Goldstone Imaging, a Delhi based digital imaging company is upgrading its IT infrastructure to increase penetration among grass root distributors and get real-time feedback on needs and services from distributors, dealers and sub-dealers.
The company is in the process of deploying an ERP and bar-coding its products.
Amit Jain, head of operations at Goldstone while affirming the company's foray into the IT segment informs, "At present, we are connected with our distributors via our website. They can download information about products and upload data from this website. Each distributor has been given a login and password for the process."
The company has 20 distributors across India, apart from 3,000 dealers and sub-dealers.
The distributors and dealers submit regular reports on the website. At present, a team of experts within the company analyzes their performance. They are evaluated on the basis of business they bring to the company at the end of every three months. "A system developed in-house combines data from distributors and dealers. Printouts are then distributed to the manager, area sales manager and the other employees, who then write report cards. Computers are at present, only being used for data entry and e-mails," says Jain.
On ERP, he states that it will be implemented in three phases over the next six months. First phase comprising the four metros of Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi would be completed in March of April. Tier 1 and tier 2 cities would be targeted in the next two phases. The company is running pilots with some distributors in Gujarat, Delhi and Chennai.
Inventory and sales analysis will be covered under ERP. The company sets targets on each state, sets budgets based on information acquired on inventories. At present, the data is manually collected.
Jain says ERP will automatically collect data and help Goldstone arrive at faster decisions. In terms of inventory management, it will be able to connect to all its dealers in the market. "We have plans to connect suppliers with ERP. This will give them an idea on how to channelise resources. With increasing competition, a volatile market and price fluctuation, this application will enable us focus on deliverables. We will be able to concentrate on 100 per cent just in time delivery, where in a dealer places an order with us on day one, the distributor provides the product at his doorstep maximum on day two."
The company is also in the process of bar coding its products. It will install RFID tags on high value items. It will set up RFID centers to keep a track on the movement of goods. "The centers will give us real time feed-back on which are our strong and weak areas. We would be able to draw up new strategies for the weaker areas. At present, we have to rely on information given by the distributors and dealers, RFID will change the entire scenario."
Goldstone will have two or three centers for RFID. However, the centrally located center would be either in Delhi or NCR.
It has invested between Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore for both these projects, evenas it continues to scout for software for further expansion of its IT infrastructure.
