We found the problem together and built the system together.
Food production and marketing company · Transformation management
It started as an order portal and grew into a mini ERP built for the company.
Before
Email · phone
Manual entry into Excel
No process or controls
→
After
Customer portal
⇅
Mini ERP: stock · accounts · invoicing
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Situation
A food production and marketing company that was making a loss and whose processes hardly worked. It received around 50 orders a day; product, stock and customer information was kept in Excel.
Finding
The same data was entered by hand several times, and customers called the company to find out their balances. The system/software everyone thought was in use was not actually being used.
Result
So far, the processes have been rebuilt from scratch. The system, which started as an order portal, has grown into company-specific software covering orders, stock, customer accounts, invoices and delivery notes. Each customer logs in with their own password, with separate permissions for customers, administrators and accounting. Orders now come through a single channel and are entered once. Customers can see their balances and documents on the portal themselves.
In progress · process setup and software
Restaurant chain · Cost and profitability
It was not clear which products were profitable; we revealed profitability product by product.
Before
Sales and costs disconnected
Product cost unknown
Profitability not visible
→
After
Renewed system
Full cost: labour + overheads
Profitability by product
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Situation
Sales and costs could not be checked by product, and it was impossible to see which products made a profit and which made a loss.
Finding
The existing system did not link sales and costs at product level; labour and overheads were not reflected in product cost.
Result
The system was completely renewed. The full cost of each product, including labour and overheads, was calculated and matched with sales. Management now makes menu and pricing decisions based on the real profitability of each product.
Completed · cost analysis and system renewal
Warehousing and distribution · Discount and stock control
The software was not enough; we built a new system that brought discounts and stock under control.
Before
Discounts set freely
Incomplete stock tracking
Goods in transit ignored
→
After
System built from scratch
Rule-based discounts + manager approval
Stock by lot and expiry date
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Situation
In the software in use, discounts were left entirely to the discretion of whoever issued the invoice and could be set freely. Stock could not be fully tracked, and goods in transit were not taken into account at all. The company was not aware of this.
Finding
Discounts were set without any rule or approval, and stock could not be tracked reliably. The existing software was not built to meet these needs.
Result
The system was rebuilt from scratch. Discounts were linked to sales and tied to criteria based on customer size, with a manager approval step. Stock became traceable by lot and expiry date. In about 6 months of work, the discount and stock problems were brought under control.
Completed · analysis and software
Restaurant chain · Control of clock-in/clock-out times and labour costs
Labour costs were not controlled; we built the system and reduced unnecessary costs.
Before
Working hours not recorded
Shifts not planned
Labour not linked to turnover
→
After
Setting up clock-in/clock-out records
Shift planning based on sales forecasts
Labour tracking by branch
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Situation
In a country where wages are paid by the hour, labour costs could not be controlled branch by branch.
Finding
Working hours were not recorded systematically, labour costs were not linked to each branch's turnover, and shifts were not planned in advance.
Result
Systems were set up to record clock-in and clock-out times. Labour costs are analysed branch by branch, taking into account sales and the setup of each restaurant. As a step that had never been taken before, next week's sales are forecast and labour hours are planned before the week starts. Unnecessary labour costs are corrected. Actual figures are tracked in the system and the results are analysed. A clear reduction in labour costs has been achieved.
Completed · analysis, process setup and software
Multi-company manufacturing group · Expense, advance and payment processes
Forms were passed from hand to hand for signatures; we moved approvals and payments into one system.
Before
Forms passed around for signatures
Approvals cannot be tracked
Payments chased by phone
→
After
Electronic approval flow and control
Posting to accounting from the system
A single cash flow table
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Situation
A manufacturing group made up of several companies. Advance, expense and credit card spending forms were passed from department to department for signatures. Departments sent their payment requests to finance by hand, by email and by phone.
Finding
It was impossible to see who had approved a form and when, and passing documents around wasted time. People called to ask whether a payment had been made, and finance could not see upcoming payments in advance.
Result
The processes were designed and put into use together with IT. Advance, expense and credit card forms were moved into an electronic approval flow and are posted to accounting from the system. The date and time of every approval can be tracked, and approvers can see the requester's advance balance. Departments' payment requests appear in the cash flow table as forecast and confirmed; requesters are notified automatically when a request is paid.
Completed · process design and internal control
Multi-company manufacturing group · Purchasing and invoice control
Invoices were checked by hand; we moved price, quantity and discount checks into the system.
Before
Invoices checked by hand
Invoices above tender price
Contract discounts not tracked
→
After
Tender price and quantity checks
Contract discount checks
Overbilled amounts set aside for refund
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Situation
In the same manufacturing group, purchasing and accounting checked by hand whether invoices for raw materials, packaging, promotional materials and vehicle maintenance matched the tender and the contract.
Finding
Invoices above the tender unit price and the quantity delivered to the warehouse could be entered into the system. In vehicle maintenance invoices, the parts and labour discounts in the contract could not be checked, and it was impossible to see when the same part had last been replaced.
Result
The processes were designed and put into use together with IT. When invoices are entered, they are compared with the tender unit price, the quantity received and the discount rate in the contract; invoices that do not match cannot be entered. Goods exceeding the tender quantity cannot be received into the warehouse without approval. Overbilled amounts are tracked in a separate account for refund, without affecting cost.
Completed · process design and internal control
Warehousing and distribution · Customer and price tracking
Prices and quotations could not be tracked; we built a CRM for the company.
Before
Prices given not recorded
No customer tracking
Quotations forgotten
→
After
Price history by customer
Call and quotation reminders
Potential customer tracking
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Situation
A company providing warehousing and distribution services. Prices and quotations given to customers and potential customers were not kept in one central place.
Finding
It was impossible to track which price had been given to which customer, and a customer could be quoted a higher price than before. Customers were not called when they should have been, and quotations were forgotten. The same was true for potential customers.
Result
A CRM was built for the company; customers and potential customers were brought together in one system. The prices and quotations given to each customer can be seen with their history, and the previous price appears on screen when a new quotation is prepared. Reminders were set up for calls and quotation dates.
Completed · analysis and software
Production, warehousing and distribution · Sales team management
Sales performance could not be measured; we linked bonus, route and promotion tracking to the system.
Before
Performance not measurable
Bonuses not calculated correctly
Routes and samples uncontrolled
→
After
Performance by representative
Rule-based bonus calculation
Route planning and promotion tracking
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Situation
A company that stored and distributed the products it manufactured. It worked with sales representatives assigned to its customers.
Finding
The performance of sales representatives could not be measured, and sales bonuses could not be calculated correctly. Visit routes could not be planned efficiently. Promotional materials and free samples were not managed properly.
Result
The performance of sales representatives became traceable by customer and product. Bonuses are calculated in the system according to set rules. Visit routes are planned according to customer locations. Promotional materials and free samples are tracked by representative and customer.
Completed · analysis and software
Don't try to fit your software,let your software fit you.
Instead of struggling with the limits of off-the-shelf software, contact CREXA Consulting: we analyse how your business really works and build your system around it.
