Brief  Summary

Since 2010, Balkan Services has been supporting the company’s technological development through a series of successfully delivered projects, including the implementation of the SOFTONE ERP system, the development of a Business Intelligence (BI) solution for data analysis, specializied software for financial consolidation, CRM, and the provision of comprehensive IT support services.

About the Company

Boni Holding AD is a leader in pork meat production and one of the most established producers of meat products and processed meats.
The company operates hybrid and commercial pig farming facilities, as well as one of the most modern meat processing complexes in Europe, equipped with technological capabilities for producing an unlimited range of meat products.

ERP Solution for More Efficient Management

In its pursuit of higher efficiency and integrated process management, Boni Holding implemented the cloud version of the SOFTONE ERP system in partnership with its long-term technology partner, Balkan Services.

The system has been deployed across eight companies within the holding, using a custom-designed architecture tailored to the specific characteristics of pig farming and feed production.

Results:

• Quick access to correct business information, unified in one system;
• Automated, significantly accelerated and integrated with each other specific processes in the pig and feed production;
• Easy tracking of business value and performance indicators;
• In-depth insight into individual cost elements and their weighting, hence facilitating decision making for their adjustment;
• Ease of document production and ensuring full traceability of movements through automatic connectivity between pig farms;
• Facilitated tracking of indicators throughout the pig life cycle, analysis of the accumulation of rearing costs as pigs move from one pig farm to another;
• Dramatically reduce the time to monthly closures – from a few days to a few clicks;
• Application of a common standard and comparability of data analysis metrics by company and in aggregate;
• Eliminating the need for additional scale software through direct integration between the ERP system and the scales;
• Unify and standardize the way of working across companies;
• Supporting users’ work with multiple automatic checks;
• Freeing up the time of key employees;
• Bringing the team together.

Accelerated Financial Consolidation with Lucanet

Balkan Services has implemented the specialized consolidation and planning solution Lucanet in Boni Holding. The platform combines a standardized model for preparing consolidated financial statements with a high degree of flexibility, with certain predefined structures specifically adapted to the group’s individual requirements.
The solution consolidates financial data received from the holding’s subsidiaries.

The system offers a rich set of core and additional functionalities, including consolidation adjustments (additional accounting entries), hierarchical consolidation structures, automated cash flow statements, statements of changes in equity, reports on non-current asset movements, cost center segmentation, and more.
The planning module enables dynamic monthly, quarterly, and annual planning.

Results: 

• significant reduction in consolidation time;
• minimizing errors and deviations;
• historical traceability of the consolidation operations and procedures;
• references including non-financial information allowing the creation of operational key indicators that support management decisions;
• data details;
• comparability of key indicators among individual companies, data for different time periods;
• data visualization by type of activity in the group;
• possibility of subsequent deconsolidation of subsidiaries;
• minimum hardware requirements.

BI System for Better Data Management and Analysis

As part of the long-term partnership between Boni Holding and Balkan Services, a BI solution was also implemented to improve data management and analysis within the company. 

Users use Qlik for data visualization, reporting, and multidimensional analysis.

The application enables comparisons of sales, returned goods, and performance against previous periods and planned targets. Key performance indicators are calculated, and receivables by customer and payments can be easily analyzed with drill-down capabilities down to document level.

Digitalization of Sales Processes through CRM

A CRM system has been implemented, enabling sales representatives to manage their activities via mobile devices.

The system allows on-site order placement at retail locations, real-time order transmission to distributors, and the collection of information on competitors’ product availability and pricing.

The CRM solution also supports visit planning and reporting, route optimization for sales representatives, and provides operational reporting aimed at optimizing the performance of the sales team.

Brief Summary

FICOSOTA, an international fast-moving consumer goods company with a presence in over 70 markets, is implementing a comprehensive Qlik BI platform to address the growing need for centralised data management and analysis. The solution consolidates information from multiple systems and covers key business processes – sales, finance, logistics, and market analysis – providing reliable data, automated calculations, and a detailed view of the company’s performance.

As a result, the business gains a single version of the truth, faster access to analytics, and improved planning, forecasting, and decision-making capabilities.

About the company

Ficosota is one of Bulgaria’s largest fast-moving consumer goods companies. It operates in the following sectors: food, hygiene and sanitary products, cleaning and laundry detergents. Its portfolio includes the following brands: Savex, Milde, Emeka, Teo, Puffies, Maretti, Livity, and My Motto.

Ficosota was founded in 1994 and currently operates in over 70 markets across 6 continents, with 6 factories in Shumen and offices in Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and New York.

