Trade distribution centers. Distribution centers
The retail market is growing. And not only quantitatively - due to the increase in retail space, but also qualitatively - entrepreneurs seek to introduce effective ways business, look for new cost optimization mechanisms. Under these conditions, they often face the question - whether to invest in opening new stores, create their own distribution center that can effectively solve the problem of supplying goods in an existing network, or interact with a logistics operator ...
Nine out of ten trading companies today are convinced that the “supplier culture” leaves much to be desired. Therefore, we have to look for alternative ways of interacting with this market participant. According to experts, out of 300 suppliers of a modern supermarket, only a third of them work on a regular basis. All the rest are small wholesale intermediaries of a random nature, unable to deliver goods to the network in the right quantity and at the right time. How can a distribution center optimize the supply chain? When is it justified to build your own distribution center, and when is it worth contacting a logistics operator? What are the main risks of organizing your own distribution center and is it possible to avoid them? About everything in order ...
The distribution center, unlike other warehouse formats, does not have the primary purpose of keeping a constant stock of goods. “The main functions of the DC are: accumulation of products from suppliers within a short time; optimal distribution of it in various directions to retail outlets (or large chain stores),” says Andrey Duranin, project manager at RLS-Nedvizhimost. For a warehouse of this format, the speed of processing goods and the accuracy (quality) of the implementation of internal instructions from the supplier and recipient are important. In this case, it would be appropriate to compare the distribution center with a single information center that receives and generates all information about the assortment and quantity of goods - forms orders to suppliers, accepts delivered goods, distributes products between chain stores, etc. “The main functions of the distribution center are acceptance , storage and shipment of raw materials or products, uninterrupted supply of various parts of the supply chain. In addition, modern DCs provide a number of additional features: cross-docking, order picking, marking, packing, packaging and even assembly of industrial goods from stored and moved components,” says Nikolai Tityukhin, CEO of KIA Center.
Today, distribution centers are built by both trading companies for their own needs and logistics operators for their own business. In both cases, the configuration of the complexes is similar, the differences may be due to the specifics of the operations carried out at the facility.
RC parameters
“The main working areas that should be provided in the distribution center are the loading / unloading area, the order picking area, the racking, floor storage area, the small cell, the pre-sale preparation area, etc.,” says Alexey Tsatsulin, Sales Director "National Logistics Company". The ratio of zones depends on what volumes need to be processed. The distribution center is characterized by a relatively large loading/unloading area. Intensive processing of goods requires large areas. As a rule, the ratio of adjacent territories to the area of the warehouse is 1:1.
“To be effective, a distribution center must have required amount loading and unloading gates (from 2 gates per 1000 sq. m) from opposite sides of the warehouse. If there are no gates on opposite sides of the warehouse, the shipping area can coincide with the receiving area and be demarcated virtually (for example, by time). Also, when equipping the DC, it is important to provide special loading and unloading docks for light-duty vehicles,” says Yury Figurovsky, head of the RLS-Nedvizhimost project. The exact parameters of the distribution center largely depend on the characteristics of the operations that will take place on it.
Trading networks
Today, several large network companies have their own distribution centers. An example is the Perekrestok trading house, Pyaterochka, SportMaster, IKEA, Kopeyka, Ramstor, Lenta, etc.
The independent implementation of DC projects by the company is explained primarily by the fact that in Russia the market of logistics services as such has not yet been formed. The number of professional operators is limited, and their service, although highly professional, is quite expensive. In addition, logistics providers do not cover the entire range of services required by retail chains. So, many operators do not yet undertake work with perishable food products. The exceptions are providers who have experience of cooperation with retail chains in Europe. Under these conditions, own distribution center is one of the few options for solving the problem of efficient logistics.
The distribution center allows companies to reduce the cost of supplying products. According to experts, today a trading company pays a supplier/distributor for the delivery of goods to each store in the network 5–15% of the cost of the goods. If there is a distribution center, the network operator can minimize these costs - the supplier delivers products to only one point, which reduces its transportation costs, and therefore reduces the cost of services. “By providing suppliers with a single point of delivery of goods to our network, we are able to receive significant discounts on goods from them, which in turn has a positive effect on the prices of goods on the shelves of our stores,” says Dmitry Emelyanov, head of the planning and development department of the SCM department of the trading house "Crossroads".
Without a distribution center, chain operators have to allocate up to 50% of the total area of the store for storage areas. The presence of a distribution center allows the company to significantly expand its retail space. At the same time, the reduction in the footage of auxiliary premises does not affect the range of goods. “Our own distribution center allowed us to significantly improve the quality of supplying stores with goods: we can guarantee the completeness of the assortment in any of the stores of the network by more than 95%. And the time from the order of the goods to its delivery to the store is no more than 24 hours. Thus, using our own distribution center, we can reduce the inventory in stores and at the same time not be afraid that at one fine moment there will not be the right products on the shelves,” states Dmitry Yemelyanov.
Working with your own distribution center, if it is properly organized, the warehouse management system (WMS) is correctly selected, the system for accounting for goods supply is debugged, it is simply convenient. By the time the car with the goods arrives at one of the chain stores, the trading program already has data on what goods were delivered, in what quantities, with what expiration dates. The store is not burdened with recalculating the quantity of goods (often a one-time delivery can consist of 1000 items), checking its quality, controlling prices, checking certificates, etc. All these problems are solved centrally in the distribution center. Thus, the delivered goods immediately get to the trading floor. If such a volume of products were delivered directly from the supplier, the unloading of the machine and paperwork could take several days.
