About the Client

CMR Shopping Mall stands as a prominent retail chain in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, offering a diverse range of products, including apparel, accessories, and home essentials. Established in 2001 by Sri Mavuri Venkata Ramana, the brand has grown from a single store into a network of 32 locations, including two CMR Central malls. This expansion reflects CMR’s commitment to providing quality products and exceptional customer service.

CMR’s dedication extends beyond retail. The company has been actively involved in community initiatives, including providing aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing its commitment to social responsibility.

The Challenge

As CMR Shopping Mall expanded its footprint across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, managing procurement processes became increasingly complex. The procurement and merchandising teams relied heavily on manual methods, spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls to handle purchase indents and orders. This approach led to several challenges:

• Delays in Creating and Approving Purchase Indents: The manual creation and approval of purchase indents were time-consuming, often causing bottlenecks. Waiting for approvals via email or in-person meetings slowed down the entire procurement cycle, making it difficult to respond swiftly to inventory needs. 
• Inefficient Communication with Suppliers: Communicating purchase orders and updates to suppliers through emails and calls lacked consistency and clarity. This often resulted in misunderstandings, delayed deliveries, and strained supplier relationships. 
• Lack of Real-Time Visibility into Procurement Activities: Without a centralized system, tracking the status of purchase orders, approvals, and deliveries was challenging. This lack of visibility hindered proactive decision-making and made it difficult to address issues promptly.

These challenges not only affected operational efficiency but also impacted CMR’s ability to maintain optimal inventory levels and meet customer demands effectively. Recognizing the need for a more streamlined and transparent procurement process, CMR sought a solution that would digitize and automate their procurement workflows.

The Solution

To overcome the challenges in their procurement processes, CMR Shopping Mall implemented Supplymint’s DigiProc Solution, a cloud-native procurement platform designed to digitize and automate the procurement cycle. This strategic move aimed to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration within their procurement operations.

Mobile Purchase Indent Creation and Approval

With DigiProc, CMR’s procurement teams gained the ability to create and approve purchase orders directly from their mobile devices. This mobility ensured that procurement activities were not hindered by location constraints, allowing for faster decision-making and improved responsiveness to inventory needs.

Instant Sharing with Suppliers

Once a purchase indent was approved, it could be instantly shared with suppliers through the mobile app. This immediate communication reduced lead times and enabled suppliers to initiate order processing without delay, fostering better collaboration and trust between CMR and its vendors.

Real-Time Tracking and Notifications

The DigiProc provided real-time tracking of purchase orders and sent automated notifications to relevant stakeholders. This transparency enhanced communication, ensuring that all parties were promptly informed of updates and facilitating timely production and delivery.

By leveraging these features, CMR Shopping Mall transformed its procurement operations, achieving greater speed, accuracy, and collaboration. The adoption of DigiProc not only addressed existing challenges but also positioned CMR for scalable growth in the dynamic retail landscape.

The Impact

Implementing Supplymint’s DigiProc solution marked a significant transformation in CMR Shopping Mall’s procurement operations. The shift from manual, fragmented processes to a streamlined, digital workflow brought about several notable improvements:

• Reduced Procurement Cycle Time

Previously, creating and approving purchase indents involved multiple steps, often delayed by the need for in-person meetings or email communications. With DigiProc, procurement teams could generate and approve indents directly through the platform, regardless of their location. This mobility eliminated bottlenecks, allowing for quicker decision-making and faster replenishment of stock, ensuring that shelves remained stocked to meet customer demand.

• Enhanced Supplier Communication

The instant sharing of approved indents with suppliers streamlined the communication process. Suppliers received real-time notifications, enabling them to initiate order processing without delay. This immediacy not only reduced lead times but also fostered stronger relationships with suppliers, built on trust and efficiency.

• Improved Operational Efficiency

The real-time tracking and notification features of the DigiProc solution provided procurement teams with up-to-date information on order statuses. This visibility allowed for proactive management of the procurement process, reducing the likelihood of errors and ensuring that any issues could be addressed promptly. Moreover, the ability to manage procurement tasks on the go meant that team members were no longer confined to their desks, leading to increased productivity and responsiveness.

Overall, the adoption of Supplymint’s DigiProc solution empowered CMR Shopping Mall to modernize its procurement operations, resulting in a more agile, efficient, and responsive supply chain that better served the needs of both the business and its customers.

Conclusion

The implementation of Supplymint’s DigiProc module marked a transformative shift in CMR Shopping Mall’s procurement operations. By digitizing and streamlining the purchase indent process, CMR moved away from manual, time-consuming methods to a more efficient, transparent, and responsive system. This transition not only enhanced internal workflows but also strengthened collaboration with suppliers, ensuring timely order fulfillment and better inventory management. In an increasingly competitive retail landscape, such operational agility positions CMR to meet customer demands more effectively and sustain growth.