Columbia

Kerem Gözalan
Columbia | Managing Partner

“Our adaptation to e-Transformation was quick because Nebim V3 embraces all the changing commercial concepts and it has a structure open to integration.”

After we signed the agreement concerning Nebim V3 software, we assigned project leaders from each department of our companies and we managed to use all functions of the software within the short period of six months. For companies like ours with intensive import and export activities, issues such as supply chain, foreign trade management, the automatic generation of transfers between stores and sales points according to pre-determined productivity criteria are very important. Nebim V3 has contributed in these areas significantly. Currently, we are using Nebim V3 in an even more effective way because we update the software according to the feedback from the all company personnel.

Once, the company was a small-size family company in hat distribution. Now, Colombia is one of the world’s most extensive apparel brands. Could you please talk about the history of the company?

We at Gözalan Group are in wholesale and retail business and distribute the brands Columbia, Mustang Jeans, Sorel, Prana and Mountain Hardware to over 400 sales points in six countries. In addition to this, we are managing over 55 stores of Columbia and Mustang Jeans, brands with fast-developing retail operations. Our paths with the admiral ship of our company, Columbia, crossed in 2004; and now Turkey is the most important country in Europe with regards of revenue and sales numbers.

When did your cooperation with Nebim start?

We started using Nebim Winner in 2011. Before that, we were using various ready-made or custom-made software for bookkeeping and operations. The growth in retail operations and the resulting need for detailed data analysis and productivity increase was the most important factor that made us sit with Nebim at the same desk and discuss. Besides, all key players in the sector are also working with Nebim, and this is a very essential factor as well.

When you compare the times before and after Nebim V3, how has Nebim contributed to your business processes?

After we signed the agreement concerning Nebim V3 software, we assigned project leaders from each department of our companies and we managed to use all functions of the software within the short period of six months. For companies like ours with intensive import and export activities, issues such as supply chain, foreign trade management, the automatic generation of transfers between stores and sales points according to pre-determined productivity criteria are very important. Nebim V3 has contributed in these areassignificantly. Currently, we are using Nebim V3 in an even more effective way because we update the software according to the feedback from the all company personnel.

Actually, our most relevant and vital gain from Nebim is the fact that our instant sales costs can be shown through the system. Thanks to this feature, we can prepare our sales reports in a more detailed way and on a daily basis. So, we can carry out process analyses related to our periodic targets and actual results, at the same time keeping the big picture in mind.

What were your expectations from Nebim during the transition to e-Invoice, e-Ledger and e-Archive during the e-Transformation? Could you please evaluate the current situation?

We experienced no problems at the integration of new concepts such as e-Invoice, e-Ledger and e-Archive, which are now obligatory according to the New Turkish Commercial Code as announced by the Revenue Administration. When you think about it, millions of transactions every year must change their document structure and all these transactions are transferred to digital environment. All these issues can be addressed with a single software and considering the costs and workload,this should be an important reason for retailers to choose Nebim V3. Nebim V3 ERP is a software where the deficiencies of the last version were rectified, and where the changing needs resulting from the dynamics of the sector can be met. All the commercial concepts which will necessarily change in time can be completely integrated into the structure of the software. Thanks to the flexible structure of Nebim V3 which is open to developments, we at Colombia have adopted to the e-Transformation period quickly and with a minimum amount of difficulty.