Logistics operators
Meanwhile, all of the above advantages take place only if the company had enough funds and professionalism to effectively organize business processes. Dealing with non-core issues, networkers actually cannot always work out non-standard situations, respond quickly to changing market conditions and are not always able to correctly establish an internal control and management system. A lot depends on the DC management information system, whether it supports the internal logistics of the warehouse. As a result, there are often serious problems in warehouse operations, which leads to delays in the execution of orders, and therefore, financial losses.
Thus, it cannot be argued that organizing your own distribution center is always more profitable than contacting a logistics service operator. The question of what is more effective for business - building your own distribution center or contacting a specialized company, depends, of course, on economic calculations and comparison of possible options for the supply chain of goods. The efficiency of creating your own DC is determined by the number of stores in the network and the model of goods purchase implemented in the network, as well as the value of the turnover.
Distribution centers of logistics operators today successfully serve such companies as, for example, P&G, Ford, Auchan, M.video, Eldorado. With the growth in the number of logistics companies, the range of services provided, there is an increasing interest of networkers in outsourcing. “Logistics operators have experience in providing services to clients with completely different requests and requirements,” says Mark Plakar, director of the FM Logistic warehouse complex in Khimki. – Their main advantage is that they can quickly adapt to changes in supply volumes or storage conditions. Those who provide logistics services, due to specialization, have more room for maneuver, so cost optimization is more possible with the help of a logistics operator.”
Do it yourself or outsource
A company that decides to build its own distribution center must have a significant amount of free funds to invest in non-core infrastructure. Construction of a modern logistics complex with an area of 10 thousand square meters. m will cost approximately $ 5-10 million - depending on the location and equipment used. Finding sufficient funding can be a major challenge - not every company has the ability to withdraw such funds from circulation in order to invest them in ancillary business. Do not forget that the construction of a distribution center takes a lot of time - about a year, while by contacting a logistics operator, you can get all the necessary services right now, and without significant investments. On the other hand, if the company has the opportunity to attract cheap finance, there are agreements with partner companies and the support of a professional developer, the construction of a distribution center can be a profitable enterprise.
“A distribution center organized by a trading company may constantly demand new money (equipment repairs, etc.), in certain seasons the warehouse may not be fully loaded, and operating costs will still have to be paid,” says Alexei Tsatsulin. – On the other hand, the advantage of creating your own distribution center is that having your own logistics infrastructure increases the capitalization of the business. In addition, our own logistics allows you to provide your customers with a personalized service, in the case of outsourcing, the client receives a high-quality, but standardized service.”
Providing a wide range of services, modern logistics providers guarantee no losses. All problems associated with the loss of goods as a result of criminal exposure, accidents, natural disasters, etc., are the problem of the provider, which, in turn, transfers these costs to its insurance company. On the other hand, one of the serious risks for companies using the services of logistics operators is the possibility of price increases. How economically justified will it be for the company to guarantee the absence of losses after a serious increase in the cost of logistics services?
One of the main problems faced by almost all companies that have set up their own distribution centers is a weak IT system. “As a rule, companies do not pay due attention to this item and try to save money on it. Meanwhile, the IT component can be called one of the most important elements in building a quality distribution center. In order for the distribution center to work and serve a large number of items, so that there are no errors, goods are not lost or expired, a very good warehouse IT system (Warehouse Management System) must be in place. It should be noted that such a system is not a cheap pleasure, - says Alexei Tsatsulin. - On the other hand, the problems of information exchange - the compatibility of data exchange systems - may also arise in the case of companies turning to logistics operators. The operator’s IT system may not be able to cope with the tasks that the client needs to solve.”
The risk that networks have when organizing a distribution center is the lack of accumulated experience in planning and building a warehouse. During the implementation of the project, such an important detail as the compliance of the warehouse layout with the profile of the company's activities may be missed. As already noted, in any distribution center there should be a very large area for picking and picking orders, in addition, rooms with a certain temperature regime, etc., must be provided. Sometimes these parameters are not taken into account, respectively, subsequently it is necessary to rebuild areas, increasing costs . The logistics operator is more disciplined in this sense. Although it is worth noting that in the pursuit of maximum universality, it does not always provide in its logistics facilities special opportunities for customers with non-standard requests.
As it becomes clear from the above, both options have the right to exist. In the case of the construction of the RC on your own it is worth enlisting the support of a warehouse market professional who knows the specifics of building warehouses for the specific needs of the client. In addition, significant investments in logistics infrastructure and time - about 5 years - will be required for the project to pay off. “In order to minimize the risks of outsourcing, it is necessary to choose a logistics service provider that has a modern warehouse and transport infrastructure; provides either a full universal range of logistics services, or a specialized one focused on the customer's cargo flows, for example, FMCG or consumer goods; has an ISO 9000 series quality certificate; has a modern information system, qualified personnel and experience in this area,” says Nina Ovcharenko, head of the information and analytical department of the KIA Center company.
However, today there is also a symbiosis, when one part of the operations is transferred to the logistics operator, and the other remains on the shoulders of the network operator. “In my opinion, in the future the DC format will develop, and the benefits and advantages that its presence gives the retail network will “force” to build the DC even those networks that now declare that such a scheme is not suitable for them. Perekrestok plans to increase the capacity of the existing distribution center, build a new distribution center in Moscow, and is thinking about setting up a distribution center in the regions,” says Dmitry Yemelyanov. – At the same time, such a strategy does not at all deny the possibility of working with logistics operators. We work with them in Moscow, and I consider the experience of such cooperation to be very successful. Interaction with the provider is convenient because it is quite simple to organize it in a short time and immediately start enjoying the benefits that centralization of supplies provides.”
A distribution center is a warehouse that receives goods from manufacturers or wholesalers through any distribution network. Then from here the goods go to other storage firms.
