Streamlining Success: How Edara Transformed General Commerce Co

Picture yourself on the brink of a major meeting, standing before a mirror as the minutes tick away. You’re torn between a sleek Casio, a classic Fossil, or a bold Guess watch. Finally, you make your choice, admiring its shine, but wonder if that elegant Citizen might have been a better option.

Now back to reality… Imagine that all these diverse tastes are embraced by General Commerce Co., Egypt’s exclusive distributor for over eleven brands, including Citizen.

In managing such a varied portfolio, General Commerce Co. faced significant challenges. Their quest for operational excellence led them to “Edara,” a solution designed to unify their fragmented systems and streamline processes.

In this article, we will explore how Edara transformed General Commerce Co.’s operations, turning their challenges into success and setting a new standard in the competitive watch market.

The Start of General Commerce

In 1976, Mr. Girguis Halaka founded General Commerce Co. with a vision of becoming Egypt’s leading distributor for watches, watch components, batteries, and electronics.

Over the decades, the company flourished, becoming a well-known national distributor with strong connections in both wholesale and retail markets.

Today, General Commerce Co. proudly manages over 20 renowned brands, including CITIZEN, CASIO, and Swatch, and operates 11 branches across the country.

However, behind this success lay a significant challenge that threatened to stifle the company’s growth.

Isolated Islands and Overlapping Roles

At General Commerce Co., operations were plagued by disconnected systems and manual processes. Each department and branch operated as an isolated island, relying on separate software programs that didn’t communicate with each other.

This disjointed approach created significant inefficiencies and complicated even the simplest tasks.

In the bustling headquarters, the scene was chaotic. Employees constantly entered the office with urgent requests and paperwork.

Karim, an auditor, recalls, “In the old program, we used to sit at the desk for 8 hours of work. We wouldn’t get up unless we had a minute to make a cup of tea.”

The lack of a unified system meant overlapping roles and redundant data entry. Auditors like Nimr Tharwat had to re-enter the same information into multiple programs, causing delays and errors:

“The program we were working on before was considered three programs together, and this made the work complicated. Every invoice had to be reviewed in the branch’s program and added again to the main program.”

Branch managers faced their own challenges. Raymond struggled with the complex approval process for transfers between 11 branches. “The biggest problem I faced was monitoring transfers, which were slow and cumbersome,” he says.

In accounting, Simon dealt with the tedious task of reconciling cash flows with paper records across multiple programs. “I had to match numbers in paper diaries with actual cash and record them in separate systems,” Simon explains.

Overall, the disconnected systems led to outdated information, slow communication, and compromised accuracy. The company’s growth and efficiency were hindered by these operational inefficiencies, highlighting the urgent need for a unified solution.

Recognizing the urgent need for a unified system, the decision-makers at General Commerce Co., Samir and Sameh Halaka, set out to find a modern technology solution that could integrate all their processes into one seamless system. Their quest led them to “Edara“.

Seamless Integration and Real-Time Data

Implementing “Edara” marked a turning point for General Commerce Co. The first order of business was linking all information to one easy-to-use platform, enabling managers to access real-time data and monitor buying and selling activities as they happened. This significant change reduced workload and allowed employees to focus on more critical tasks.

Nimr Tharwat observed, “When we started managing, we felt a very big difference and the pressure disappeared. Instead of five of us working on the data entry, there were two of us just doing the review.”

The impact of Edara’s integration was felt across all departments. Raymond, a branch manager, expressed his gratitude for the system’s branch transfer feature, which streamlined the process and enabled quicker follow-ups.

“The biggest problem I faced in managing the branches was monitoring the transfers that took place between them, which are now done with ‘Edara’ smoothly and quickly,” Raymond noted.

George, the online sales official, highlighted the newfound collaboration and efficiency, saying, “Before ‘Edara,’ we did not have a program, in its actual and metaphorical meaning.”

Quantifiable Improvements and Strategic Advantages

The adoption of “Edara” brought quantifiable improvements to General Commerce Co.’s operations. Karim, an auditor, praised the system: “Managing a distinguished program. I worked in a company before that and this is the best program I have ever worked on.”

The real-time availability of information enabled smarter work with less effort, providing decision-makers the ability to access data anytime, anywhere. This newfound efficiency not only improved day-to-day operations but also positioned the company for sustained growth and excellence in the highly competitive watch market.

A Future-Ready Business

General Commerce Co.’s journey with “Edara” underscores the importance of embracing technological advancements to stay ahead.

By integrating their operations into a single, efficient system, they have not only resolved their immediate challenges but also set a strong foundation for future growth.

With their long history of success, it was only natural for General Commerce Co. to seek out a technological solution that guaranteed growth and distinction.

As Samir Halaqa wisely stated, “The most distinctive thing about “Edara” is its constant development and keeping pace with technology.”

General Commerce Co.’s transition to “Edara” resolved its operational challenges by unifying fragmented processes and improving efficiency. This upgrade enabled the company to streamline data management and position itself for continued growth and success.