ZX Ventures Middle Americas is the division responsible for the innovation, growth and sustainability of AbInBev, the world’s largest brewery, which controls a third of the world beer market with well-known brands such as Budweiser, Corona or Stella Artois. In Mexico, the group’s operation is managed by Grupo Modelo and La Liga de la Cerveza is the e-Commerce division of ZXV, where several business models operate in four e-Commerce portals, such as Cerveza Siempre, Beerhouse, operated in Shopify, as well as Amazon and MercadoLibre marketplaces.
Each of these e-Commerce portals have a series of peculiarities inherent to its business model in terms of storage, inventory control, order establishment, strategy, content, catalogues, promotions, packs, product types, purchase in consignment, direct sales, third party manufacturing, etc. Some even use their own logistics network, while others outsource it.
Problem
Zx Ventures searched a platform that would provide profitability, efficiency, operational control, information integrity and would allow it to support different models of its e -Commerce portals.
Previously, ZX Ventures made great effort in manual tasks through spreadsheets preparing logistical, financial and accounting information, being far from operating in an integral way, which caused constant loss of profitability, efficiency and control. A flexible engine was needed that was capable of integrating all these parts in real-time and that, simultaneously, provided adequate support.
The main problems we encountered were the following:
- Decisions with outdated information, “in July we didn’t know what was sold in May “
- Mismatches in financial control, “we paid the same provider twice”
- Waste of time, “to set up the balance it took a day, and more than 5 days to obtain a profitability analysis”
- Million-dollar losses from waste due to lack of control of warehouse expirations
- Lack of knowledge of the profitability of the products and business segments, “we don’t know where we are losing money”
- There was no precise control of merchandise and money returns
- Difficulty in decision making and lack of transparency, “each area handled its version of the information”
- Complex inventory management through spreadsheets, “it was not known how much merchandise they had or where”
Implications
All these problems created a tense atmosphere, lack of control, loss of time and productivity. It is frustrating to waste hours and hours of work trying to integrate information without success.
Many of our clients have struggled with incomplete and disjointed software. We know how difficult it is to deal with tools developed in an attempt to overcome these difficulties. Over the years, our customers have shared with us their frustration, having to buy more and more licenses as they needed more functionality.
That is why we decided to create the Enterprise Software companies need so they can focus on their business and achieve their goals. We help our clients to simplify their operation with powerful solutions adapted to their needs. We provide the certainty needed during implementation, go-live, minute-by-minute operation, online and real-time information, adding and modifying business processes, and migrating to new versions.
Benefits
With LOVIS EOS implementation, e-Commerce portals products were unified in a single catalogue. Each item had a unique product code -SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), independent from the internal coding that each portal had, generating a common language and a collaborative network for the entities participating in the process, facilitating the use of the stock of each of the distribution channels.
LOVIS EOS integrated ZX Ventures activity in a single database, allowing to implement internal controls and synchronize processes, where each one of the events is recorded at the moment they occur, online and naturally, obtaining daily information and in real-time. This avoids data loss, capture errors and effort duplication, reducing waiting times and misinformation among the different areas.
To end mismatches in the financial transaction and achieve rigorous control, accounts payable for purchases and contracts are generated from duly authorized and validated purchase orders and their corresponding receipts. These payments are scheduled based on balance control per document, eliminating possible payment errors. All of this is synchronized through a system-supported workflow
When the customer checks out a package of items in the marketplace, the sales order is automatically received in LOVIS EOS. This order is received as a pack and is automatically broken down into its different components. These components correspond to inventory SKUs. The warehouse staff generates the selection and packaging of the different SKUs and is delivered to the carrier. When the customer’s delivery confirmation is received, they are billed, and the collection is reconciled with their bank provider.
By generating accounting automatically from the operation, profitability analysis by product and segment was achieved as sales are made, without having to wait for the end of each month and eliminating the 5 days of work that it took to carry out this task.
Metrics
- Elimination of supply-chain losses of 1 million USD annually
- Sales have grown 250% every year since the implementation of LOVIS EOS
- 15-time growth in e-commerce transactions between January and May 202
- 75% chargebacks eliminated
- 25,000 annual person-hours recovered
- Inventory optimisation, real-time control, minimising losses due to wastage
- Implementation in 5 months
Having reliable, transparent and real-time information meant a fluid and effective operational control, improving response times and achieving accurate inventory traceability. LOVIS EOS has provided what it takes for the ZX Ventures workforce to focus on what matters: meeting the expectations and needs of your customers, improving your team’s wellbeing, and thrive.
Testimonials
“LOVIS is the best solution for us due to its flexibility, confidence in infrastructure and ease of adoption. People who use it have said that it is very easy to use, there is a lot of communication, and tools are continuously improved. At LOVIS we manage everything from the time the purchase is made to the billing and collection to the end customer”
Rodrigo Maza, Head of eCommerce & Omnichannel, ZX Ventures Middle Americas