The distribution center performs the following functions: repacking, packaging, stickering, customs clearance, cargo certification.
Location of distribution centers
There are three main strategies for locating distribution complexes:
- near the sales market;
- close to production
- intermediate location between the market and the enterprise.
The structure of these warehouses and their location significantly affect the costs that arise during the delivery of goods to the customer, and, accordingly, the final price of the product being sold.
When choosing the location of distribution centers, you need to pay attention to such important factors as:
- transportation cost;
- the price of warehouse processing of goods;
- their content;
- registration of orders and formation of a management system;
- customer service level.
The best shopping and distribution centers are those that will provide high quality services to consumers at the lowest possible cost.
Sometimes retail chains or some large chain stores do without distribution centers, hoping for supplies directly from distributors.
But in the event of interruptions in the provision of products, the normal functioning of the enterprise is jeopardized. However, in the presence of such systems, the control of suppliers is more effective, and the correct delivery of goods to the store shelves is also ensured.
In addition, a big plus of distribution centers is the fact that contracts for the receipt of products can be concluded directly with the manufacturer, without the participation of intermediaries. This will avoid markups, overpayments, and will also provide an opportunity to receive large wholesale discounts.
Role of distribution centers
As it turned out, about 30% of all agricultural products produced in the Russian Federation deteriorate before reaching the buyer. The main reason for this is that the existing vegetable stores and warehouses have long been outdated. The creation of new premises for the storage of products will help to solve this situation.
Modern logistics distribution centers provide a guarantee of proper storage of goods due to the availability of relevant regulatory documents.
These warehouses collect different products. And when suppliers fail to provide goods, the distribution center is the so-called buffer, which insures the volume of production stock, increasing its supply.
A variety of technological activities and processes take place at these complexes:
- acceptance of goods to the warehouse;
- placement and replenishment of selection zones;
- order picking for retail chains;
- their shipment.
Secondary processes include inventory of the warehouse, work with marriages and defects, returns and other services.
Distribution centers benefit not only large manufacturers, but also newcomers. Such complexes consist of many structural parts: international certification and laboratory control zones, storage rooms, including freezers.
The centers also have transport companies transporting goods, customs, free trade zone, consulting and review departments, banks and the like. Due to the availability of such large storage areas, significant food losses can be avoided.
Examples of distribution centers in the world and Russia
Due to their unique properties and functions, wholesale distribution centers are very popular in many countries around the world.
The most famous of them:
- "Kverneland Group";
- Mercasa;
- "Walmart";
- "ALDI";
- X5 Retail Group.
There are also quite a lot of such complexes in the Russian Federation. For example, "Dixie", "Ermak", "Four Seasons" and so on.
Notable Moscow distribution centers:"Magnet", "OK", "Pyaterochka", "X5". Basically, these are warehouses of large stores and hypermarkets.
In addition, the state is actively forming large interregional distribution centers, which, according to experts, by 2020 there should be about 10-15 pieces. Warehouse construction will begin shortly. Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Tyumen, Rostov, Moscow region and Crimea.
Distribution centers work and cooperate with networkers, farmers, restaurateurs and end consumers. They are a trading platform, a commodity exchange, on which the average cost of production is developed. Such warehouses will improve the competitiveness of products not only in the domestic, but also in the world market. As a result, manufacturers receive a decent payment for their product, and the final price of the product remains affordable.
Distribution centers in Russia today perform the following tasks:
- storage of commodity stocks;
- preservation of their quality;
- improving the functionality of production;
- increasing the competent use of the territory of the premises;
- reduction of transportation costs;
- creation of new jobs;
- effective sales organization;
- timely and regular delivery of goods to the consumer.
Representatives of distribution centers at the exhibition
"Prodexpo" is an international exhibition food products, which takes place annually on the territory of the Expocentre Fairgrounds. This exposition is an important event in the field of food and beverages. For more than 20 years, the event has determined the vector of development of the domestic food industry and economy.
"Prodexpo" promotes high-quality products to the national market, thereby contributing to the implementation of government projects aimed at improving the quality of life of Russian consumers.
The exhibition is, in fact, a distribution center where various products are provided in bulk. Here you can buy goods for offices, shops or other businesses.
The pavilion of the Expocentre Fairgrounds is divided into many salons:
- meat and meat products;
- dairy products and cheeses;
- groceries, spices and pasta;
- vegetable fats;
- semi-finished products and frozen products;
- confectionery, nuts and dried fruits;
- Coffee and tea;
- Fish and seafood;
- preserves and sauces;
- gastronomy and products for restaurants;
- trading houses;
- wholesale distribution centers;
- alcohol;
- glass containers;
- beverage production;
- packaging solutions;
- equipment and services;
- expositions of Russian regions;
- foreign national exhibitions;
- delicacies;
- EcoBioSalon;
- honey and bee products;
- pet food.
Distribution centers featured on "Prodexpo", offer to purchase products in bulk directly from the manufacturer. The exhibition is annually attended not only by domestic suppliers, but also by manufacturing companies from other countries of the world.
An even larger contingent of participants is expected every year. Numerous products will be presented by such countries as France, Spain, Austria, Italy and so on. However, the most extensive is the Russian exposition. Leading companies will demonstrate the results of the domestic food industry.
During the exhibition "Prodexpo" participants and visitors will have the opportunity to get acquainted with new samples of products of well-known brands, as well as learn more about newcomers to the international food market.
Also here you can find a supplier or customer, conclude successful contracts, start fruitful cooperation, get comprehensive information about different manufacturers, and also learn a lot of new information about the latest technologies and inventions.
The business program of the exposition includes a variety of useful discussions, seminars, presentations and conferences. Master classes, round tables, study tours, competitions and so on will also be held.