The Need for a New Software

As the business grows, there is a need for a comprehensive and scalable BI environment that covers the analysis of: the company’s sales in all countries; P&L; receivables analysis; payables analysis; expense analysis; Sales from distributors in Bulgaria and abroad (SalesOut); Deliveries and Logistics; Analysis of market conditions and competitors.

Additionally, the business requires automated calculations and ready-made analytical models to support daily decision-making on various issues. The need for more in-depth analyses in specific areas, such as merchandising, sales team performance, laboratory testing, and project management, also requires the implementation of a flexible BI platform.

Project Objectives

• Accurate data and automatic updates
• An overview of the business in the dashboard and detailed reporting
• Optimisation of human resources
• Reliable and complete historical data
• Forecast analysis
• Optimal use of data

The Solution

The BI applications developed cover the processes for analysing the company’s sales in all countries; P&L; receivables analysis; payables analysis; expense analysis; sales from distributors in Bulgaria and abroad (SalesOut); deliveries and Logistics; and market and Competitor Analysis. Data is loaded from the lowest level of various transactional systems, and users can access the source data with just a few clicks, starting from the Dashboard or a company-wide report. The multi-layered architecture incorporates algorithms for calculation and distribution that provide users with daily ready-made analyses for various business scenarios. Additional applications have been developed for analysing laboratory tests, merchandising and sales staff performance, project management, and more.

Results

• A comprehensive overview of the company’s status;
• Collection, consolidation, and analysis of data from all core systems in one place;
• Ready-to-use financial and other management reports from the highest to the lowest level;
• A unified approach and a single source of truth for all key performance indicators (KPIs);
• Fast performance and a flexible interface for a customised view of the information;
• Simplified and accelerated comparison of forecast and actual data;
• Ability to analyse the company’s profitability based on key indicators;
• Simplified and accelerated analysis of the performance of various products;
• Easy and quick access to information on warehouse inventory.

Integrations

• SAP S/4HANA,
• NetSuite ERP,
• Integra ERP,
• Cubit,
• Senior ERP,
• DSX, EDGAR,
• Excel files,
• XML files,
• TXT files,
• websites,
• Web APIs, etc.

Brief Summary

A decade ago, the company began using the QlikView business analytics software. The solution implemented by Balkan Services enabled rapid generation of analyses across multiple dimensions and provided daily access to up-to-date data on the company’s performance.

Years later, the organisation transitioned to the newer, more modern BI solution, Qlik Sense, which better aligns with TESY’s vision as an innovative company.

The new BI software provides enhanced reporting capabilities. A feature for analysing order fulfilment, known as the “Execution Tracking Report,” has been developed. With the new project, a direct link has been established between the BI software and data from the SAP system, allowing for the analysis of additional data that had not previously been analysed in QlikView.

Functionality for ABC analysis has been implemented, aiding product lifecycle planning.

The applications for cash flow and inventory turnover have been enhanced.

About the Company

TESY is a leading Bulgarian and European manufacturer of electric water heaters, indirect water heaters, and home heating appliances. The company operates four factories and has a production capacity of 1.2 million electric water heaters per year. Currently, TESY sells its products in 65 countries across 4 continents.

The Need for a New BI System

TESY needs to modernise its existing BI environment to overcome the limitations of QlikView and gain more flexible and advanced analytical capabilities. The company is seeking better visualisation, easier access to data, better integration with SAP, and more efficient use of up-to-date information to support business decisions.

The Solution

Qlik Sense compares TESY’s actual data with its sales plans. This allows the company to assess the accuracy of its forecasts and plans, enabling it to respond in a timely manner.

The Qlik Sense BI system allows the TESY team to view the fulfilment status of every order—from receipt, through shipment, to payment receipt.

In Qlik Sense, there are several distinct analysis groups—for the company, for customers (by channel, country, and region), and by product (product code and name). All reports throughout the project can be recalculated in BGN and EUR with a single click. They can be presented as consolidated or unconsolidated sales, which is important for sales by country.

One of the latest developments by Balkan Services consultants in Qlik Sense concerns the so-called “ABC” analysis.

Project goals

• Migration from QlikView to Qlik Sense as a more modern BI platform
• Ensuring a smooth transition without disrupting workflow
• Preserving and enhancing existing reports and models
• Improving visualisation and the user experience
• Enabling more flexible and in-depth analytics
• Integration with SAP and working with up-to-date data in real time
• Centralising information for better decision-making
• Increasing the efficiency and speed of business analysis

Results

• Accelerated generation of a variety of reports across different dimensions;
• Quick access to the latest versions of business data;
• Improved and expanded capabilities for data visualisation and reporting;
• Ability to add new data and definitions by implementing direct data extraction from the company’s main database in SAP;
• Easier comparison between actual data and sales plans, enabling assessment of forecast accuracy and timely response;
• Quick overview of the fulfilment status of each order—from receipt, through shipment, to delivery to the customer and payment.
• Quick analysis of sales data at the company, customer, channel, country, and product levels;
• Simplified analysis of the company’s financial status in terms of inventory turnover, receivables, and payables.

