AUTO-EM started out as a supplier of equipment for service stations with special focus on materials for auto paint. Since the start in 1992, the company has developed and expanded rapidly, branching out to new areas and adding to the product range. Today AUTO-EM offers products from leading global manufacturers within the service-station industry such as Atlas Copco, Nova Verta and Festool, providing tools, equipment and auto paint supplies, including primers, coating, paint, body fillers, paint guns, air-compressors, and up complete paint chambers.
Selecting solutions
In their search for the optimal solution, AUTO-EM turned to Impact Soft. After a thorough analysis of ERP-systems, the company selected Microsoft Dynamics and LS Retail software. The LS Retail software solution is an internationally proven end-to-end solution for the retail business, developed by the LS Retail and localized for the first time in Russia by Impact Soft. Impact Soft was chosen as the implementation partner. The company has successfully managed Microsoft Dynamics and LS Retail projects both in Russian and foreign companies. Impact Soft has vast experience of Microsoft Dynamics with the integrated LS Retail software and has exclusive rights on the Russian localization of LS Retail solutions for retail enterprises. The project was accomplished in close cooperation of Impact Soft specialists and representatives of AUTO-EM.
Results
During the project, Impact Soft again proved its competence in implementing Microsoft Dynamics and LS Retail software, the development of add-on modules and successfully completing the implementation of specially-developed functional modules: Sales and Customers, Financial Management, Warehouse Management, Purchases and Suppliers, Production, Banking and Cash transactions, Personnel and Salary and Budgeting for AUTO-EM. The implementation of the LS Retail software solution allows centralized management of the retail chain as data from the stores now flows to the CO (Central Office) and back, which allows operational management from there. One feature of this implementation was the successful integration with the color mixing system Mixit Pro. Mixit Pro is the formula retrieval software for perfect color matching. When connected to the Internet, Mixit Pro will synchronize to download the latest available updates of formulas and software. Due to its step-by-step help function, searching and finding the right color is very easy as well as reliable. The guided exploration leads to 100% consistent results every time. Easy inventory management completes the functionality of Mixit Pro. This system is installed in all the AUTO-EM retail stores and allows the mixing of paintwork materials with hardeners and thinners on scales according to the set proportions. Necessary item data is transferred from CO to stores by means of replication, and sales information in the same way from the stores to CO. Data exchange between stores and the CO is carried out by means of the modern high-speed LS Data Director which can work at high speed and yet ensure consistency on unstable and low-speed communication channels. In this way the sale of goods at the retail stores is accessible at CO in real time, which makes all decision-making by the management easier. With the LS Retail software solution in place, AUTO-EM has become more competitive. A ready-made solution, both for separate store and retail network, LS Retail software provides efficient decision making process based on accurate data and an opportunity to easily extract operative information as fast as possible. Moreover, the time for processing primary documents in the accounting department has been greatly reduced. Dynamics and LS Retail software with the specially developed module, Production, has enabled AUTO-EM to organize the entire business process regarding their own products. Air filters for various industries and equipment are the company's products. They are sold both from the Central Warehouse and in the different stores. When an order is placed, the air filter parts are transferred to the Central Warehouse by way of special orders and there, the order is prepared and delivered as per internal acceptance notes.
Prospects
In the future AUTO-EM intends to extend the sphere of activity and to open more retail stores. The cooperation of Impact Soft and AUTO-EM will continue in connection with the fact that the company plans to further expand the use of Microsoft Dynamics and LS Retail systems. Impact-Soft, the Multiple Gold Certified Microsoft Partner and Microsoft ISV Partner has the exclusive rights on the Russian localization of LS Retail solutions for enterprises in the retail trade. Impact-Soft is an LS Retail Platinum Partner and part of the LS Retail Partner Network which includes more than 130 Partners in 70 countries.