The products presented at this food exhibition have all quality certificates, and the excellent characteristics of the products are proven by laboratory analysis.
"Prodexpo" is a warehouse complex where first-class food and beverages are presented in bulk from manufacturing companies from around the world. Here, everyone has the opportunity to purchase products directly from the supplier, and be sure of their high quality.
When the vehicle arrives, the responsible person of the store receives the delivery documents from the driver and checks their completeness and correctness:
ü Route sheet - 1 copy - marks are made on the arrival and departure of the vehicle from the store, the seal numbers are checked and entered.
ü Bill of lading - 2 copies - for all goods included in the trip around the store. The numbers of the consignment notes of the TORG12 form are indicated.
ü A consignment note of the TORG12 form - 2 copies - for each store application included in the flight.
Only in the presence of a correctly executed set of accompanying documents, the responsible person of the store checks the number and safety of the seal on the doors of the van of the arrived car and, provided that it is intact, removes the seal.
If a violation of the integrity of the seal is detected (before it is removed), or if the number of the seal does not match the number indicated in the route sheet, an employee of the SPP (PSC) is called to the car from the store, who confirms this fact of violation. The responsible person draws up an "Act of violation of the integrity of the seal upon acceptance of goods from the warehouse" (Appendix 2 "Act of violation") with a photograph attached. The act is confirmed by the signatures of the person who accepts the goods, an employee of the SPP (PSC) and a forwarding driver. In the route sheet, a mark is made about the violation of the seal. In this case, the entire delivery is subject to mandatory verification of 100% of the goods in terms of quantity and quality. The car is released to the next store only after the acceptance is completed. Acceptance in all other stores along the route of the car must be carried out in the obligatory presence of an employee of the SPP store, with a check of 100% of the goods in terms of quantity and quality before the car leaves. The responsible person of the store sends a photo of the “Act of Violation” to the claims accountant by e-mail [email protected]
Registration before goods acceptance
If there is a properly executed set of accompanying documents, the responsible person of the store registers the arrived vehicle in the supply register.
Mandatory notes are made in the supply log:
Registration after the end of the acceptance of the goods
Upon completion of the acceptance of the goods, the responsible person of the store registers the departure of the vehicle that delivered the goods to the store. Marks are made in the supply log.
When deciding to start unloading goods, it is necessary to fulfill the following requirements for the priority of unloading deliveries:
The highest priority is deliveries from the distribution center - meat,
Top priority - supplies from the distribution center - vegetables and fruits
High priority - bread and dairy supplies
No priority - other deliveries
If a car is already being unloaded at the time the delivery arrives at the store, then the unloading of this car must be completed regardless of the priorities set.
Before unloading the goods from the distribution center, the responsible person of the store must evaluate the quality of the delivery of goods in general according to the following parameters:
ü Compliance in the car van temperature regime delivery of goods (according to the thermometer inside the van);
ü Integrity of wrapping pallets with stretch film (no breaks and free access to the goods inside the pallet)
ü Integrity of stacking of goods on pallets (no "blockages" of pallets);
ü Integrity of boxes and packages with goods.
Based on the results of checking the quality of delivery of goods, the responsible person of the store draws up " Goods delivery act» (Annex 3) and approves it from the driver of the vehicle. The completed act is sent to the accounting department by the responsible person of the store in a standard way with a common package of documents. If there are violations during the delivery of the goods, a photo of the Certificate of delivery of the goods is sent to the accountant for claims to the email address [email protected]
The driver of the car who delivered the goods from the distribution center, in any case, participates in unloading, delivering the goods to the edge of the side of the van. In case of conflict situations with the driver, it is necessary to contact the head of the distribution center.
The unloading of the vehicle must be carried out in compliance with the established standard:
§ 30 minutes for cargo up to 500 kg;
§ 45 minutes for cargo from 500 kg to 1000 kg.
§ 60 minutes for cargo over 1000 kg.
When the street temperature is more than +20C and less than -5C, in the process of unloading goods in the store, the gates (shutters) of the car van can be continuously open for no more than 5 minutes.
For deliveries from the distribution center, goods are accepted and claims are processed without the presence of the driver, except for cases of breaking seals along the route of the car and in case of violation of the quality of delivery of goods, as well as when receiving goods: bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers - the temperature inside the fruit is measured with the driver.
The temperature inside the fruit of bananas should not be lower than + 9˚С, the temperature inside cucumbers and tomatoes should not be lower than + 5˚С
In case of non-compliance:
An act on the delivery of goods is drawn up (Appendix No. 3).
In the route sheet, we make a note about the drawn up act
To the address [email protected] Send a photo of the completed act
Submit the original Act to your Regional Director for transmission
to the accounting department located at the central office during the current
weeks. If the document is not received by the accounting department within the specified time,
the quality claim is cancelled.
Write-off of low-quality goods from the rest of the store
claims department (just like in other cases, confirmations
quality claims).
In the absence of violations in the delivery, the driver delivers the goods only the number of places - a pallet.
After receiving the goods at the places and unloading the car, the person responsible for receiving the goods draws up invoices, signs them, stamps the store. The driver-forwarder must also sign the delivery note on the delivery of the goods. One copy is picked up by the forwarding driver, 2 copies of invoices remain in the store (one of them is transferred by the store to the accounting department).
After unloading the car, the responsible person of the store seals the doors of the van with a new disposable seal.
The responsible person of the store enters the number of the seal and the time of departure of the car in the route sheet of the car.
At the same time, the responsible person of the store fills in the log of deliveries - it also records the number of the seal installed on the door of the car van and the time of its departure.
Having received the completed documents for the delivery and the route sheet, the driver of the car departs for the next store along the route.
