HOW BULMAG SUPERMARKET CHAIN GAINED VISIBILITY, CONTROL AND CUSTOMER TRUST WITH NAVTECH GROUP'S SOLUTION

HOW BULMAG SUPERMARKET CHAIN GAINED VISIBILITY, CONTROL AND CUSTOMER TRUST WITH NAVTECH GROUP'S SOLUTION

The Client: 

BulMag is a supermarket chain with over 29 years of history and 16 stores located in the Northeast region of Bulgaria - Shumen, Targovishte and Varna. The rich assortment of the supermarket chain consists of over 28 000 items and 1150 food and beverage brands, cosmetic products, household items, etc. The company consists of nearly 900 employees and offers home deliveries to over 30 towns in the country. BulMag also manages their own butcher shop, a base for buying fruit and vegetables from local agricultural producers, a café and three food brands – Rodea, Bulgare and Our Butcher Shop/ Nashta tranzhorna.  

Business case: 

BulMag aimed at modernizing their business and becoming a leading supermarket chain in Bulgaria. They needed a reliable centralized system that would make their work more effective by digitizing business processes and minimizing manual labor across the whole chain. The previous system they were using did not provide a contemporary solution and lacked in-depth analysis of their business performance. Thus, BulMag Supermarket chain encountered difficulties in keeping track of sales analytics, making profitable decisions and being part of the competition. The company needed an effective monitoring system to gather data for each location’s performance and ensure a clear overview of key analytics so that they can upgrade their offering, enhance their marketing strategy, and improve customer satisfaction. Moreover, with their variety of goods, BulMag wanted to make the right choice with software tailored for managing the warehouse storage and a helper in the replenishment planning process as well. 

The Solution: 

MS Dynamics 365 Business Central and LS Central provided a centralized holistic view of BulMag’s business 

BulMag Supermarket chain began researching to find a suitable all-in-one solution. After careful analysis of key trends shaping the retail industry, they chose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and its extension - LS Central software as the perfect fit for their needs. Regarding the implementation process, BulMag trusted NavTech Group – a leading Microsoft partner and a Platinum partner of LS Retail in Bulgaria.  

When choosing new software, one of the company’s first and foremost requirements was to find a solution that would be adapted to their specific business needs, smoothly implemented and easy to operate. These requirements were all covered by NavTech Group’s solution: implementation of MS Dynamics 365 Business Central and LS Central, integration of new POS devices, Webshop online integration, a loyalty program, and a warehouse management system PocketNAV. 

  • A Single Consistent Environment 

LS Central extends MS Dynamics 365 Business Central and unifies financials, inventory, supply chain management, POS, and customer loyalty into one unified software solution. LS Central created a single consistent work environment for BulMag and gave them full visibility over their whole enterprise: from POS to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) to inventory to distribution for both physical and online stores. It can be run on premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid solution. In BulMag’s case, the solution is run in the cloud servers that they use to safely store their data.  
 

  • Selling 24/7  

LS Central POS can be run on all sorts of devices: computer, tablet, or mobile device. BulMag does not worry about any interruptions as they can sell 24/7: the POS works even offline. 
 

  • Self-Checkout Services 

LS Central offered BulMag’s customers various self-checkout options for convenience and fast service, leading to greater client satisfaction. They can select from self-checkout terminals or traditional checkout tills and receive the same seamless customer service at every touchpoint. 
 

  • Sourcing Out of Stock Products 

BulMag’s team can easily source out of stock items from another store location, from the warehouse or directly at the POS. Their customers have the flexibility to collect items at any store or get them delivered at home – by BulMag’s own delivery services or Econt couriers. 
 

BulMag's rich assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables
 

“The fruitful partnership between BulMag and NavTech Group was born as a result of effective communication, shared aspirations for success and openness to innovation. The NavTech Group team tailored their solution to our specific needs and implemented the necessary developments that we requested to ensure the highest degree of work efficiency. The training process went seamlessly, and our team is now proficient with the updated system."
- Borislav Tranchev, GM of BulMag. 

Power BI turned the supermarket chain’s data into powerful assets 

As a part NavTech Group’s solution, Microsoft’s Business Intelligence tool - Power BI – was of major benefit for BulMag. Power BI is a data analytics and visualization platform, a leader in the business intelligence field. It offers thorough data analysis in a simplified and comprehensible way. The easy-to-use business intelligence tool is not restricted to data analyst experts only: it can be adapted to every role with its numerous functions. The features of Power BI include customizable dashboards, intuitive reports, quick insights, ready-to-use templates, end-to-end encryption, and ask-a-question functionality. With Power BI, BulMag can effortlessly access reports and analyses based on their company data, and minimize the time spent on manual processes.  

Power BI aligned with BulMag’s needs as it allowed them to follow their most selling items and identify customer preferences. The valuable insights helped them personalize their offering, enhance customer engagement through a loyalty program and create marketing campaigns that would provide what their customers seek. The company can sport trends, discover customer habits, and anticipate demand.  

