NAGCO currently operates six supermarkets, seven warehouses, and three specialized cold chain facilities, ensuring optimal storage and transportation of perishable goods. The company also operates a fleet of trucks that supply its supermarkets and cater to individual customers. Additionally, NAGCO imports oil and gas for both retail and wholesale, supplying four fuel stations.
Business case
For seven years, NAGCO relied on QuickBooks for accounting but faced several challenges:
- They found the user interface was difficult to navigate.
- Department-specific functionalities were restricted, reducing efficiency.
- It was challenging to manage user permissions.
- Reports lacked standardization and depth, hindering data-driven decision-making.
- The system struggled with multi-currency transactions and proper tender declarations.
These limitations ultimately led NAGCO to seek a more efficient and scalable solution.
Solution
NAGCO selected LS Central and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP for two primary reasons:
- It’s flexible: LS Central brings together finances, sales, inventory, and customer data, and much more industry-specific functionality into a single platform, enabling faster, informed decision-making.
- It’s a powerful POS: The LS Central POS offers a fast and seamless shopping experience, boosting customer satisfaction and encouraging repeat business.
To implement LS Central, NAGCO partnered with LS Infotech, a local LS Retail partner. Within just four months, LS Central was successfully deployed across all NAGCO stores. "The standard version of LS Central effectively met all our needs with minimal customization, making the implementation process very smooth," says Ismail Hussein Ahmed, Managing Director at NAGCO.
Benefits
After implementing LS Central and Business Central, NAGCO has significantly improved operational efficiency, saved valuable time, and increased overall productivity. Some of the key benefits they have experienced include:
- Enhanced inventory control - LS Central offers advanced inventory management capabilities, such as real-time tracking of stock levels, automated stock replenishment, and the ability to manage multiple locations seamlessly. This ensures that NAGCO can efficiently track inventory across all its stores and warehouses, minimizing stockouts or overstocking. “Inventory management is now fully controlled, eliminating gaps that previously affected stock accuracy,” says Mr. Ismail.
- Streamlined vendor management - The system now effectively handles vendor registrations and pricing. “Before moving to LS Central, we had to monitor everything manually, which was both hectic and time-consuming,” says Mr. Ismail.
- Seamless integration with third-party systems - LS Central is designed to work with a wide range of hardware and software. “LS Central, being an open-source solution, allowed us to seamlessly integrate with our other systems in use,” says Mr. Ismail.
- Real-time analytics - With LS Central, NAGCO can track sales trends and customer activities as they happen, allowing for timely adjustments and strategic planning.
- Promotions and loyalty programs - LS Central supports the creation of discounts, coupons, and special offers, enhancing customer engagement.
- Seamless payments - The system enables payments in multiple currencies and through various methods, offering flexibility to NAGCO’s diverse customer base.
Supported by LS Infotech and LS Retail, NAGCO is well-positioned to grow as a leading company in East Africa and the Middle East.