Further acceptance of goods by quantity is carried out to verify the actually received goods and their quantity with the assortment and quantity indicated in the bill of lading - for verification, the TORG-12 waybill is used. According to the results of weighing the weighted goods in TORG-12, the responsible person of the store indicates both the net weight (in which the goods are accounted for) and the gross weight (required when making a Claim).
When accepting goods by quality, the quality of the received goods is assessed with the established standard. Full version standards - attached as a handout.
Fruit/Vegetable Standards - handed out
For all discrepancies identified during acceptance in terms of quantity and quality, the responsible person of the store draws up the “Claim” document (Appendix 4). The "Claim" document is created one for all invoices from one delivery of goods.
Application No. 4
Information on underloads, overloads, non-conformities identified during the recalculation of goods must be entered by the responsible person of the store in the "Claim" document (the established form in the Astor program, based on the receipt invoice).
The time limit for processing and sending the “Claim” is set”:
ü If vehicles arrive at the store in normal mode before 18.00, the claim must be sent before 21.00 on the day the goods are delivered to the store.
ü In an emergency situation when vehicles arrive at the store after 18.00, the claim must be sent before 12.00 on the day following the day of delivery.
If the Claim is not sent within the established period, the delivery of the goods is considered to be completed in full without any discrepancies.
Claims are canceled if they are sent several pieces for one delivery.
In the event that an overload of goods is detected, the Store Manager decides whether to accept the goods to the store or return them to the DC.
A claim is not filed if the discrepancy between the actual quantity of goods for the item and that indicated on the invoice for vegetables received in nets is less than 500 g, and for all other goods less than 200 g. (this applies to both shortages and surpluses).
Non-conforming goods cannot be returned to the RC. Claims are considered by the claims accountant and on the basis of his decision or centrally in information system an invoice is created for the return of goods from the store to the DC, or the goods are written off in the store. The claim for substandard goods must be supported by photographs, which are sent electronically along with the Claim. Claims for substandard goods without photographs will not be considered.
After creating the "Claim" document in electronic form, the responsible person prints it out. This document is certified by the signature of the responsible person who received the goods, with the obligatory decoding of the surname with initials and archived in the store.
Not later than the set time, the responsible person of the store sends the claims accountant to the e-mail address [email protected] file “Claim” and photos related to this Claim.
The standard time for consideration of a claim is two business days.
Claim denied:
ü In the absence of photographs for quality claims
ü If there are three or more claims for one delivery
ü If there is evidence of the completeness of the shipment of goods from the warehouse (video recording of the selection, checking / control weighing of orders before shipment, comparing quality claims from other stores, the results of the control acceptance of goods in stores).
For Claim items that have evidence of warehouse errors, the claims accountant creates an invoice, on the basis of which the goods in the accounting are moved from the store to the warehouse.
The Claims Accountant informs the store by e-mail about the decision taken on the Claim within the established regulatory time frame, indicating the number of the invoice in the information system for the approved claim. The decision taken must be reflected by the responsible person in the store in the paper form of the Reclamation, indicating the number of the invoice in the information system.
The electronic waybill for the Claim must be confirmed by the responsible person of the store in the information system.
The invoice for the goods in the Astor information system automatically arrives from the warehouse to the store and is in standby mode. The processing of the invoice in the information system upon delivery of goods from the Distribution Center is carried out by confirming it - only after this action is the correction of balances in the account of the store carried out. The information system has a prohibition on making changes to the invoice with the DC. All changes are possible only on the basis of invoices created by a specialist in the financial and analytical group.
Registration of the invoice for the delivery of goods from the central warehouse must be carried out within an hour after the completion of the unloading of the vehicle.
Electronic waybill in standby mode.
Invoice after confirmation
11.5. Features of acceptance and storage of alcohol-containing products.
Alcoholic products include:
ü Food products with an ethyl alcohol content of 0.5% of the volume of finished products.
11.5. Rules for accepting alcoholic products:
ü The supplier is obliged to provide a license at the first delivery.
The license checks for:
Ø Expiry date
Ø Supplier name
Ø Live print
ü The store must also have a license to sell alcoholic beverages.
ü A package of documents required when accepting alcoholic products:
- Certificate of conformity
- Quality certificate for domestic products (we check the date of bottling)
- TTN - 2 copies - 1 remains with the supplier, 2 remains in the store.
- Invoice - 2 copies - 1 remains with the supplier, 2 is transferred to the accounting department.
- Reference to TTN - section "A" and "B" for domestic products
- Certificate to TD (customs declaration) for imported products, section "A" and "B"
Section "A" is ______________________________
Section "B" is ____________________________________________
In section "B" for domestic products, the information must match the TTN:
· Name of product
・Invoice date
Invoice number
· Quantity
ü During the acceptance of alcoholic beverages, there should be no strangers on the overpass.
ü Each box is opened.
ü Selectively take out several bottles from the box and check:
bottle integrity
Availability of FSM or Excise Stamps (FSM - Federal Special Stamp)
FSM sample
 |
The tightness of the brand to the bottle.
· The presence of labels in Russian (full information about the product, produce, product name, volume, ingredients).
No chips or cracks on the bottle.
· The absence of foreign objects inside the bottle (not declared in the ingredients).
· Capping quality.
· Date of bottling (it is necessary to check with the accompanying documents, for imported alcohol it is necessary to look at the date of customs clearance).
Verification of information in sections "A" and "B"
ü Quality and quantity acceptance in accordance with Company standards.
ü Preparation of supporting documents:
· Quantitative documents are drawn up in the same way as any other for the supply of goods, with the exception that it is necessary to put a seal and signature in the transport section on the arrival of the goods at our store.