As a Microsoft product, Power BI ensures complete data security with its double encryption and access control policy. The updated data from all stores is stored consistently and securely.  The BI tool highlights areas of improvement and potential financial risks, giving users enough time to react and make decisions.  

“Power BI was a crucial part of the solution because we know how important it is to make data-based decisions in a dynamic business world. Every choice we make plays a defining role in our profitability and success. Such real-time analytics keep us close to our customers, so we can offer them exactly what they want."
- Borislav Tranchev, GM of BulMag. 

As a large supermarket chain, with a rich product assortment, 16 store locations, an online shop, and an expanding customer base, BulMag needed additional developments in order to deliver excellent customer experience. To satisfy their needs with a top-notch tailor-made solution, NavTech Group professionals also provided: 

  • Webshop Online Integration for Seamless Customer Experience 

NavTech Group solution connected BulMag’s website with the ERP system. In this way, they ensured high-quality order and delivery services, minimized any mistakes that could occur from manual data entering and saved BulMag’s team valuable time. Striving for excellent customer satisfaction, NavTech Group integrated various payment options such as payment on delivery (cash or card), online payment, food vouchers, etc.  

What is more, clients can choose the most convenient delivery option for them: order online and pick up at the store (BulMag Drive); contactless delivery, express delivery, or delivery by courier (Econt). The flexibility BulMag offers is a major benefit in today’s market demands and customer behavior. As there has been a significant uptick in people choosing to do their grocery shopping online, especially among younger generations who prefer the fast and easy digital-first service, BulMag successfully adapts to this burgeoning trend of online grocery retail with their new e-commerce platform. 
 

  • A Loyalty Program for Retaining Customers 

BulMag successfully retains customers with the persistent and effective loyalty program they have developed. A loyalty membership is the ultimate way of rewarding customers through well-executed and planned marketing strategies. When shopping with a BulMag loyalty card, customers get discounts added to their account depending on the level reached in the loyalty program. With every purchase they make, they receive bonuses of up to 5% which stimulates them to become loyal members and save money with each order. BulMag personalizes the customer experience by offering them additional discounts on their birthdays and rewards for family members. Moreover, every month, BulMag loyalty card users participate in games and raffles with prizes which encourages day-to-day customer engagement. 

The integration of BulMag's innovative loyalty program posed a big challenge but the joint effort between BulMag and NavTech Group eliminated all difficulties and issues: the loyalty program was successfully integrated into LS Central. BulMag now makes use of all the advantages of the loyalty program incorporated into the POS: the program is accessible at every touchpoint, easy to navigate and benefits both in-store and online customers. 

The combination of Webshop and loyalty program integration elevated BulMag customers’ satisfaction and retention, leading to greater sales and revenue growth. The supermarket chain witnesses a remarkable ROI and increase in loyal customers through their regular promo offers, card discounts, monthly raffles, and survey prizes.  
 

  • PocketNAV for Efficient Inventory Management and Productivity Boost 

The mobile application for warehouse management, PocketNAV, is fully integrated with the ERP system MS Dynamics 365. With its barcode scanning function, PocketNAV helps BulMag avoid any human errors and difficulties in tracking their inventory. The supermarket chain utilizes their space efficiently and maintains a seamless inventory flow across the supply chain. By integrating PocketNAV, NavTech Group gave BulMag access to inventory data, analytics, logistics operation and multiple delivery channels. The solution puts an end to time-consuming manual inventory tracking, data chaos, poor configuration, and out-of-stock situations.  

In addition to these benefits, PocketNAV also boosted BulMag’s employee efficiency as the team now has access to the inventory directly from their pocket, reducing the time spent on the back-office computers and checking stock availability. This has led to a productivity increase of up to 50% and a significant improvement in customer experience as employees have more time to engage with clients and put their needs at the forefront. 

The inside of one of BulMag's stores
 

  • No Empty Shelves with Module Replenishment for LS Central 

The Replenishment module for LS Central is designed to calculate the quantity needed for the store or the central warehouse. It provides information about what should be ordered to avoid out-of-stock situations and to always have the proper supply. The module gives its users the option to replenish warehouse and stores, suggests the exact quantity to replenish and provides manual processes to distribute items from the warehouse to stores and vice versa.   

In addition to the standard functionalities of the Replenishment module, NavTech Group provided several developments and key innovations that improved BulMag’s workflow efficiency even further:  

  • Detailed journals of the purchase and transfer proposals. These journals include all the system’s calculated proposals of the day, providing an overview and simplifying the process of analysis and tracking.  

  • Rounding the system suggested quantity to cross dock. With this additional function, the Replenishment module simplifies the process of cross docking and guarantees accuracy and effectiveness in the calculation of transfer quantities.  

