Ghana’s leading cement manufacturer Ghacem, has in a bid to centralise its operations for efficient service delivery, linked its Kumasi Depot to the Data One Server to facilitate prompt processing of the sales and requests for cement products.  

Launching the system at the company’s depot in Kumasi, Head of Distributor Sales, Edmond Edusei indicated that the “desire to link up the depots to Data One was as a result of recommendations from distributors during their quarterly surveys of Net Promoter System/ Customer Excellence Programme (NPS/ CEP).”

Data One is a server that controls Ghacem’s sales and ordering processes. It has been developed to ensure speed in the sales processes. It sends alert when an order is created and sends another alert to the distributor when the order is dispatched from the factory.

This allows the Distributors to share the orders in a way that suits them and lift the products as and when needed, providing flexibility in payment and ordering of cement.

Mr Edusei explained that Distributors in Kumasi expressed a desire to have the same smooth ordering experience as that of the two Ghacem factories in Tema and Takoradi. These include alerts on transactions and the opportunity to control and have flexible ordering system.

According to the Head of Distributor Sales, prior to enhancing the current system, sales and purchase receipts from the depot reflected in the Head office system a week later due to manual reconciliation among others thereby causing delays.

He further stated that the benefits of the new system are the fact that orders will be processed a particular day and reflect in the system in real time; Distributors will get real-time feedback on their transactions through an SMS alert as done in the factory and can create orders, take away and present as and when they want to lift their cement.

The new system also allows orders to be split into mini orders for flexibility with regards to lifting and it enhances reconciliation for both Ghacem and Distributors as orders once created are recorded and reflect in real time.

 

Mr. Gideon Attah, Chief Accountant at Ghacem, who walked the Distributors through the process indicated that Ghacem conceived the idea to link all of its depots payment and ordering systems in the year 2014.

“Since then a strong business case was made to consolidate the gains and benefits to Distributors. Management of Ghacem are committed to delivering customer excellence as value creation for its cherished Customers,” he added.

Mr. Attah further stated that the process has been done in accordance with the manual system, however, the only “difference is that it has been automated and speeds up the payment and ordering process for customers.”

The Chairman for the Distributors Association in the Ashanti and Bono regions, Nana Owusu Ansah expressed the Distributors’ excitement about the continuous improvements emanating from the NPS/ CEP process and pledged continued partnership for mutual benefits in leading the cement market in Ghana.

Nana Owusu Ansah, a long-serving Distributor applauded the management of Ghacem and urged all Distributors to partner Ghacem in delivering consistent quality grades of cement to the Ghanaian market.

The IT Manager of Ghacem, Alan Kerr Yawson stated that plans were far advanced to link the five other Ghacem depots in WA, Tamale, Buipe, Techiman and Dwenase to the Data One payment and ordering system.