Qualitative documents should be formatted as follows:
Ø In section "B" for domestic products, it is necessary to put a round seal of the store, position, signature, decoding of the signature, date of acceptance.
Ø In section "B" for imported products - we put a stamp with the details of the store, date, position, signature with decoding, round seal of the store.
Attention: A reference to the TD must be drawn up on one sheet (on the one hand, section "A", on the reverse side - section "B").
Help to the TTN can be drawn up on different sheets, i.e. separate section "A" and "B".
Samples of references to TTN and TD are attached as handouts.
The sale of alcoholic products is not allowed:
ü Without a package of quality documents.
ü Without certification information and not labeled
ü Without marking allowing to establish the manufacturer.
ü In packaging that does not meet the requirements normative documentation: with an alcohol content of more than 18% of the volume of finished products, it is unacceptable to use palletized containers, cans or tetrapack.
ü In bottles without labels, dirty, with signs of breakage, with damaged closures, with turbidity foreign inclusions, as well as sediment.
ü In the absence of FSM or Excise stamps.
o Persons under the age of 18. Legally, adulthood comes the day after the birthday.
ü At prices below the established MRC (minimum retail price)
List of documents approved by the Ministry of Trade for the sale of alcohol and tobacco products:
Russian passport, foreign passport, sailor's passport, diplomatic passport, service passport, passport of a foreign citizen
Temporary identity card of a citizen of the Russian Federation
Identity card of a serviceman or military ID of a citizen of the Russian Federation
· Residence permit in the Russian Federation
· Temporary residence permit in the Russian Federation
Refugee certificate
Certificate of granting temporary asylum on the territory of the Russian Federation
Photocopy of passport certified by a notary
· Certificate of replacement or loss of a passport or military ID.
***Driver's license (pay attention to the driver's license of category "A" - issued from the age of 16) - this document is not approved by the Ministry of Trade, the sale is carried out by the internal decision of the Company.
ü The document must have a photo, date of birth and be recognized as an identity card in the territory of the Russian Federation.
Rules for the storage of alcoholic products:
Technical conditions in the field of production and circulation of alcoholic and alcohol-containing products in terms of storage of alcoholic and alcohol-containing food products packaged in consumer packaging.
ü Products must be stored in stationary, structurally separate premises intended solely for the acceptance, storage, release and accounting of products (hereinafter referred to as warehouses), which meet the following requirements.
ü They are isolated from office, utility and other premises by solid walls or temporary building structures (partitions) from the floor to the ceiling of the warehouse.
ü Equipped supply and exhaust ventilation with mechanical stimulation.
ü Provided central heating or equipped with individual heat generators.
ü Equipped measuring instruments to control the temperature and humidity regime of storage of products (hygrometers-thermometers, psychrometric hygrometers, psychrometers, thermometers, other measuring instruments that allow monitoring temperature and humidity in a warehouse). The serviceability of such devices must be confirmed by the corresponding marks on the verification of measuring instruments in the passports for the devices. If the storage area consists of adjacent premises, these devices must be located in each such room.
ü Equipped with racks and (or) pallets at least 15 cm high from the floor, located at a distance of at least 1 m from heating systems, water and sewer pipes.
ü Equipped with luminaires with protective shades to prevent damage to the luminaire lamps.
ü Window openings (if any) are equipped protective devices(blinds, cornices, other protective devices) to protect surfaces and spaces from exposure to direct sunlight.
ü Have a fire safety system, including equipped with fire alarms, primary fire extinguishing equipment.
Not allowed:
ü storage of products that are not alcoholic and alcohol-containing food products packaged in consumer packaging
ü placement on one pallet different types products
ü placement of products that do not provide free access to stored products.
Storage of products, depending on their types, must be carried out in compliance with the following conditions:
ü Russian cognacs and brandy - at a temperature of 5 ° C to 25 ° C and relative humidity air not higher than 85%
ü alcoholic beverages - at a temperature of 10 ° C to 25 ° C and relative humidity not higher than 85%
ü vodkas and special vodkas - at temperatures from - 15 ° C to + 30 ° C and relative humidity not higher than 85%
ü low-alcohol drinks - at a temperature of 0 ° C to 20 ° C and relative humidity not higher than 85%
ü wines and natural wines - at a temperature of 5 ° C to 20 ° C and a relative humidity of no more than 85%
ü wine drinks - at a temperature of 5 ° C to 20 ° C and relative humidity not higher than 85%
ü Champagnes, sparkling and carbonated wines - at temperatures from 5 ° C to
ü 20 °C and relative humidity not more than 85%
ü "Soviet" champagne - at a temperature of 8 ° C to 16 ° C and relative humidity not higher than 85%
ü wine cocktails - at a temperature of 0 ° C to 20 ° C and relative humidity not higher than 85%.
Rules for storing documents for alcoholic products:
- Documents for alcoholic products are stored in separate folders (the folder is individual for each supplier). Documents for alcoholic products are stored for 12 months after the full sale of goods from this batch.
- With each delivery, the folder is filed with:
ü Invoice
ü Invoice
ü Certificate of Conformity.
ü Certificate of quality for domestic products.
ü Reference to TTN section "A" and "B" (for domestic products).
ü Reference to TD section "A" and "B" (for imported products).
- All documents must be drawn up in accordance with State standards, otherwise they lose their legal force.
- When entering invoices into the program, the merchandiser is obliged to enter the TD number (customs declaration), look at the invoice.
11.6.Rules for the acceptance and sale of tobacco products:
- Retail sales of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 are not allowed on the territory of the Russian Federation. Violation of the provisions of paragraph 1 of this article entails bringing to administrative responsibility in accordance with the law.
- The principle of acceptance of tobacco products is similar to the standard acceptance of goods.
