In a constantly changing market with increasing demands from both customers and authorities, it is essential to have up-to-date and flexible IT platforms. Here’s how Columbus is helping a major Danish business transform through digitisation.
Goal
- Vestjyllands Andel (VA) is Denmark’s third-largest agricultural co-operative with 250 employees and approximately 4,000 members.
- To best serve those members, ensure competitiveness and future-proof the company, VA identified the need to introduce a digital cloud-based solution.
- It sought a partnership with Columbus, which has facilitated the implementation of several industry-specific solutions.
- Columbus' role involved advising VA and creating a new IT architecture to meet modern customer requirements.
- VA’s digital upgrade is based on the ERP system Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the data visualisation solution Power BI.
-
Industry
- Food & Beverage
- Retail & Distribution
-
Country
- Denmark
-
Insight Type
- Case
-
Service
- Finance & Supply chain
A major player with digital ambitions
VA has an annual turnover of nearly three billion DKK and operates more than 30 branches throughout a large area of Jutland, each specialising in feed production, grain reception, retail and other agricultural services.
Additionally, VA continuously invests in the agricultural and commodity sectors, contributing to further development of their core business.
VA, in collaboration with Columbus, aimed to future-proof the company digitally with cloud-based solutions, ensuring system updates happen automatically. Columbus’ role involved advising VA and creating a new IT architecture which took modern customer requirements and processes into account.
Columbus offers deep understanding
The backbone of VA’s system is the ERP solution Columbus developed for them, which has been enhanced for use in the agricultural and retail sectors.
VA wanted an experienced digital advisor with a deep understanding of the industry's challenges, including demands around stricter traceability requirements, inventory management and detailed nutritional declarations.
Columbus was able to bring to the table detailed sector knowledge to support VA’s daily operations and future development to become a digital leader in Danish agriculture.
Powered by data and insights
Factors like global conflict, the political environment, drought and harvests which are above or below expectations can significantly impact pricing and earnings in the agricultural sector. VA must, therefore, react to the global commodity market when trading crops with Danish farmers.
With a cloud-based ERP system and data analysis powered by Power BI, VA can successfully operate in a highly volatile market, where contracts for a harvest are signed many months before the weather and the quality of the harvest are known.
VA uses a custom reporting solution in Power BI, developed for them by Columbus, to gain the insights required to make precise estimates, adapt and stay ahead as market conditions shift.
Aiding compliance and integration
Through extensive digitisation, VA is better equipped to deal with daily declarations and to quickly comply when new legal requirements are introduced in areas such as recording CO2 emissions and nitrogen content reporting.
Columbus’ ERP solution also enables VA to seamlessly integrate new companies into its processes.
VA is a significant player in the agricultural sector and regularly invests in other businesses. Those joining the group as subsidiaries are often themselves highly specialised, required to comply with stringent regulatory requirements and to report through specialised portals.
Each time, Columbus ensures successful integration into VA’s ERP system, providing uniform processes and allowing insight across all branches of the company.
The digital journey continues
VA’s digital journey has only just begun and, by continuing to benefit from Columbus' extensive technological expertise and deep industry knowledge, it aims to unlock even greater opportunities.
Consultants with knowledge and industry expertise
Do you, like Vestjyllands Andel, want to modernise and optimise your company's IT platforms to meet both company needs and customer demands? Talk to our digital advisors to learn how we can help maximise your business potential.