New Country Opening in Estonia
Optimized Processes Meet Country-specific Aspects
A new country opening is always a special moment and represents a complex challenge. All systems have to be built from scratch: from wiring to the construction of server rooms up to logistic and store systems.
The challenge
During a new country opening, it is particularly important to adjust the existing process and solution landscape to take country-specific aspects into account. These, mainly statutory requirements, are first subjected to intensive examination in interdisciplinary project teams and then implemented so that they fit perfectly into the whole process chain. In the case of Estonia, there were statutory and logistical requirements for cross-country goods deliveries and specific requirements for the store system.
The solution
Particularly interesting from an IT perspective: a server room with cutting-edge technology was constructed for the new opening, to operate the IT systems required for the country. To support the business processes, a special Excise Warehouse Application (EWA) had to be developed to trace deliveries of articles subject to excise duty from Latvia, the country from which most goods come to Estonia. Additionally, all eight stores were equipped with electronic price tags (ESL) from the word go, a major step toward digitalization.
At a glance
International project team from more than 10 countries
Construction of administration, HR, purchasing and real estate systems
Set up of a new merchandise management system
Construction of a new store and checkout system
Setup of a modern network infrastructure
A first for a new country opening: Electronic price tags countrywide
Implementation of server and storage systems
Digitalization: InStore communication to connect employees