- For imported cigarettes and tobacco, a TD must be provided.
- In places where tobacco products are sold, a price list should be posted.
- Price list formatting:
ü Name in Russian
ü Caption: Prices are valid for …. (The current date)
ü Store print
ü Administration signature
- At the request of the buyer, we have the right to show the pack - this is not an advertisement.
· It is forbidden to sell tobacco products if the MRP (maximum retail price) on a pack is lower than the store's retail price.
· It is forbidden to sell tobacco products without special brands.
- It is forbidden to sell to persons under the age of 18. Legally, adulthood comes the day after the birthday.
- Visual advertising of cigarettes is prohibited. Cigarette racks should not have
- It is forbidden to equip the drive with cigarette price tags.
- The responsibility of the Administration in compliance with the rules for the acceptance, sale and storage of alcoholic and tobacco products:
- Penalties for the sale of alcoholic products to minors from external regulatory authorities:
ü Specialist - 30,000 - 50,000 rubles
ü Administration - 100,000 - 200,000 rubles
ü Company – from 50000
- When an offense is found again
ü Criminal liability (if the violation was committed within 6 months)
ü Firm - deprivation of license
- Penalties for the sale of tobacco products to minors from external regulatory authorities:
ü Specialist - up to 30,000 rubles
ü Legal entity - up to 300,000 rubles.
- The store administration is financially responsible to the consumer, external and internal regulatory authorities:
ü For non-compliance with the above rules for acceptance, storage, sale and execution of documents for alcoholic and tobacco products.
How to turn a warehouse into a sales process control center
The beginning of this year passed under the sign of intensive development of retail chains and an almost feverish demand for the corresponding automation systems, recorded by many development companies. Russian trading companies have begun to build networks in earnest, especially since there is no longer any need to travel abroad for examples - foreign network giants have now appeared in our country. Whether this is good or bad and what it threatens with is a separate question, but the fact that their discovery makes domestic retailers catch up is beyond doubt.
In the shipment control area, the collected order is checked again
One of the important elements of the trading network, as you know, is the central warehouse, or, more correctly, the distribution center (DC), which supplies stores with goods. It is also known that with the growth of the network, its role increases. The functioning of the DC is impossible without high technologies, automation systems and other elements related to the IT field. What principles underlie the correct organization of such a structure? What are the challenges facing the RC and by what means and methods can they be solved?
What is it: a central warehouse or a distribution center?
This, of course, is not the same thing. Yes, goods are stored in the distribution center, as well as in a warehouse, but its functions are much wider, and its role is much more active than that of a conventional warehouse. In relation to stores, the DC performs the functions of a managerial link: it fills them with goods in accordance with the policy adopted in this retail chain.
Sometimes, when talking about the distribution center, they mean that it is necessarily the so-called "cellular warehouse" (another name is "warehouse for storage places"). The latter is a form of storage organization in which each product is "assigned" to a specific place (cell) and in any operations (receiving, issuing, internal movements) one should take into account the sequence of actions with goods provided for by internal instructions (in accordance with the timing of the implementation of each goods, etc.). Placing in cells often helps to better control this process.
"The distribution center is often mistakenly called a distribution center (or just a central warehouse)," notes Viktor Chernykh, senior product manager for back office solutions at Service Plus. "Indeed, they have common features: both goods intended for transfer to retail outlets are stored.However, even in this pair of distribution centers, it is distinguished by its active role - after all, resellers (shops, dealers, etc.) can pick up goods from the distribution center when they need it (in parts, irregularly, etc. .p.) and in the quantities they need, while the RC is called upon to regulate these processes "from above", organizing the fulfillment of its main task - to deliver goods to stores in the right quantity and at the right time.
RC should work like a Swiss watch
So, what tasks should the RC solve? We list the most important of them.
Managing the assortment and quantity of goods. Initially, the duties of the DC include, as already mentioned, the supply of goods to stores in the right quantity with the necessary regularity. This is determined by the turnover of each store - one located in a busy place can sell twice as much as another located in a residential area on the edge of the city; in accordance with these features, the distribution center must organize the supply of goods to them. Orders to product suppliers are made in accordance with the needs of the network. If, for some reason, it turned out that some product is not enough today to provide all the stores, then the distribution center should move from the supply function to the distribution function: knowing the capabilities and needs of each store in the network, distribute one type of product a little to everyone, and the other give it to those stores where it is more in demand and sells out faster. “It happens that in one of the stores of the network the demand changes situationally,” Viktor Chernykh comments. to the central office.
Supplier relationship management. The management of a network trading enterprise, when concluding agreements with suppliers, usually prescribes in them the volumes, terms and schedules of deliveries, as well as the procedure for changing conditions (for example, prices). However, in our reality, far from all suppliers accurately fulfill their contractual obligations, and situations of over- and under-deliveries, re-grading and arbitrary price changes occur all the time. Tracking all violations in a timely manner and solving emerging problems is also part of the functions of the distribution center, and this must be done at the time of arrival of the goods. Therefore, the DC must have the necessary resources (from information support to personnel of appropriate qualifications) - after all, the employees of the center bear full responsibility for the goods received and at the same time have the authority to make decisions in accordance with their job descriptions(for example, to return the delivery in whole or in part, to accept on certain conditions, etc.).
Preparation of goods is also one of the important tasks of the distribution center. This primarily includes re-labeling, which is often necessary not only because of missing or low-quality bar codes (BCs), but also because of company policy. For example, in some firms, for unification, all boxes with products are relabeled and only their own barcodes are used in accounting. This helps to insure against poorly readable or incorrect barcodes, from changing the barcode of products, and also allows you to control expiration dates and keep batch records.
