and direct supply to the offices. The installation is located in Latvia and serves Estonia and Lithuania as well. The legistation support is also implemented. The solution covers main business activities as Finanse, Trade and Logistics, Orders management, Intercompany and warehouse management. The main enhancements to the system were made in the order collection area and for warehouse. Axapta is integrated to their web shop (3rd party solution) where customers submit their orders. In the order management they track order statuses (such as recieved, in process, loading etc.) and priorities. In the warehouse area we made an advances order picking solution that reduced the picking time and customers also cut by 30% the employees in there. Technical information: Database - Microsoft SQL Server 2000 50 concurrent users with 1 AOS. 1000-1500 orders per day (including internet).

Avon Beauty Products Company

Microsoft Dynamics AX

The Avon Beauty Products Company was founded in 1995. It is a member of Avon Products Inc. and the only official distributor of Avon goods in Russia. Every year, Avon provides its clients with over 300 new products. The network of services in the regions extends nearly to the entire European part of Russia. In the east it includes the Urals and West Siberia; in the south it includes Stavropol, Krasnodar, and Rostov-on-Don.

Avtomir

Microsoft Dynamics AX

The Avtomir Group is the official dealer of such car producers as Lada, GAZ, Skoda, Renault, Nissan, Suzuki, Kia, Hyundai, Daewoo and Citroen. Today the Avtomir Group sells the cars in 12 multi-brands and dealer centers in Moscow and St.-Petersburg. The Group was the retail sales leader of cars among all automotive dealers in Russia in 2004. It also leads in corporate car sales. It counts among its customers more than 1,000 companies, including Coca-Cola, DHL, Nestle, Sberbank, Danone, Siemens, TNT, Sony, Panasonic, and Ehrmann.

Computer-Center "KEI"

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Computer-Center “KEI” was founded in 1991 and specializes in the development and sale of software, as well as computer supplies. Today, KEI has 11 stores in its retail chain and is the leading official partner in the northwestern region of Intel, Microsoft, Canon, HP, Xerox, Epson, Lexmark, Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips, NEC, Seagate, MSI, and ASUS. KEI provides a wide selection of office, computer, video and photo processes and supplies. The chain currently has 8,000 employees. The Columbus IT implementation allowed the company to consolidate control of purchases and sales, to optimize commodity flows and to have a powerful analytical tool at its disposal.

Dalton Import, S.L.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Dalton Import belongs to the same group as Colex Line and Fidelcolor. Its primary business is retailing cell phones.

Discount-Centre

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Discount-Centre is the largest chain of discount and sale stores in Moscow, St-Petersburg, Kiev, Krasnoyarsk, and Perm. It sells more than 100 brands of men and women's clothes and footwear. D&G, Ferre jeans, Just Cavalli, DKNY, Exte, Iceberg, Moschino jeans – all can be bought at Discount-Centre with deep and permanent discounts. Discounts are usually about 50%, and sometimes they can reach 70% and 75%. At present, the company also sells a large variety of sports outfits and children's clothing.

Dreisler

Microsoft Dynamics AX

The Dreisler Storkøb convenience goods chain has head offices in Aalborg and nine stores through North and Central Jutland. Success in the convenience goods industry relies on timely purchasing, sales campaigns, and sales monitoring. Dreisler used to wait a week to view sales statistics. Then Columbus IT implemented Microsoft Dynamics AX which dramatically improved analytical capabilities and reduced response times. Dreisler can now work with daily sales reports to adjust inventory and increase sales and profitability. “Columbus has competent people both with regard to consultancy and to programming, people who understand the way we think,” says Per Albertsen, IT Manager.

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Fidelcolor, S.A.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Located in Barcelona, Fidecolor is a retailer of consumer electronics (televisions, stereo systems, DVD players, and more).

IDdesign

Microsoft Dynamics AX

IDdesign, a furniture reseller, manages 110 stores and processes 250,000 invoices a year. IDdesign needed to get a new, up-to-date system that would support its future IT strategy: Internet trade, data warehousing, Supply Chain Management, EDI and improved communication. IDdesign chose Microsoft Dynamics AX for its integration and Web facilities, and Columbus IT for their retail module and implementation skills. Shops can now see all information related to their orders and shipments. According to Claus From, IT Manager, Dynamics AX connects external and internal processes much better than before. All invoicing is automated, and in combination with EDI, users only need to enter information into the system once.

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Inkom-Avto

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Inkom-Avto, founded in 1991, is an important player in the Moscow automobile market. The company offers a complete spectrum of services connected with purchasing, renting and operating cars. Today the company has eight auto shops and eight service centers, a spare parts shop, a rental service, and an evacuation service. Inkom-Avto is the official dealer of domestic producers VAZ, GAS and IZH, the official distributor of UAZ, and also the official dealer of foreign autos such as Daewoo, Kia, Hyundai, Renault. The Columbus IT implementation project enabled the company to reduce its time spent on financial accounting. It will optimize business processes by enabling more precise and effective planning of financial activities.

