- A 12-day shorter cash-conversion cycle
- 31% reduction in inventory carrying costs
- New branch financed entirely from unlocked capital
- Financial close accelerated from 9 days to 4
Background
Glukoza is a well-respected and fast-growing chain of community pharmacies headquartered in Batumi. Serving a diverse clientele of locals and tourists with prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and wellness products, Glukoza had become a pillar of the local healthcare landscape. In just five years, the firm had expanded from a single corner store to a thriving network of high-footfall outlets, supported by a small central distribution hub.
This rapid growth was a testament to their commitment to community health and customer service. However, beneath the surface of success, Glukoza’s operational framework was beginning to buckle under the strain.
Their reliance on a patchwork of legacy tools—disconnected POS registers, manual Excel price lists, and paper-based accounting journals—was creating significant friction. As the market became more competitive, Glukoza’s leadership recognized the urgent need to modernize their processes to maintain their market position, improve profitability, and build a scalable foundation for future growth.
The Challenge
Fragmented Inventory: Lacked a central view, causing critical drug stockouts while tying up cash in overstocked products and eroding customer trust.
Opaque, Manual Accounting: A 9-day financial close filled with manual errors, making true profitability invisible and strategic planning impossible.
Tax & Capital Friction: Valuable time lost to manual audit prep and missed tax advantages, with zero room for investments that didn’t promise a rapid payback.
Our Approach
Diagnose
Pinpointed every bottleneck and error hotspot by process-mapping all workflows and auditing four years of historical data.
Design
Engineered a holistic solution with a purpose-built cloud ERP, automating inventory logic and embedding Georgian tax rules directly into the financial workflow.
Deliver
Executed a meticulous, phased rollout—migrating 74,000+ SKUs and training 53 employees with hands-on workshops and 60 days of post-launch support to ensure confident adoption.
The Impact
By moving from a reactive, manual model to a proactive, data-driven one, Glukoza unlocked profound and measurable results. The transformation has been a catalyst for new levels of efficiency, profitability, and strategic growth.
Inventory and Sales Optimization:
- 31% drop in carrying costs in the first six months as automatic replenishment cut dead stock.
- 97% product availability for top-500 SKUs (up from 81%), lifting counter sales and customer loyalty.
- 98% inventory accuracy across all locations.
Financial and Operational Efficiency:
- Month-end close shrank from nine to four days, freeing the finance team to focus on margin analysis instead of data entry.
- Real-time branch P&L enabled pricing tweaks that added two percentage points to gross margin.
- Audit preparation time fell by 80%, freeing the CFO for expansion planning.
- Employee satisfaction score up 21 points, with pharmacists citing “no more call-rounds to find stock” as the biggest win.
Strategic Capital and Growth:
- A 12-day shorter cash-conversion cycle unlocked working capital, directly financing a new seafront branch without external borrowing.
- Zero late VAT filings since go-live, optimizing Glukoza’s tax position.
What We Delivered
We provided Glukoza with a holistic solution that addressed their most pressing challenges and laid a foundation for sustainable growth:
- A single, cloud-based ERP platform connecting all branches, the warehouse, and head office in real time.
- Demand forecasting with integrated batch, lot, and expiry control built into the core system.
- A touchless procure-to-pay workflow: From requisition and approval to electronic purchase orders and automated three-way invoice matching.
- Live, mobile-accessible dashboards for inventory health, SKU profitability, and branch scorecards, putting control in the hands of on-the-go owners.
- A complete change-management package, covering data migration, staff enablement, and a 12-month success plan with quarterly KPI reviews.
Glukoza has not only solved its immediate operational challenges but has also embraced a new, more dynamic way of doing business. They are now better equipped to serve their community, empower their employees, and drive future growth along Georgia’s Black Sea coast.