Finally, there are such specific products as alcohol, for which the pre-sale preparation cycle is very complex and lengthy. So, when a new batch arrives at the warehouse, it is necessary to check the authenticity of the excise stamp, certificates, customs documents, etc. Of course, the qualifications of a specialist performing these functions should be high (as well as his remuneration), and it is much more profitable to have such an employee it is in the distribution center, where he will be provided with a sufficient scope of work.
RC is impossible without automation
Such a large and complex mechanism as RC cannot exist without modern IS. However, the first step in organizing a distribution center is the choice of a general technology of work: how goods will be stored (on one or several floors), what loading and unloading equipment will be used, and finally, what will be the sequence of actions that ensure the operation of the distribution center, from concluding contracts with suppliers to receiving goods and shipping them to stores.
Only having built a common technology, one can proceed to the choice of IS - after all, it (the choice) directly depends on the features of the future RC. For example, if the idea of a "cellular warehouse" is the basis, then the automation system must also have the appropriate functions. Additional requirements for the capabilities of the system are also imposed by the "zonal" structure of the warehouse (the presence of zones for long-term storage, picking, etc.). Of course, the compliance of the goals set with the functionality of the IS will never be 100%: one system will be better at solving some tasks, the other - others; when choosing, it is important to prioritize, as well as assess how flexible this or that system can be.
When the choice is made, a new stage begins - the mutual adaptation of the built technology and IS. So, almost all projects are accompanied by the development of new reporting forms (after all, each organization usually has its own specific reports), sometimes special subsystems or algorithms are added to IS. The final stage is the implementation of the system.
What it looks like in practice
As an example, let's take a well-known Moscow supermarket chain "Petrovsky" (until the beginning of 2003 - the BIN network) ZAO PFK BIN. From the very beginning of the implementation of this project, the principle of a centralized architecture with a distribution warehouse was laid in it. In those years, there were practically no systems for automating DCs on the domestic market, and BIN's IT specialists, in addition to setting the task, had to take part in the creation of such an IS together with the main developer, the Service Plus company. The resulting product - the "Supermag 2000" system - today is one of the few ICs for DC automation on our market.
Distribution center of the supermarket chain "Petrovsky"
“At first, about 90% of the entire range of goods passed through the distribution center,” said Igor Ivanov, head of the IT department of the Petrovsky network, “this was due to personnel problems, technology debugging, and the need for pre-sale preparation of goods - while For some time, the goods were marked almost entirely in the distribution center where all complex accounting procedures were carried out - acceptance, registration of the goods card, control of deliveries, etc. Interaction with suppliers was worked out. the minimum supply of goods that do not have a code, as well as with an arbitrarily changing or unreadable bar code, etc."
In addition, in many stores, storage space did not allow for large stocks of goods, including running ones. And here the RC assumed the functions of storing an average weekly supply of products with a large turnover (beer and soft drinks, dairy products with a long shelf life, etc.). It was also beneficial because it made it possible to purchase and deliver large quantities of such goods (2-3 trucks) to the DC, while receiving good wholesale discounts, and then regularly supply stores in accordance with their daily needs. Thanks to the IS, sales statistics were accumulated quite quickly and it became possible to switch to automatic generation of orders for stores: the system generates it daily according to a certain algorithm, and only an employee who has access rights to this procedure can correct it.
"All decisions about the assortment, schedule and volume of deliveries at first were made only at the central office," Igor Ivanov continued the story, "however, with the growth of stores and the increase in the assortment to 15,000 items (on average), the number of errors increased, and the management decided to give some part of the assortment management in places - in stores, i.e. partially decentralized the process of ordering goods, but retained control over the quality of the procedure and technologies for ordering goods.In addition, a high degree of centralization made our stores "industrial enterprises", and the adopted the concept of "store near the house" assumed a certain individuality, originality, "homeness" of each of them. Since 1999, the share of direct deliveries of products from suppliers to stores began to increase. By this time, relations with partners were already well established and it became possible to prescribe in the contracts not only the total volumes and prices, but also the schedule of deliveries and even (in in some cases) the type of packaging of the goods".
Today, about 20-30% of products (in terms of the number of items) go through the DC to stores, but these are mostly positions that are important in terms of value and volume, the turnover of which makes up more than half of the stores' profits. Stores are given the management of the assortment of dairy and other perishable goods, as well as those that help emphasize the originality of the store, make it cozy and original. This approach has also made it possible to significantly reduce storage space in the stores themselves - today they account for less than 30% of the area of the trading floor.
The organization of the work of the RC itself has also been improved over time. Today, the working day of the DC is as follows: at night, the so-called warehouse requirement is automatically generated in the IS - an order detailed by stores on the volumes of shipment of goods from the DC (order for the delivery of goods to all stores). In the morning, warehouse workers use mobile terminals to scan the barcode of goods in their area of responsibility and transfer this information to the system. In response, the system issues a task to each employee, how many of each of these scanned positions (according to the warehouse requirement) must be collected and moved to the data entry and goods shipment control area. When this operation is completed, the formed commodity packages are transported to the forwarding area. The entire volume of daily supply to stores is concentrated there. Further, in accordance with the marking on the purpose of shipment of commodity packages, loaders place them in cars.
"We were convinced that the organization of the work of personnel (loaders, storekeepers) is of great importance," Igor Ivanov emphasized. Add to this a set of organizational measures (in particular, a daily plan for loaders, the implementation of which directly affects wages), then problems with smoke breaks, labor discipline and overtime in the evening disappeared by themselves, and the number of employees was reduced by 50% At the warehouse, staff turnover has practically disappeared, people understand what they are doing and how much they will get for it, corporate solidarity has appeared.