Traditional purchasing is typically resource-intensive. Cumbersome paperwork and various processes are needed to monitor and regulate flow.

Digitisation has changed retail in many ways. One improvement is that back-office processes, including purchasing, can be carried out more efficiently with digital solutions.

The modern trend is to automate and integrate the full procure-to-payment process, seamlessly connecting procurement and invoicing operations.

Automating the procure-to-payment process lightens the administrative burden and enables a focus on the core of supply chain synchronisation: inventory and relationships with trading partners. It offers increased visibility and improved processes internally and across the trading partner network.

Arch eReplenish – an integrated online replenishment platform

Spinnaker Software is the supplier of Arch Retail Systems, a leading retail management software solution operational in more than 1 600 stores throughout Southern Africa. Its client base includes major national retail groups such as OK Foods, Cambridge Food, Jumbo Cash & Carry, Ultra Liquors, Sefalana and President Hyper.

The strategy has always been to ensure valued Arch Users have the Edge in a highly competitive and ever evolving retail landscape. The latest edition to the Arch suite of products is Arch eReplenish. Integrating Arch eReplenish with Arch Enterprise, facilitates a seamless flow from the retailer placing the order online, to the supplier executing and invoicing it.

At present, the solution works through Arch Enterprise, the Arch Head Office merchandising system, but shortly it will also be available to individual stores, where it will integrate with in-store Arch Retail.

Benefits of Arch eReplenish

• Orders via electronic data interchange generate significantly fewer errors.

• Fewer credit notes are necessary.

• Workforce flexibility: parties can access orders and receive alerts anywhere and at any time.

• A full audit trail over the process highlights the status of orders and gives a searchable history of what has been processed and received by both parties.

• Notifications/alerts are sent via email or SMS when orders are placed and processed.

• All orders and documents can be located quickly and easily with efficient search and navigation functionality.

David Geldenhuys, Marketing Executive at Spinnaker, commented that the company’s strategy has always been to stay abreast of global technology trends. The development of Arch eReplenish (B2B) featured in this article and Arch eStore (B2C online ordering platform), is testament of this.