Многолетний опыт, воплощенный в новом бренде
Сегодня рынок ИТ-консалтинга обновляется, и у нас тоже есть новость: компания Columbus East, ранее входившая в состав датской компании, становится независимым международным игроком и меняет свое название. Новый бренд – Odyssey Consulting Group.
image

The experience of the Gradient company: how to automate the warehouse yourself

Company profile

Gradient is one of the leading distribution companies in Russia in the field of consumer goods of daily demand (FMCG). The assortment of the organization includes more than 20,000 items of cosmetics, perfumery, household chemicals, products for children, goods for home and recreation, personal hygiene and care products. Gradient is the official distributor of more than 100 foreign and domestic manufacturers, including Artdeco, Beiersdorf, Bourjois, Colgate-Palmolive, Estee Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, SC Johnson, Schwarzkopf & Henkel, Unilever. The company's activities cover 77 subjects of the Russian Federation. Since 2006, the organization has been developing its own brand of decorative cosmetics Vivienne Sabo. Gradient's clients are more than 28,000 organizations, including such federal retail chains as Il-De Bote, L'Etoile, Bon Joli, Auchan, Karusel, Real, Azbuka Vkusa, Victoria, Crossroads, Seventh Continent, SPAR, A5, Rigla, Old Doctor, Leroy Merlin, OBI, Detsky Mir, Kangaroo, Olant.

Selecting a system and a partner

We strive to use modern IT as the main way to increase labor productivity and company development. Technology plays a not the last role in simplifying and facilitating the work of our employees”, says Alexey Anikin, Head of Logistics  division of the Gradient group of companies.

Earlier, Gradient developed its own warehouse management solution built on the basis of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, so the choice of distributor was aimed at using the already accumulated experience of specialists and further work with a similar platform. The company was looking for a system that could be maintained and improved on its own, without the help of partners. At the same time, the warehouse process automation functionality had to correspond to the level of WMS class solutions.

Thanks to the ability to change faster than competitors, we have become leaders in our market segment. One of the key areas of our activity  is the provision of logistics services for companies that at this stage do not plan or cannot implement high-quality and inexpensive logistics. "Gradient" has a rich expertise and wide opportunities in this area, however, the level of development of the current system began to become a limiting factor for us", - said Oleg Barinov, Executive Director of the group of companies " Gradient.

The company has a need to use a more modern platform, to simplify some of the operations and in promising developments that will bring the used warehouse technologies to a new level. An important condition of the project was to obtain a WMS solution, which will become one of  components of the logistics direction of the organization's services.

As a result of the search, the Gradient management chose a warehouse management system based on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, the implementation partner was Odyssey Consulting Group, which has rich experience and knowledge in terms of automation warehouses.

Own approach to implementation

and technological details. Therefore, the implementation was conceived from the very beginning as a full-fledged joint event between Gradient and partners. We actively involved not only business experts and  process owners, but also consultants and developers from  our team,” says Yuri Kurilin, head of the IT department of the group of Gradient companies.

Odyssey Consulting Group experts conducted an analysis and prepared a terms of reference describing  To-Be processes, which were actively agreed upon and discussed at every stage of implementation. Thus, Gradient employees were able to successfully deploy and configure the system on their own with active control from the partner.

Independence in support and further development

An important condition for implementation The project was to train Gradient employees for the future independent development of a new solution. In order to achieve this task, all modifications of the system were prepared by Gradient specialists. Partners from the Odyssey Consulting Group assisted in designing changes to the warehouse module of the implemented solution, were responsible for checking the code, support and quality of the created functionality. Odyssey Consulting Group experts advised the customer on the issues of algorithms and processes of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, details of development based on the universal platform for data collection terminals Odyssey AxAnywhere, which greatly simplified changes in the mobile part of the system.

After the training of Gradient specialists and the successful completion of the development stage, the need to contact the Odyssey Consulting Group was minimized. As a result, as planned, Gradient launched the solution into commercial operation on its own, and the implemented approach to the project will allow maintaining complete independence in the further development of the system.

The uniqueness of the solution

The Gradient company received a unique modern warehouse management system that combines ease of management and flexibility of settings, which can later be used for customer service operations as part of the provision of 3PL services. At the same time, the solution received wide functionality typical for WMS class products and included the highest quality and modern technological tools.

" We are planning to enter the external market of professional services in the field of logistics. Huge experience in the distribution of FMCG products, quality of service, a developed network of our branches throughout Russia and the use of a modern WMS solution based on the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 platform give everything you need to accomplish this task,” says Alexey Anikin, head of the logistics division of the Gradient group of companies.

Get an expert opinion

Protection from automated form filling   Please type in the symbols shown in the image above*

Get an expert opinion

Thank you. Your application form was received.

Success stories

together we create value for a better future
Vostochnaya Technika has successfully automated warehouse management processes based on OdysseyWMS solution
Vostochnaya Technika has successfully automated warehouse management processes based on OdysseyWMS solution
More
Concept Group: optimizing the distribution center operation with Odyssey
Concept Group: optimizing the distribution center operation with Odyssey
More
OBI: effective management of warehouse processes with Odyssey WMS
OBI: effective management of warehouse processes with Odyssey WMS
More
Enlightenment reorganizes the logistics management system
Enlightenment reorganizes the logistics management system
More
Like clockwork: implementation of a WMS system in the MuzTorg retail network
Like clockwork: implementation of a WMS system in the MuzTorg retail network
More
Melon Fashion group manages its warehouse with Odyssey WMS
Melon Fashion group manages its warehouse with Odyssey WMS
More
Jurves, a distributor of household chemicals and cosmetics, has implemented an Odyssey WMS warehouse management system
Jurves, a distributor of household chemicals and cosmetics, has implemented an Odyssey WMS warehouse management system
More
How to build a modern warehouse
How to build a modern warehouse
More
Odyssey team develops warehouse management system for Harris CIS
Odyssey team develops warehouse management system for Harris CIS
More
Starbor switched to Odyssey WMS warehouse management system
Starbor switched to Odyssey WMS warehouse management system
More
Savage: with Odyssey WMS everything is fine in the warehouse
Savage: with Odyssey WMS everything is fine in the warehouse
More
Korsini Group develops warehouse solution Odyssey WMS
Korsini Group develops warehouse solution Odyssey WMS
More
One of the largest 3PL operators in Yekaterinburg has implemented a WMS solution
One of the largest 3PL operators in Yekaterinburg has implemented a WMS solution
More
The distribution center of KDV Group will work with Odyssey WMS
The distribution center of KDV Group will work with Odyssey WMS
More
Warehouse Service improved the operation of the warehouse complex with Odyssey WMS
Warehouse Service improved the operation of the warehouse complex with Odyssey WMS
More