CHIC Group, Europe’s e-cigarette market leader and owner of the eSmoking World brand, has completed the computerization of its sales and management systems. It is the first company in the sector to integrate the SAP Business One system with POS tools in retail outlets. Support for the project was provided by 7milowy of the BCC Group.
The CHIC Group in just a few years has become a major player in the e-cigarettes market in Poland and Europe. The dynamic growth in sales volume and the need to manage the growing network of retail outlets influenced the company's decision to invest in the ERP system. The main objective of the project was to optimize business processes and provide support for the company’s key business area – retail sales. With more than 1,200 points of sale, eSmoking World network is the largest electronic cigarettes retail sales platform of its kind in Europe.
The central ERP SAP Business One system was implemented within the scope of finance handling, procurement, sales and distribution, customer service together with CRM, manufacturing and warehouse management. Given the high activity of the CHIC Group in the e-commerce sector, the company has also integrated the on-line sales platform eSmokingWorld.com with the ERP system.
One of the key elements of the project was to implement a POS (Point of sales) solution at eSmoking World’s points of sale. The CHIC Group applied at the point of sales, 7milowy’s POS proprietary solution – POSITANO integrated with SAP Business One environment. Such a configured platform allows the points of sale to among others; update the price lists and download information on current promotions while the CHIC operations centre in Ostrzeszów provides insight into current sales data.
"The development of the IT infrastructure is a natural consequence of the company’s growth, as well as the factor consolidating its competitive advantage, including that associated with global tobacco corporations," explains George Jurczyński, Public Affairs CHIC Group. "Given the scale of the project, we were looking for an implementation partner with the appropriate level of competence for independent implementation of this type of project. On the other hand, following our company’s philosophy, we wanted the project to be executed by a Polish company and Polish specialists."
"The requirements set out at the design stage were very high. Therefore, the computerization of the eSmoking World network was made possible thanks to our experience. We successfully guaranteed the CHIC Group delivery of all systems, comprehensive implementation and service support,” – says Krzysztof Baj, SAP projects Manager in 7milowy.
CHIC Group is the owner of Europe's largest chain of stores and specialized eSmokingWorld points of sale as well as recognizable brands of electronic cigarettes, among others; Mild, Volish, P1. It belongs to the world's leading companies in the e-cigarettes industry, financially independent of the Big Tobacco sector. The eSmoking World network comprises of more than 1,200 retail outlets and an international e-commerce service centre, which executes on-line orders to more than 24 countries around the world. In Poland alone, e-cigarettes and nicotine fluids of the CHIC Group are available in more than 27,000 retail outlets that supply to more than 1.5 million users of e-cigarettes in the entire country. More information at: www.chicgroup.eu
