Elly Yates-Roberts |
Food and beverage company Cravia has streamlined operations by implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365. Move has helped the firm improve control, save time, reduce human error and access real-time data with Power BI.
Headquarted in the Dubai, Cravia serves its products through a range of brands and franchises, including Cinnabon and Seattle’s Best Coffee. As of 2021, the firm managed the different chains independently, which resulted in multiple challenge in finances, supply chain and inventories. It also slowed down processes across brands and impacted the business’s ability to grow.
As a result, the firm turned to Microsoft partner Business Experts Gulf to deploy Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management and Finance and Operations and centralise its business processes and operations on a single platform.
“We already had an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in place, but it was not centralised,” said Fahd Nazir, chief information officer at Cravia. “Different servers were producing different reports for various teams, and we had to recompile them. When we were deciding which ERP solution to choose, I was leaning towards Microsoft because it’s a brand I have trusted for 20 years. Microsoft also offered a comprehensive solution for what we needed and a smooth implementation process."
Cravia is now able to process and automate everything in one system, from payroll and recipe management, to procurement and customer loyalty. “Because it’s all in one environment, we have better control, and the IT department can easily manage our processes,” said Nazir. “We also save time on handling our finances and supply chain and reducing human error, thanks to automation. I’ve found the system easy to use, scalable and secure.
“Microsoft Dynamics 365 has become part of our DNA. There are many new brands and countries in the pipeline. And wherever we go, Dynamics 365 will go with us.”
Furthermore, the team can now access real-time data with Power BI, enabling them to be more flexible in solving issues and minimising losses. “Gaining access to real-time data is a game-changer,” said Nazir. “Once we have more visibility, we can optimise our operations to produce more savings.”
As the brand builds on these successes to pursue growth in new locations, it is planning to implement other Microsoft solutions. “We’re still only using 20 per cent of the features available – there’s more to explore,” said Nazir. “In the future, we will be looking to rely on Microsoft’s point of sales services. Currently, we have 40 virtual machines hosted on Azure and are migrating most of our services to Azure to generate better business continuity, data security and reliability.”