Written by Smitesh Save
It was towards the end of 2015 when we had a new implementation for a client in the commodity vertical. Things went well, and we kicked off with the implementation, setup, masters collections, etc. However, for enterprise clients or those of a new vertical, it’s never too straightforward.
A few days before the go-live was scheduled to take place, the Sales Head had a new requirement. The requirement meant that the field team would have to take orders in kilograms and units. While we were well aware that Bizom never supported the ‘kg’ unit, the client was particular about it and wasn’t comfortable going ahead without it.
For a business like Bizom, not going live for a long period is a huge risk, and in such an outcome, we stand to lose clients. What’s worse is that word gets around quickly, and the business also tends to get a negative image in the industry.
Coming back to the matter at hand, we now needed to develop support for the kilogram unit in a very short period. It, of course, required all hands on deck, and we began to brainstorm. Upon doing so, we found a few key points that played a crucial role in our next steps:
- Usage of Case for conversion of units to kilograms
- Challenges and impact of using case
- Our Go-Live plan
- Our Phase 2 DMS Go-Live
Using these points as a frame of reference for what we needed to work on, we had our work cut out for us. Eventually, we came up with a few solutions to help the users.
We used cases to add in the quantity with case conversion into the kilogram unit, but of course, it wasn’t to be that easy. This option would only serve as a solution for values above 1kg. Not only was this a problem, but to have to explain this to the client without a solution was another challenge.
We instinctively decided to train users to punch in orders in kilograms only for SKUs above 1kg, while the other SKUs would be in units. We then trained MIS to properly maintain the product master.
Finally, upon researching how orders work in commodities, we were ready with our configuration. We had a plan of what could be sustainably supported, and what couldn’t be. We also had a solid plan of how we were going to present this to our client.
In the final demo session with the client, we explained to them in detail how things would work, and how this would help the users. Orders for SKUs with heavier products would be supplied in kilograms, while orders for SKUs with light products (such as pouches, sachets, etc.) would be delivered in packets or boxes. Things went well for us, with the client giving us the thumbs up for our Go-Live.
However, this was not the end, as we also had the Go-Live for their DMS. The same workaround, if used, could lead to a mess in transactional data. But now that the client was out of churn risk, we took the time to do our research, figured out the business use, and worked on development and execution plans, and how to customize it to Bizom. I would say that this was our ‘Algorithm’ in Algorithmic Jugaad.
After multiple discussions, we rolled out features wherein Bizom could support the kilogram unit, and also other units like the liter. Ever since then, these have been available in all transactions and configuration schemes.
