“The Polish retail environment has seen a great deal of change and consolidation over the past decade,” says Robert Hipp, IT manager for TGBP. “Foreign players are currently reshaping the market, creating both benefits and challenges for domestic manufacturers. However, our company is well-positioned for future growth and taking advantage of new opportunities through our modern trade expertise and the ongoing investment in technological enhancements at every stage of operation.”
Real-time tracking and analytical abilities
In 2002, Tata Global Beverages Polska implemented the Epicor iScala enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to automate the sales process, ranging from warehouse management to invoicing. Today, 20 corporate employees use the system daily to facilitate the majority of the company's financial and logistic procedures. The iScala system was recently updated to the latest version through a joint effort between Epicor Software Poland and TGB IT professionals based in Poland, the UK, and India. In addition to enhancing the service connect interfaces, the solution provides a real-time method for tracking and researching historical customer information, analysing budgets, and increasing the efficiency and accuracy of bookkeeping and accounting practices.
Capturing critical business information
The iScala ERP system was designed by Epicor to capture critical business information and aid the decision-making of multinational corporations and large local or regional companies operating across multiple borders. Services include the ability to access global customer information quickly, streamline international supply chain activities, and compile in-depth analytical details that improve strategies and processes.
Most recently, Epicor introduced major enhancements to the iScala solution. This enhanced release supports the latest Microsoft platforms, while helping clients throughout Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America achieve fiscal and regulatory compliance without the need for separate third-party tools. It also helps companies manage and control inventory with new security settings that handle both bonded and obsolete goods. Other features include enhanced business insight using Multi-level Snap Searches to create user-definable drill-down queries; increased efficiency through user-definable fast order entry and planning screens; integration to the Epicor ICE platform that delivers access to innovative solutions such as Dashboards, Business Activity Queries (BAQs) and Enterprise Search; and extended support for the Single European Payment Area (SEPA).
Staying ahead of the competition
“iScala gave us the tools to better compete in the highly competitive Polish beverages marketplace,” explains Hipp. “Each year, new players enter the field. iScala has enabled us to carefully track,analyze, and strategically predict customer buying habits. As a result, we've been able to stay in front of the competition through promotions and tactics that strategically leverage the shelf and sales value of our quality, world-renown brands.
“Internally, iScala has also helped us meet strict budget requirements through the ability to easily access and review various forms of accounting information ranging from expenses to purchases in real-time. This data can even be analyzed in numerous ways, offering detailed insights into new market trends and the methods for increasing sales, lowering costs, and reaching new audiences. We now not only have a very clear of picture all products on-hand, but also what's moving best, when, and to whom.”