Grappling with issues such as a lack of security and validation of information, inappropriate audit, frequent mismatches between internal and external business data. Leading spice player of India Everest overcomes tech challenges by migrating to SAP S/4HANA which has significantly streamlined its supply chain. In a candid discussion with CRN team, Sanjeev Shah reveals the exceptional role of technology in enabling Everest Spices to emerge as the frontrunner in its industry segment.
• Please brief about the growth journey of Everest Spices since its inception.
Since our inception in the year 1981 as a small 200 square feet shop, Everest Spices has emerged as India’s number one spice brand, acclaimed by leading research firm A.C. Nielsen (Independent Research Agency). Today we offer more than 45 varieties of spices including whole spices and blends. Our high-quality products are the outcome of years of research, innovation and technology investment.
We have set up a state-of-the-art retailer distribution mechanism to ensure the consistent availability of our products PAN India. We have also penetrated markets across 58 countries to promote the taste of ethnic Indian flavours.
• What were the major challenges being faced by Everest Spices before the deployment of SAP S/4HANA?
With our legacy ERP system, we were grappling with issues such as a lack of security and validation of information, inappropriate audit, frequent mismatches between internal and external business data. Our executive team failed to synchronise with our growth aspirations.
We also witnessed a severe lack of integration among our internal and external departments as the internal processes and tools failed to support our expansion objectives, restricting overall productivity and efficiency.
• How is technology enabling you to accomplish your expansion objectives?
Innovation and technology rest at the core of our organisation. Over time we have deployed a host of cutting-edge solutions across our operation centres to automate production processes as well as improve on the quality of our products. Our latest technology investment comes in the form of SAP S/4HANA which has significantly streamlined our supply chain.
We now boast of real-time, 360-degree visibility across our operations to swiftly respond to market challenges and foster our expansion objectives. Our entire process framework has now been integrated with the new automated process like the Distributor Management system, Bar-code system, Mandi purchase app, automatic emailing system, etc.
• In which year did you adopt IT solutions, how has that fuelled your growth?
We have a legacy of leveraging technology to aid business efficiency, customer satisfaction as well as optimising market reach since our inception. We also aggressively invested in upgrading our IT framework to address the existing as well as future business challenges.
Our new state-of-the-art factory in Umbergaon, Gujarat has set new benchmarks in the industry, utilizing a perfect blend of trendsetting technologies and employee management to catalyse production. Our latest implementation, SAP S/4HANA has enabled us to embark on an unprecedented digital transformation journey and create a distinctive niche in the market.
• How has IT helped you in streamlining your supply chain?
Post the implementation of SAP S/4HANA by SAVIC Technologies; we now harness mobile access for analytics and instant approvals on any device. The new ERP solution has also empowered us with faster, transparent and precise mandi purchases helping our field executives to access the latest buy rates and procure instant approvals. Also, with a significant improvement in secondary sales visibility with the integration of the Distributor Management System with S/4HANA, we now ensure the timely availability of fresh stocks at stores.
• How is the company gearing up for future growth?
We are integrating performance management tools and processes to allocate key job-roles related to the anticipated growth of our organisation. Our focus is on assigning prime responsibilities to individuals to accomplish their specific goals with clearly defined objectives. We are also adopting a multidisciplinary approach to synchronise every aspect of our business including production, marketing, finance, etc. to escalate our business productivity and efficiency. We will also invest heavily in training and development exercises to enable our workforce to better tap the opportunities of tomorrow.
