The K2 Information System helps with the sale of electrical components
Customer story about how K2 has helped with the logistics and sale of electronic components.
Choosing the K2 Information System
The beginning of our cooperation with K2 atmitec reaches back to 2002. At that time the company had another, much simpler system, which SOS electronic used purely for warehouse management.
As the company gradually grew, it was necessary to connect the individual corporate agendas into one whole - data from warehouses, CRM system, purchase and sale, economy, evaluation and other documentation. It was also necessary to synchronize four separate companies into one place, as well as their local accounting systems.
„We needed to find a comprehensive information system that manages to connect as many corporate agendas in one place as possible. Another important requirement was that the system had to be able to work with very large databases and so grow with the company. Today SOS electronic has 100,000 customers, 220,000 cards in the catalog, we use supplier registers, and every month we generate thousands of invoices,“ says Ladislav Rybár, the system administrator.
A really controlled warehouse
The nature of our business means that SOS electronic needs the largest possible overview of our inventories, because the assortment frequently differs in the details of a single parameter. This initially caused a relatively large error in picking goods. The introduction of barcodes and ERP solutions from K2, however, allowed us to clearly identify the goods.
„Today the K2 Information System manages our process of receiving and dispensing goods or optimizes the movement of workers in the warehouse. Now when receiving goods, the system suggests where to put them. When dispensing goods, the employee knows exactly where to find them. Thanks to the images stored in the system for visual inspection and to barcodes, we have significantly reduced error rates and increased warehouse efficiency,“ says Ladislav Rybár.
The company also uses electronic document exchange - EDI. When receiving goods, the system automatically imports supplier invoices, which significantly speeds up the entire process.
The openness of the system and connecting it to other SW
The K2 Information System is an open platform, allowing companies to modify any built-in functions and create entirely new functions. And there is no problem connecting it to other software. SOS electronic uses the accounting software of partners in Germany and Hungary or SAP in the parent company. It transfers documents between the affiliate company in Brno and the software of forwarding companies.
The K2 Information System also connects SOS electronic headquarters to other offices. They have all the documents adapted to their local language. All users from all countries are therefore able to work with the central warehouse in Košice. Invoices and delivery notes go to customers in their local languages and prices, namely in Czech, Slovak, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian or German.
„We have been able to make certain changes in the system with our own workforce or with the help of experts from K2 atmitec. Everything that didn’t require providing us any different software,“ says Ladislav Rybár, the system administrator.
CRM system and B2B e-shop
„In marketing communication we use services for reaching large numbers of customers. By linking CRM from K2 to our own software for BIG data, we know how each customer behaves, what they buy, what offers we should make them, what they want from us, and what they are looking for on the web. We can therefore prepare customized orders. This way we save both retailers and customers time,“ says Rastislav Talárovič, head of the marketing department.
SOS electronic uses the openness of K2 to connect to its own B2B e-shop, and the system is connected to the e-shop in real time. Visitors always see the current and real stock at any given time. If the company changes anything in the system, the changes show up immediately in the e-shop. So there is no need to wait for regular batch exports and imports.
„Our e-shop was once a stand-alone tool with its own database. Over time, however, we completely linked the business to Kádvojka. All information about orders, goods or stock availability is now recorded and managed from one place. We don’t have to use any additional software,“ concludes Rastislav Talárovič.
„We use the K2 Information System practically in every country where we have offices. It’s not enough to say how many regions, cultures and languages, but also how many regions, economic systems, tax obligations and legislation. Although it was relatively difficult to install such complicated features, little by little we managed to implement all the problematic parts in collaboration with colleagues, technicians and workers at K2 atmitec.
Now we can proudly say that everything works problem free as it should. Invoices and documents are automatically dispatched through the K2 Information System to all countries in local languages and local currencies, even though everything is controlled from the central warehouse in Košice.
I am convinced that we chose the right software, the right colleagues and associates. The relationship with K2 atmitec is not just purely business. Today, our cooperation is built on friendship and trust. We inspire and support each other. I can freely say that we are there for each other. The problems that occur are in their own way a challenge for the future for both sides, and together our workforces will solve them.“
SOS electronic is engaged in the wholesale distribution of electronic components. It mostly supplies small and medium-sized enterprises producing electrical products. The company began operations in 1991 in Brno. In 2007 the company built its own logistics center in Košice, Slovakia, where it is now located and manages its other European branches.
In 2013 the company became a member of the international business entity Conrad Group, which is more than a century old. Today it has 100,000 customers from more than a hundred countries around the world, 220,000 cards for its goods, and every month it generates thousands of invoices. It operates its own B2B e-shop and delivers products throughout Europe.
„But we don’t want to be a passive retailer and supplier of components. Our goal is to provide comprehensive services. That’s what the name of our company means: SOS – Supplier of Solutions,” says owner and CEO Ján Seszták.