Auto Milovanovic is a regional leader in the import and sale of original and replacement spare auto parts. The company also offers service and sells auto-related equipment and engine oils. Auto Milovanovic is headquartered in Banja Luka, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and operates two subsidiaries in Serbia and Macedonia. The company can boast two decades of experience, which it uses to offer great services in the 18 stores it runs in the three countries.
Incorrect inventory due to inadequate software
Before implementing the LS Retail software solution, based on Microsoft Dynamics, business processes in Auto Milovanovic were difficult and slow. The greatest functional difficulties took place in the company’s procurement group and the legacy information system. The company couldn’t access updated information, which resulted in incorrect inventory information. The company was also having trouble finding and setting prices: the company used numerous Excel tables and various databases, which made the process slow and prone to mistakes. Another challenge were duplicate transactions in the financial group, which used a database that was not integrated with other databases in the company. Before implementing LS Retail software, the database had to be manually updated each month, and yet this extra work was not enough to ensure that the database contained the correct information. Before the implementation of the LS Retail software solution, it was also almost impossible to determine the initial status of inventory.
A unique system that covers the entire operation
The LS Retail software solution primarily provided two key benefits: a single and updated database across the company, and the ability to record all transactions. Auto Milovanovic also implemented an add-on for car parts by Adacta, LS Retail’s local partner who managed the system implementation. Adacta’s add-on is customized for the car part industry to expand the basic functionality of Microsoft Dynamics. Its main benefit is the ability to easily find and connect items and import supplier catalogs.
Multiple benefits
Although the implementation process was challenging, good organization and cooperation between the project teams soon resulted in measurable improvements. The most significant benefits Auto Milovanovic has experienced include:
- Inventory is constantly up-to-date.
- Price lists are flexible and easily kept updated.
- It’s easy to set different pricing for different stores – a single click is all that is required to set the price per thousand, and one price may be set for a single store, or for all stores at once.
- The system has a wealth of retail-specific tools.
For example, by implementing the LS Retail software solution, Auto Milovanovic got the ability to import an entire supplier's catalog into their database even if the company does not currently offer all the items. With the old system, it was not possible to import catalogs at all. This way, the company can just activate the items, and if customers order something that the stores do not currently have in stock, Auto Milovanovic can order that item from the supplier. Another important point is that prices and discounts can be imported along with items. Furthermore, with regularly updated prices for both active and inactive items, Auto Milovanovic is now able to maintain an updated database with the correct quantity of items in stock. Another important feature in LS Retail software is that single items can have multiple copies. This is important to the company as the original car part and its copies have the same OEM number. After the implementation of LS Retail software, the company gained a complete database, which is always up to date and can be accessed quickly and easily.
Successful integration with the online store
Now that the online store is integrated with the management system, customers can view timely and accurate product information as regards number of units left, prices and other relevant information. In addition, each customer in the online store receives personalized discounts, orders are recorded automatically and delivery is quicker. The whole process is much faster now and Auto Milovanovic has increased turnover significantly.
The right amount of stock at the right place
The legacy retail software the company used to have was inefficient when it came to inventory. This meant there were cases of stockpiling and situations where one store had too many items, while another had none. With the ability to view inventory in other stores, it is now possible to transfer items from one store to another. Today the company has complete overview of their inventory, and stock is optimized. Other benefits include:
- Improvements in reporting
- Ability to view dead stock
- Simplified purchasing of products and follow-up
- Ability to track the average daily sales of each item and automatically update information every night.
Powerful software supporting the brand image
With the help of the LS Retail software solution, the company now can live by its motto “Buy from first hand.” Customer service has been raised to a higher level. The LS Retail solution has facilitated the work of about 140 employees, and the retail stores in Bosnia and Herzegovina are now driving productivity. Regionally, the image of Auto Milovanovic is maintained by meeting demand and ensuring the satisfaction of loyal customers, and Microsoft Dynamics, LS Retail and Adacta play a major role in the effort.
