PHOENIX reduced manual checks by 95%. Collaboration across the supplier network was the key.

The speed at which a distributor receives, checks, and makes goods available to customers also depends on the quality and consistency of data from suppliers. Czech company, PHOENIX lékárenský velkoobchod, s.r.o., has integrated approximately 70 to 75% of its supplier network into managed electronic communication. Thanks to standardized rules and automated checks, it has reduced the volume of manual checks by up to 95% and shortened the process from receipt to stocking from days to hours.

Before a received shipment can be made available to customers, it must undergo checks for documents, prices, batches, expiration dates, and other data. Until the information is verified and correctly entered into the systems, the goods may be physically in the warehouse, but pharmacies cannot see them and therefore cannot order them.

“If goods are not visible in the system correctly and on time, the pharmacist will simply order them elsewhere,” points out Miroslav Králík, Senior Manager Supply Chain Solutions at PHOENIX.  

For medical supplies or veterinary products, the data being checked and handling requirements may vary. However, the need to obtain this information on time and maintain its consistency across receipt, storage, and invoicing remains the same.

The result is achieved on both sides of the supply relationship

Managed data exchange does not only benefit the distributor. The supplier provides information in a defined structure, allowing their shipment to be received, checked, and moved into further distribution more quickly. At the same time, there is less need for tracking, corrections, emails, and phone calls to resolve discrepancies.

“We explain that both sides benefit from EDI. Manufacturers and distributors alike want their products to reach the end customer as quickly as possible,” adds Králík.  

For the distributor, this cooperation means more predictable receipt and less demand on administrative capacity. The supplier gains faster processing of deliveries and a data standard that they can also use when working with other customers.

Unified rules do not require identical technical infrastructure

A unified document flow can be established even between partners with different levels of technical equipment. Larger suppliers can integrate communication directly with their ERP systems. Smaller companies can send and receive documents via a web interface.

This allows a distributor to gradually onboard a diverse network of partners while maintaining consistent rules for data content, validation, and exception handling. The ability to include smaller suppliers significantly reduces the number of processes that would otherwise rely on PDF documents, manual data entry, and individual communication.

Focusing validation on exceptions

Before the change, PHOENIX employees checked documents line by line. With fully digitized communication, the system compares received data and flags specific discrepancies automatically.

“Before implementing electronic data interchange, checks took more than a day. Today, if we have fully digitized communication with a supplier via EDI, the entire process takes just tens of minutes,” says Miroslav Králík.  

As a result, staff can focus on the exceptions that actually require attention instead of performing blanket checks on every document. PHOENIX lékárenský velkoobchod, s.r.o. has thus reduced the time from delivery receipt to stock entry from days to hours, creating a more predictable and stable framework for supplier collaboration.

Are you dealing with inconsistent document formats, manual checks, or lengthy onboarding for new partners? Contact us and we will go through your order, delivery, and invoice flows with you and propose an integration method tailored to the capabilities of each individual business partner.