Integrations

• SAP BW;
• SAP;
• Excel files.

Brief Summary

Balkan Services implemented the businessPace BI solution at Bultex 99 with the aim of automating the analysis and reporting of sales, inventory levels, and goods movement. The system consolidates and visualises data from various sources in real time, providing management with clear and centralised information on key business metrics. As a result, the analysis process has been significantly accelerated, improving coordination among teams and enabling faster, more informed decision-making.

About the Company

Bultex 99 is a Plovdiv-based company with a 30-year history, specialising in the production and supply of protective and workwear, as well as the import and sale of safety equipment and personal protective equipment. Bultex 99 has over 50,000 customers, including 15,000 corporate clients, and offers more than 100,000 items (including sizing options). The company operates 22 retail locations nationwide and an online store.

The Need for a New System

For an innovative company of Bultex 99’s scale, relying on an ERP system and spreadsheets proved insufficient to keep up with the dynamics of the business. In order to minimize manual report generation processes—sometimes carried out outside regular working hours—the company decided to implement a business intelligence system to automate reporting across the organization.

Project Objectives

• Automate business data analysis and reporting
• Provide centralised and consolidated information
• Improve visibility into key business metrics
• Accelerate the analysis and decision-making process
• Improve internal coordination between teams
• Providing a reliable basis for planning and control
• Reducing reliance on manual reports and Excel analyses

The Solution

The first phase of the project for implementing the businessPace BI solution at Bultex 99 covers the company’s sales and was completed within a few days. At this stage, the solution was also integrated with the company’s core system, Colibri ERP.

During the second phase of the project, the Balkan Services team further enhanced the platform by adding new data sources related to inventory levels, item movements, deliveries, and orders.

Results

• Significantly improved tracking of key performance indicators such as sales, revenue, and profit, as well as inventory levels, goods movement, minimum and maximum stock thresholds, and financial flows—including overdue liabilities.
• Substantial reduction in the time required to prepare reports and analyses through the automation of the reporting process.
• Ability to periodically extract and structure data from the ERP system, eliminating the need to exit the audit period and perform additional processing in Excel.
• Accelerated decision-making based on informed management insights and improved internal coordination.

Integrations

Colibri ERP

Groupama is part of the French bancassurance group Groupama Assurances Mutuelles with over 100 years of international expertise and presence in 10 countries. “Groupama entered the Bulgarian market in 2008 and already serves over 750 thousand customers in Bulgaria. The company offers a broad portfolio of insurance products for each aspect of people’s lives and activities.

BI

The massive data volume that Groupama works with, as well as the daily work with many different types of reports, necessitates the implementation of a centralized BI system that allows for a summarized, graphical and dynamic presentation of general and life insurance information.

Prior to implementing Qlik Sense, the company’s IT department was tasked with generating and continuously adjusting over 200 separate static reports, wasting valuable time and resources every day.

To optimize Groupama’s operations, the Balkan Services team developed and implemented a BI system that provides reports and analytics grouped into 6 main reports in the areas of sales, claims, payments, marketing, claims quota and portfolio analysis.

The business analytics system provides access to:

• Main application containing 22 separate reference pages;
• Application for checking applied mappings;
• A payment application containing a reference with an embedded mechanism for saving historical data for previous periods;
• Loss Ratios Application containing 4 pages of reports;
• System applications (Governance apps) for monitoring licenses, access, sessions and reports used.

Qlik Sense downloads, processes and loads data on a daily basis from the core transaction system of both Groupama Insurance and Groupama Life Insurance.

A key functionality of the BI system is the introduction of a flexible tool that allows end-users to configure the format and content of data (columns – nomenclature and calculation) in it.

Benefits for the company

• Automation of reporting in Groupama, which saves time for key employees to process and prepare the necessary reports and analyses;
• Unified data in a single reporting system for general and life insurance;
• Ability to track historical changes in certain variables such as customer, agent, policy status as of the last of the month;
• Flexibility and dynamics in switching between business lines; and time periods – beginning of month, beginning of year; basis of reporting;
• Ensured better data quality control;
• Employees are free to customize their reports to their needs without the need for IT department intervention;
• Faster and easier onboarding of new employees when using reports and analytics;
• Manage user access by applying restrictions to the positions of individual employees in the company;
• Facilitated tracking of company performance and results on a daily basis.

Users

Top Management
Employees from sales, claims, marketing, finance departments