L'Etoile

Microsoft Dynamics AX

With more than 150 stores across Russia the perfume and cosmetics chain “L'Etoile” has experienced nothing but growth since they opened the first store in Moscow in 1997. In order to manage and support their future growth they have recently contracted Columbus IT Partner to implement Retail Manager for Microsoft Axapta. «Before Axapta we used local accounting system 1C system but it had limited management facilities and it didn't give us a chance to process all information – says CIO of L'Etoile Nikolay Zaitsev, - while considering the Axapta implementation we have seen that it's able to solve our problems. L'etoile business partners already had positive experience with Axapta and Columbus IT has a developed ready solution for Retail industry.”

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Matas

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Matas, a retail chain with 287 stores across Denmark, had a mainframe-based IT system that used closed standards. But their strategy was to involve the web, so they switched to an open platform: Microsoft Dynamics AX, implemented by Columbus IT. Dynamics AX controls distribution to the shops, campaign management, price updates, and invoicing of external suppliers' goods. Dynamics AX is also used for purchasing and financials. “In this way we can follow how the products have sold in the individual shops. We use the knowledge to benchmark between the shops, for campaign follow up and for arranging purchases,” says Leif Thesmer, Matas's IT manager.

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MVO

Microsoft Dynamics AX

MVO are among the market leaders in car tires and wheels in Russia. Their workshops are placed at several major shopping centers offering quick tire- and wheel changes. Intense growth rates necessitated a better and more flexible IT system. Columbus IT Partner was chosen to implement a new solution.

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Nexsys de Centroamerica

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Nexsys de Centroamerica is a box software vendor like Microsoft, McAfee, Symantec and others. It distributes its software through wholesale and retail distribution.

Quimicas Unidas

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Quimicas Unidas represents AGFA GEVAERT in Costa Rica, and is the exclusive distributor of its photographic products.

Rautakesko

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Mainly Rautaskesko sells building materials, with three stories in Latvia and headquarters in Finland. It plans to open more stores soon.

Spar Kjop

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Spar Kjøp sells clothing, textiles, gift items and games through mail order and retail stores in Norway. They previously used a combination of systems – each with separate databases. Reports came from different departments like finance or inventory, and the information was not universally accessible, resulting in duplicate data entry. With Dynamics AX from Columbus IT Partner, all information now resides in one integrated database, accessible by the warehouse, stores and customers logging on via the Internet. Microsoft Dynamics AX drives the entire value chain: stores, Web site, inventory, invoicing, accounting, personnel and payroll. This brings cost optimizations to every link in the chain. Says IT Manager Terje Nymark Olsen, "The result is more cost-effective daily operations.”

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Team Sportia

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Team Sportia distributes sports equipment in Sweden. They needed flexible and efficient goods handling and information flow between shops. Microsoft Dynamics AX and Columbus IT's Retail Suite modules provided the answer. Retail Suite enables Team Sportia to update their shops with prices, sizes, models, colours from the head office, as well as offers, campaigns, invoicing, catalogues, gift voucher management, Internet ordering and a goods guide package. Retail Suite also connects B2B customers via the Internet, and POS cash registers. “Retail Suite meets all our requirements," says IT manager Richard Westerlund. "We have got a system which from the start is developed to our needs...we recommend therefore Retail Suite and Columbus IT Partner to others."

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TEKHNOSILA

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Tekhnosila is one of the largest retail chains selling household equipment and electronics in Russia. The company sells more than 15,000 different goods from famous producers of household equipment and electronics. The information system developed by Columbus IT integrated three aspects of Tekhnosila's business processes: finances, logistics (commodity), and fiscal. The system also provides a single information space for the entire company (no duplication of data entry, concurrent conditions, and standards for all operations and users.)

Toyota Motor Russia

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Toyota Motor Ltd., a national marketing and sales company, has exclusive rights to import and distribute Toyota and Lexus cars, spare parts and accessories within the territory of Russian Federation. Toyota consists of 12 factories in Japan and 51 producing companies in 26 countries all over the world. Russia is one of the highest-priority markets for Toyota. There are currently 21 official Toyota dealer centers and four Lexus dealer centers in Russia. The entire automotive production cycle, starting with the factory order and concluding with the sale to the dealer, is now automated with the solution Columbus IT has provided to Toyota Motors.

Trade house Perekrestok

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Perekrestok, a joint-stock company, is the leader in Russian retail trade, as well as one of the oldest and most respected companies in the Russian retail market. The company began in 1995 with one supermarket. Now its includes 80 shops – hypermarkets, supermarkets and discount shops, located in Moscow and other regions of Russia. The company also has a distribution center and continues to develop. Columbus IT helped fully automated the distribution center, including all inter-warehouse transfers -- a step that greatly increased the chain's efficiency as a whole.

Yuniland Holding, DIXI

Microsoft Dynamics AX

The DIXI retail chain in the Moscow Region was formed in 1998. In April 1999, the first Moscow store opened. At present, there are 45 DIXI stores in the area. The stores are managed from a single location which ensures harmonized financial, legal, logistical and marketing support for the chain. More than 100,000 customers select DIXI stores every day. The Columbus IT implementation provided the DIXI chain with a way to manage the problems associated with the control and development of its business. The implementation has also unified a scalable information platform, which is tightly integrated with the electronic trade equipment of shops. As a result, expenses have been minimized, and the quality of service has been improved..