Lactalis Vostok, part of the Lactalis group (France), has implemented the Optimum SFA system developed by the CDC Group.

The Lactalis group, the world’s largest dairy product manufacturer and the leader in production of cheese in Europe, owns 127 plants worldwide. ZAO Lactalis Vostok that has been operating in Russia since 1997 imports to Russia elite French cheeses and dairy products (the President, Galbani, Societe, Lactel, and Celia brands). In 2002, a plant for production of processed cheese started operations in the Istra district not far from Moscow. In 2010, the company purchased a plant for production of butter and cheese in Efremov (Tula region). In 2011, the Lactalis group acquired Parmalat, Italia’s largest manufacturer of dairy products. As a result of this merge, the Lactalis group has become the world’s largest dairy product manufacturer.

In Russia, the company uses the pre-selling business process that was automated by means of the Optimum SFA system. The system was implemented from November 2011 through January 2012.

The IT specialists of ZAO Lactalis Vostok were trained at the CDC Group and independently, consulting Optimum developers, have integrated the system with the ‘1С: Enterpise 8’ accounting system. Currently over 200 sales representatives all over Russia conduct pre-selling operations using Windows Mobile smartphones. They collect orders for supply of cheese and fermented milk products across the country and send them to the ZAO Lactalis Vostok via wireless (mobile) communications channels. The company’s unified center supervises sales agent teams, processes orders, and ships and delivers products.

The implementation of the Optimum system was a success in Kazakhstan and Russia and the Lactalis group made a decision to maintain cooperation with the CDC Group. Currently a project to automate van selling and scale the system to automate sales representative operations in CIS countries and Georgia is under review.