“With the new software, our warehousing and logistics processes are significantly more efficient and much more secure. We can do without paper and save time and money.”
Jens Pruin, authorized officer at Prätorius GmbH
When Prätorius GmbH was founded in 1881 in Kappeln, its main purpose was supplying the ships docked at the port of Kappeln. Today, the fifth-generation family-run company supplies typical duty-free articles to cruise ships, shipping companies, military bases, humanitarian organizations, wholesalers and retailers worldwide. Its range of goods includes more than 5,000 articles of international brand manufacturers. In Kappeln, Damp and Heiligenhafen, Prätorius runs its own shops and even two petrol stations. The hub of the business is the state-of-the-art logistics center in Neumünster. High product availability, fast response times and short delivery routes are among the company's most important competitive advantages.
To ensure this is kept up, Prätorius uses very precise IT processes that are constantly being optimized in key areas such as logistics and E-commerce. Most recently, the wholesaler migrated to the 2018 version of the tried and tested Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP software. At the same time, the existing web shop solution was replaced by the modern E-commerce system Sana E-Commerce. COSMO CONSULT Hamburg secured the contract for the entire project.
In just three months, the software and consulting company succeeded in implementing both subprojects on time and on budget. One of the most important innovations here was the cc|mobile solution add-on, which introduced mobile scanners to logistics. This allows employees to document all activities, such as picking, stock placement or stock transfer, electronically. Every change can immediately be tracked on the system and only takes a fraction of the effort. Inventories will also involve significantly lower costs, while increasing precision at the same time.
The cc|edi add-on has also been integrated, which Prätorius uses to receive customer orders and transfer these directly into the Microsoft Dynamics NAV order processing system. “With the new software, our warehousing and logistics processes are significantly more efficient and much more secure. We can do without paper and save time and money,” explains Jens Pruin, authorized officer at Prätorius GmbH.
Changing the E-commerce platform pushed the company a step forward, due to the fact that Sana E-Commerce is highly standardized and fully integrated into Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Incoming online orders can be processed almost automatically. The system has a modern design, is easy to manage and can be flexibly adapted to all operational requirements. “We were able to design our website freely and still stick closely to the standards thanks to the templates provided. There is also a wide range of other functions, which even encompass content management,” states Pruin enthusiastically. Transferring existing customer data, article catalogs and the popular 360° images was also unproblematic with the active support of COSMO CONSULT.
Pruin affirms that Prätorius is extremely satisfied with the course of the project and the cooperation with the software partner. “COSMO CONSULT lead us expertly through the project phase. The project team had not only the necessary technical know-how, but also a deep understanding of logistics and e-commerce processes. Its creative suggestions and professional project management have inspired us.” It's not surprising, then, that Prätorius is already thinking about follow-up projects. Among other things, improvements in warehouse regulation and the introduction of a business intelligence solution are in the pipeline.