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Colruyt Improves Supplier Communications, Order-to-Cash Process
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Industries
- Retail
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Procurement
Use Cases
- Supply Chain Visibility
- Inventory Management
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
The Colruyt Group, a major player in Belgium's retail network, was struggling with inefficient communications and order management due to the use of manual processes and homegrown solutions. The company, which operates a vast network of retailers, distributors, and suppliers, found that these methods no longer met its need for efficient communications and order management. The existing process used manual processes for orders, invoicing, and change orders, resulting in inaccurate orders and drawn-out order-to-cash timeframes.
About The Customer
Etablissementen Franz Colruyt N.V., usually known simply as Colruyt, is a Belgian family company that is one of the major players in the country’s retail network. Founded in 1925 by Franz Colruyt, the group today operates a large number of retail brands, most significantly its discount supermarket chain. The company has more than 20,000 employees with headquarters in Halle and operations in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.
The Solution
Colruyt sought to improve communications between suppliers and stores and eliminate manual, paper-intensive processes by implementing Software AG's webMethods Integration Platform for efficient and accurate Electronic Data Integration (EDI). The IT group set a goal to achieve three-way matching—an automatic mapping between orders to suppliers, delivery notes, and invoices to all internal and external customers and suppliers. By adopting a phased approach, Colruyt was able to quickly leverage the Software AG webMethods platform to optimize its processes to be more accurate and efficient while increasing the capacity to process orders. The ultimate goal is to go paperless and further improve communications with suppliers.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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