Modern IT Solution for Agribusiness

About the Company

Almex is a private, family-owned company founded in 1992. Its main activity is the trade of agricultural machinery and parts, agricultural production, maintenance, storage and trade of grains and other industrial plants, transportation, and trade of petroleum products. From the very beggining, Almex established a succesful, long-term cooperation with world class manufacturers of agricultural machinery, such as su: CLAAS, HOLMER, MASCHIO, GASPARDO, VOGEL NOOT, CAFFINI, OEHLER and KÖCKERLING. 

Within the last decade, this company expanded its business operations to cover almost all branches of agriculture. Almex Group today processes over 15,000 hectares, cultivates about 1,200 milking cows with additional categories, which annually produce more than 5 million liters of milk, raises about 40,000 fattened pigs, stores agricultural products in storage facilities with the capacity of over 55,000 tons, processes over 60,000 tons of corn, sells agricultural machinery, spare parts and services in amount of over 20 million per year, achieving a turnover of oil products in the amount of 6.4 million liters per year and employing 580 people.

For all of these areas of business covered by Almex company it is almost impossible to find software that would encompass and integrate data at the company level. During the analysis process, many processes in the company are refined and improved, so that Microsoft Dynamics NAV has a positive effect on the operation of the company even before its implementation. The primary effects, which I’m very pleased of, consist in the achievement of discipline among users, accurate and complete information in every moment, data entry, daily updating, access from remote locations, connection to a large number of companies and their unambiguous comparisons and analyses. 

- Nenad RATKOV, General Manager, Almex.

Business situation

Almex Group operates in a highly heterogeneous environment, starting with the exclusive distributorship of renowned machinery manufacturers, import / export activities, commercial machinery and spare parts, agricultural production and sale of agricultural products, storage, internal and external services and a gas station. The implementation project of the business-information system, that will include a wide range of activities is a challenge in every respect.

Before the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution, the ERP solution of Almex Group consisted of a large number of independent software for various business tasks. A number of business operations was not covered by the information system, which prevented employees from recording important events, or from creating an internal independent evidence. The reporting and monitoring of basic performance indicators required time and a very extensive analysis. Consequently, the company was not able to keep pace and respond to rapid changes in the environment.

Solution

The project included the introduction of almost all modules which MS Dynamics NAV offers in order to cover all standard business functions. In addition to normal business procedures, it was necessary to address a number of specific features for agricultural machines, agriculture and the commerce of raw materials and agricultural products.