Completed WMS projects

Aldata Retail Solutions GmbH

Groupe Casino centralises Supply Chain Management

Customers

Casino

Completion

31.12.2005

Country

France

Branch

• Food industry
• Frozen goods industry
• Retail industry

Description

Task description

Casino, a large French convenience and hypermarket retail chain, has deployed a single software solution in all its operations for central purchasing, store back-office management and warehousing in 16 countries worldwide (Europe, USA, Asia and Latin America), with the help of Aldata Solution, a leading provider of software solutions for the global retail industry.

Challenge
Groupe Casino’s most pressing challenge was to improve data quality and accessibility across the entire supply chain. Its inventory management procedures were based on multiple, decentralised databases, including four warehouse management systems, four store-level product management systems, and a separate product database for each warehouse in operation. As a result, due to differing item level information such as quantity, quality, availability and location, there were significant exceptions in product lines.

Groupe Casino therefore needed an improved and easier access to the latest product information; and the ability to a quick and effective analysis of data.

The retailer decided to bring all its data together into one centralised source such as an item master, and provide a common interface and reporting for all users as well as trading partners. It also wanted to persuade users to leave the comfort of departmental databases and spreadsheets with highly customised interfaces and reporting facilities.

Based on its positive experience of addressing inventory management discrepancies in other business units, Groupe Casino chose the Aldata G.O.L.D. solution to address its supply chain management needs and as the best route to using IT to support further expansion globally.

Implementation
Aldata recommended a phased approach, rather than an all-at-once to implementing a new system across the supply chain.

In order to align IT initiatives with established and new internal business processes, Groupe Casino established a series of steering committees to oversee different aspects of the implementation, including warehouse operations, merchandise floor, and supermarket operations. Each steering committee comprised a project leader, software users, and executives representing different departments. The retailer established an overriding principle during the implementation that “there can be no change in software if there is no change in process.” It dedicated one day per week during the implementation to the review of its project management practices.

As well as change management, there were other obstacles that needed to be addressed. The new software solutions had not only to support improved processes, but it had to be backwards-compatible as well. Aldata Solution applied its established G.O.L.D. methodology, which states that, ‘During the installation of an IT solution, G.O.L.D. experts team up with the customer personnel to enable the establishment of a focused and dedicated team to successfully execute the project.’

Aldata and Groupe Casino first established a list of necessary IT requirements, such as the ability of new technology to interface with older systems, while the transition was made. After a close review of existing processes, Aldata and Groupe Casino decided to begin the product management project with supermarket locations, which accounted for 80 percent of overall hypermarket activity.

Aldata and Groupe Casino began implementation of WMS solution, G.O.L.D. Stock, in warehouse operations, starting with frozen foods and other product lines with small, limited SKU requirements. The retailer then implemented general merchandise locations into the G.O.L.D. centralised database solution.

Groupe Casino and Aldata made several adjustments to the customised solution, based on feedback of steering teams and representatives from supermarket, warehouse, and merchandise locations.

Benefits
By implementing and integrating supply chain management solutions from enterprise system vendor Aldata, Groupe Casino has been able to improve its inventory management and fulfilment practices by establishing a single, centralised, Web-based product management solution.

By the end of Q4 2003, Groupe Casino had established and implemented streamlined product management processes and the G.O.L.D. supply chain solution in 26 out of 30 warehouses, 10 out of 269 supermarkets, and one out of 4,250 convenience stores. At these locations, the retailer has decreased product exceptions and errors, enhanced product information accessibility, and increased overall revenue.

During 2004, Groupe Casino modernised its product management processes and implemented the Aldata G.O.L.D. solution in all 269 supermarkets. Groupe Casino also deployed Invoice Matching for its integrated supermarkets. Furthermore, the company has planned to upgrade the G.O.L.D. software suite and related hardware. 2004 was also marked by the continued deployment of G.O.L.D. Stock for Casino’s warehouses.

2005
2005 is a decisive year for Groupe Casino. It symbolizes a massive launch of G.O.L.D. Central for C-stores (1000 C-stores planned by the end of 2005), and the launch deployment of the first Hypermarket in September 2005. Furthermore, Group Casino targets to start franchise pilots for supermarket and Invoice Matching for warehouses by the end of 2005. Moreover, the use of voice recognition technology, G.O.L.D. Vocal, has quickly permitted 10 to 15 percent higher productivity plus a huge advance in the quality of the picks in 2005.

Plans are very ambitious too, with respect to G.O.L.D. Stock and Group Casino wants to implement the solution in the first fresh products warehouse.

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