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Wholesale in the Helios system

Wholesale is closely connected with retail. Most companies in this sector have their own sales outlets as well - i.e., they are also active in retail. For this reason, in this area it is necessary to meet to demands of both sectors. In view of the larger amount of goods being moved, wholesale places a higher emphasis on interpretation tools.

From the viewpoint of IS implementation:

• installation must not include too many modules, but should always include many users
• the number of users is usually more than 10, for large companies the average number of users is around 30 or more for one module; several dozen users can work with the entire system
• thanks to the transmission capacity of telephone lines, the trend today is to work in online mode; although it has its specific uses, offline mode is no longer a preferred form of communication
• increased demands on hardware, in particular with the increasing number of users and branches in online mode. Simplified maintenance of server installation and speed of access to current data are two important arguments for an online solution
• emphasis on data protection and especially on the ability to define individual employee access rights to the various modules or functionalities

References

Het Slovakia, s. r. o.,
Gunnex SK, s. r. o.,
Metzler International, s. r. o.,
Gumex SK, s. r. o.,
Autotrend, s. r. o.,
Geco Tabak, s. r. o.,
Slovakia Medical, s. r. o.,
Fronius Slovensko, s. r. o.,
Komterm, s. r. o.,
PURO-KLIMA Slovakia, s. r. o.,
Latem Recycling, s. r. o.,
Grupo Antolin Bratislava, s. r. o.,
GM electronic,
Euromedia Group,
BaB spol s r.o.,
Iron - Art,
K.T.O. International,
Krok CZ,
ProFitness CR,a.s.(Vitaland),
Agromak ND s.r.o.,
Baterie centrum, s.r.o.,
BAWEL, s.r.o.,
CANDY, spol. s r. o.,
CANTO s.r.o.,
CeramTec Czech Republic, s.r.o.,
CIDEMAT Hranice, s.r.o.,
EDUARD - MODEL ACCESSORIES s.r.o.,
Essellte s.r.o.,
FORM, s.r.o.,
GECO TABAK, s.r.o.,
HANEL GLOBAL TOYS s.r.o.,
HÖGNER s.r.o.,
HUSKY CZ, s.r.o.,
JECH CZ, s.r.o.,
KIRAN, s.r.o.,
Kroko a.s.,
Merimex, s.r.o.,
Mikro Trading, a.s.,
Moravia Energo, a.s.,
OLPRAN spol. s r.o.

Case study GurmEko

GurmEko has been a familiar presence on the Czech food industry market since 1991. The company specializes in the import, processing and sale of spices and spice mixtures for restaurants, large-scale food services and food industry producers. It sells its products not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Slovakia and - since EU accession - in the border regions of Austria and Germany.

In 1997, the company's original name "Eko" was changed to include the concept of "gourmet", resulting in the new compound name GurmEko as well as the registration of a protected trademark. GurmEko specializes primarily in the restaurant industry. Ten of its sales representatives are responsible for some 15,000 customers, including VIP clients (top-30 hotels and prominent restaurants). The company's clients also include food wholesalers and producers. In other words, GurmEko's spices are used in all restaurants from top hotel restaurants down to small country taverns, wine cellars, pizzerias, bars, fast food restaurants and other rapid food service establishments, school and hospital cafeterias, producers of snacks and semi-finished products and more and more. In order to support its extensive and diverse activities, the company naturally requires a comprehensive information system capable of sufficiently covering these activities.

The 1990s: From DOS to Office

Unlike many other companies, GurmEko's management understood the need for an information system as early as 1994, when the company started using the "Podnikatel" system. This system covered the entire management of company resources, much like Helios Orange does today. However, it worked in the DOS environment and thus did not allow for the use of modern information and communication possibilities. Additional processing and evaluation of data required working with MSOffice tools which allowed for the planning of purchases, sales and financial flow. With the growing number of sales representatives, the company needed to be able to manage, monitor and coordinate them. There also arose the need for the central recordkeeping of sales opportunities and a detailed registry of clients. An ideal solution would also include the option of mobile access for both sales representatives and management.

Therefore, in 2005 GurmEko issued a call for tenders for the purchase of a new information system which made use of modern technologies. The selection was performed in three rounds; in the second round, applicants had to meet one very important condition - the system's connection to mobile solutions through the direct on-line connection of Cash Register Sales modules with warehouse reports. All systems offered by LCS fully conform to "European" legislation. "We chose the Helios Orange information system not only because it offered a certified connection to mobile solutions, but also for its very advantageous cost-benefit ratio in relation to company size," says Ing. Zdeněk Jelínek, GurmEko's executive director.

It all depends on people

The procurement process was closed on 30 July 2006, and the order followed soon after (10 July). Analytical work could be launched in the 28th week. "GurmEko's approach placed an emphasis on training the people who would be working with this system on a daily basis after January 2007. Lack of staff preparation is often a main motive for a client's ‘reservations' towards new information systems," explains Zdeněk Jelínek.

System implementation was completed on Tuesday, 30 January 2007, meaning that today all employees have familiarized themselves with their new tool. What it actually looks like and what it is capable of can be seen from the following information: The Helios Orange ERP system is licensed for a total of 12 users at GurmEko. The company has implemented the Finance version (containing the Accounting, Banking, Cash Office and Assets modules), as well as the Warehousing and Sales module, including CRM. Another useful tool for company management is the Management Evaluation module. The server side components are two IBM servers - a database server and a terminal server running Windows Small Business Server 2003 and Windows 2000 server.

Expectations and daily operations

"What main benefits do we expect from the new system?" asks Zdeněk Jelínek. "Above all, working with a single database as a central storehouse for all data. For our sales staff , there is of course the mobile PDA-based solution and the possibility of using additional information and communications options. For instance, we are looking at linking with the CarNet vehicle tracking system and with Shell fuel cards, an intranet for quality management, HACCP and other options. We appreciate the rapid access to all required information within one system and its user-friendly interface, which of course was preceded by employee training and trial operation." The system is accessible at the company's offices in Prague (headquarters), Písek, Jablonec nad Nisou, Brno and Ostrava and will be implemented at the Karlovy Vary branch over the course of this year. All branches access the system via terminals connected to the central server. The company chose an online solution because it simplified and increased the efficiency of overall system administration. Early doubts regarding the stability of the connection were overcome through the use of professional internet connection services and proper hardware configuration for the overall security of day-to-day operations.