  • Coloring of expired, current, and future discounts. The system colors the lines in the Detailed journal to visualize expired, current, and future discounts. This ensures easy distinction between the different types of discounts, which is beneficial for inventory management and decision-making processes.  

  • Replenishment for planned events. The system offers accurate estimates and optimized purchases due to the automatic calculation of Substitute Quantity of each product in the different discounts. Based on the calculations, the Substitute Quantity will be taken in the forecast, generated by the system. The Replenishment module recognizes the upcoming discounts, averages the sales from previous discounts of the same type for a certain location and based on this data, generates an order suggestion.   

  • Automatization of processes. Several months after the module integration, a big percentage of the replenishment processes and order generation are automated. This function successfully minimizes the risk of human errors, improves work efficiency, and guarantees accuracy and reliability.  

  • Hanshow: Electronic Shelf Label for Complete Price Control and Accuracy 

Because of their rich product variety, promo offers and discounts, BulMag found it challenging to manually put labels on their items in each of their store locations. The constant flow of items and the dynamic change in prices cost BulMag’s employees a lot of time and posed human error risks. The supermarket chain decided to automate the whole process of labeling to ensure accurate item prices and descriptions.  

“As our partner and software solutions provider, we trusted NavTech Group with the integration of the Eletronic shelf label system: Hanshow. This decision optimized the labeling process as the prices are automatically updated and always stay accurate. Our team does not waste time in printing or arranging the prices labels anymore. Instead, we have more time to focus on providing the best customer experience possible.”
- Borislav Tranchev, GM of BulMag. 

As a result of the successful partnership with NavTech Group, BulMag takes advantage of every opportunity and chance for growth. 

360-Degree Visibility over the Whole Supermarket Chain 

LS Central, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, unified BulMag’s business front to back and provided control over all processes from CRM, warehouse and purchasing management to sales, financials, and analytics within one platform. The updated software reduced manual work and IT costs and gave BulMag’s team access to their business from anywhere in the world. The flexibility and adaptability of LS Central helped BulMag respond to market changes, trends and customer demands quickly. BulMag also improved employee experience as they have all the information in their hands needed to perform their work duties easily and quickly. With the unified solution of LS Central, customers are enjoying the same seamless customer experience across all channels. 
 

Actionable Insights for Elevating Customer Satisfaction 

NavTech Group’s solution transformed BulMag into a data-driven business and revealed new opportunities for creating loyal customers. Power BI automated the data collection, management, analysis, and visualization processes. Now BulMag uses these real-time data reports and valuable insights into their daily performance to stay competitive in the market. They can easily track customers’ preferences, identify frequently bought items, and offer promo packages, discounts, and prizes, which build a lasting customer base. 
 

A Client-Centered Approach 

The Webshop integration has helped BulMag enter the e-commerce market as customers are turning more and more to online platforms for their shopping preferences. With their wide array of loyalty membership benefits and personalized offers, BulMag stays ahead of the competition and responds to changing consumer behavior. With their loyal program, the supermarket chain places their customer’s satisfaction and interest in the center, offering numerous and frequent lucrative benefits which gain their trust.  
 

Optimized Inventory Management and Increased Productivity 

Furthermore, in combination with PocketNAV, the solution provides an extensive look at BulMag’s business performance and revolutionizes retail management. Having direct around-the-clock access to their inventory from their pockets has improved employees’ productivity and has automated the time-demanding, manual, and error-prone task of inventory tracking. BulMag’s employees are connected to real-time data, promptly come to decisions, keep abreast of inventory, and swiftly make any necessary stock or price adjustments. 


BulMag's store in Retail Park Targovishte
 

With the all-in-one solution of MS Dynamics 365 Business Central, Power BI and the numerous other additional developments introduced by NavTech Group, BulMag manages to streamline business performance, create a personalized customer approach, and improve data accuracy. The fruitful outcome of the solution becomes evident from the numbers, too: BulMag’s revenue exceeded 100 million in 2022. 

"NavTech Group helped us optimize our Microsoft Dynamics installation and the results have been outstanding. Our operations are more efficient, and our team is happier and more productive.
- Borislav Tranchev, GM of BulMag. 

BulMag’s partnership with NavTech Group resulted in a completely digitized workflow. The replenishment process of the supermarket chain is automated, and the inventory tracking is more than easy with PocketNAV. BulMag team feels confident in their work and focuses on what is truly significant: providing pristine customer experience, instead of wasting time on tedious paperwork and manual processes. 

BulMag invested in their long-term success by choosing the all-in-one solution offered by NavTech Group.

BulMag's website - https://bulmag.org/

Say goodbye to outdated ERP systems, disconnected data, human errors, poor tracking and logistics, and the lack of personalization. Take the first step towards streamlining your business and satisfying your customers. With our high-quality solutions, we can help you craft your path towards professional excellence. 

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