Problem & Challenges

A growing retail chain selling construction materials in a developing African country needed a robust, integrated solution to address several operational challenges in their three outlets:

  • Inefficient Sales and Inventory Management: Manual processes caused delays in handling sales, frequent stock-outs, and difficulties in managing inventory across outlets.
  • Sales Returns and Customer Satisfaction Issues: The manual return process led to delays, impacting customer satisfaction and causing inefficiencies in inventory updates.
  • Limited Delivery Management Options: The client wanted to offer both free and paid home delivery services, but lacked a system to accurately calculate delivery fees and handle logistics for each delivery type.
  • Poor Cross-Store Inventory Visibility: Each store operated its own warehouse, but there was no centralized way to track stock across locations, leading to frequent stock-outs in some stores despite availability in others.

Solution

customized Odoo ERP solution

To address these operational challenges, Many Strategy team implemented a customized Odoo ERP solution tailored to the client’s needs, leveraging modular components and developing specific customizations. The solution included:

  • 1. Multi-Shop POS with Independent Warehouses:
    The POS module was customized to support multi-store operations, allowing each outlet to independently manage sales and inventory tied to its own warehouse. This enabled real-time stock updates and ensured accurate inventory tracking across locations.
  • 2. Automated Sales Return Processing at POS:
    A customization was developed to handle sales returns directly at the POS, allowing cashiers to look up original orders, initiate returns, and automatically update inventory. This allowed refunds or store credits to be issued on the spot, improving customer satisfaction.
  • 3. Flexible Delivery Management with Paid and Free Options:
    To enable home delivery, Odoo’s Delivery module was customized to calculate fees based on location and order size, with free delivery for larger orders. This streamlined logistics and ensured customers were accurately charged for home delivery services.
  • 4. Barcode-Enabled Receipt and Delivery Verification:
    A barcode-enabled workflow was introduced for order verification, with each sales receipt including a barcode that could be scanned by storekeepers to verify items for delivery. This minimized errors and improved fulfillment accuracy.
  • 5. Partial Delivery and Waybill Management:
    Customizations allowed partial deliveries, letting customers split orders into multiple deliveries. Waybill generation and signature upload capabilities were also integrated to track deliveries and provide proof of fulfillment.
  • 6. Role-Based Internal Transfer Workflow with Approvals:
    A workflow was created to handle internal stock transfers between outlets and the head office, with storekeepers initiating requests and store managers approving them. Real-time inventory updates ensured accuracy across locations.

Results

The customized Odoo ERP implementation brought measurable improvements across the client’s retail operations:

  • Enhanced Inventory Accuracy and Stock Management:
    The new POS system enabled each outlet to manage inventory independently, reducing stock-outs and improving real-time stock visibility across all locations.
  • Improved Customer Satisfaction through Seamless Returns and Delivery Options:
    The customized sales return process allowed quick returns at POS, reducing wait times for customers. The addition of flexible delivery options, with transparent pricing, boosted customer satisfaction.
  • Streamlined Sales and Delivery Workflows with Reduced Errors:
    Barcode-enabled receipt and delivery verification reduced fulfillment errors, while partial delivery options offered customers more flexibility. Waybill tracking improved accountability and order tracking.
  • Increased Accountability and Control with Role-Based Access:
    The role-based internal transfer workflow ensured only authorized staff could handle stock transfers, enhancing security and accuracy while maintaining a documented audit trail.
  • Scalability for Future Growth:
    With Odoo ERP’s modular structure, the client is now prepared to scale and add new features seamlessly, supporting long-term growth and operational efficiency.