FixDistribution Case Study

Distributor of branded accessories for mobile phones and tablets

• Founded in 2013
• 530 partners stores managed
• 5,650 products in database


Jaroslav Bucko  |  Key Account Manager

FixDistribution has been using Quant since the beginning of 2017. Can you briefly describe your business model and motivation to look for a tool for planning space and creating planograms?

Our company operates in the B2B segment and focuses on the market in mobile devices. Our business partners are mobile operators, electronic goods shops and also filling stations whom we provide maximum support intended for end customers. In addition to delivery of goods to the shops, we specialize in presentation thereof to distinguish ourselves from the other distributors. At the beginning, we administered all processes using MS Excel sheets. However, the labouriousness and time consumption of this approach were not sustainable in the long run considering the market dynamics and assortment modification frequency. Therefore, it was necessary to find a comprehensive solution for the creation of planograms and analyses of sales to be able to further develop and provide optimal services. Based on a presentation provided by Quant Retail, we decided to try Quant as this solution seemed to cover our needs and had a potential for further growth.

What were the worst difficulties? How did you succeed in overcoming them and what were the first benefits you got?

The most demanding task was to collect the required source materials, in particular arrangements of display spaces in individual shops, including dimensions of shelves and the product photographs. Then the information was uploaded to Quant and floorplans of the shops were drawn. Thanks to the technical support provided by Quant, the progress was quite quick and in a few weeks we received the first results in the form of planograms for the NAY sales network.

You uploaded data to Quant manually using imports from MS Excel sheets for quite a long time. When did you first succeed in setting automatic data transfers?

The first automatic imports were launched for our FixServis division. The next step was import of sales and inventory data after the acquisition of our biggest partner Slovak Telekom on 1 January 2019. Setting the imports required exact specification of data formats and organization of processing times.

Did the setting of automatic data transfers help you better utilize the reports integrated in Quant?  

Now we cannot imagine functioning without automatic transfers. Only thanks to them we can use sales data on a daily basis and react immediately to development in individual stores. In addition, we are well informed about inventories and goods on the way and therefore we can answer questions of the stores concerning inventory levels.

What reports do you use most frequently?

On a daily basis, we use a development of sales that helps us with early ordering of goods from suppliers and maintain optimal inventories in a case of unexpected increase or decrease in sales. Among other regularly used reports are overviews of products placed in planograms, year-to-year sales, and others.

In what way do you use the Quant Web?

We use the Quant Web in particular for the administration of displayed items at stores and for our sales representatives who have been assigned the stores for which they are responsible. If the store maintains the items on display as specified in the planogram, it is easier to exactly identify goods that are missing, find the cause and ensure replenishment without having to carry out overall stocktaking. This approach has minimized losses due to unavailability of goods significantly.

In spring 2019, you took part in the Quant Workshop for the first time. You presented an innovation in Quant allowing draft orders to be created automatically. You were among the first ones who started testing automatic orders in Quant. Did you succeed in deploying this function in production operation?

So far, we have succeeded in deploying the function in production operation in the Slovak Telekom network where it is still under all-day supervision. It was not easy at all. It was necessary to optimize data flows between Quant and other systems. The most important was a correct setting of criteria for the calculation of minimum base stock.

“In 2019, we managed to deploy the automatic replenishment function in the Slovak Telekom network. The current results of the deployment of automatic replenishment are mainly an automatic increase of stocks by 10% in stores due to higher sales at the end of the year leading to better availability and the fact that we successfully respond to the enormous and irregular increase in turnover during Christmas. It would not be successfully managed without automatic replenishment.”

Jaroslav Bucko / Key Account Manager

What are the results like?

The current results of the deployment of automatic orders include:

  • Automatic increase in inventories in the stores by 10% due to higher year-end sales resulting in better availability.
  • We succeeded in reacting to enormous and irregular increase in turnover during the Christmas season, which could not have been successfully managed without the automatic orders.
  • With decrease in sales, we expect automatic decrease in inventories to set minimal values.

What are the key results of the project after nearly three years?

In addition to the aforementioned benefits of automatic orders, we appreciate in particular the easier administration of items displayed in the stores and acquisition of new business partners also thanks to the provision of space management. Also, the work of our sales representatives administering displayed items based on planograms in Quant has become more effective.

What are your plans for the future?

We are planning to deploy automatic ordering for other customers as well. We would also like to set other automatic transfers, in particular for product data. And we intend to explore the possibilities of automatic generation of replacements in a case of shortages in our central warehouse and we would also like to extend analyses possibilities on the Quant web for the stores.

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Automatic Ordering

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Connection to Automatic data transmissions.

Deployment of Automatic Orders in Slovak Telekom network.

Easier management of Stores Equipment and acquisition of new business partners through space management.

Increase the efficiency of our sales representatives managing planograms from Quant.