Streamlining Operations with Advanced ERP Integration: Empowering Growth for a Health-Conscious FMCG Brand

Manual Order Processing: Orders were managed via manual systems, leading to errors, delays, and inefficiencies. Limited Supply Chain Visibility: The absence of real time insights into inventory, production, and distribution led to stockouts and delays in fulfilling orders. Ineffective Payment Systems: The lack of a streamlined payment gateway hindered the checkout process, causing delays in payments and limiting customer experience.

Business Challenges

• Manual Order Processing: Orders were managed via manual systems, leading to errors, delays, and inefficiencies.
• Limited Supply Chain Visibility: The absence of real-time insights into inventory, production, and distribution led to stockouts and delays in fulfilling orders.
• Ineffective Payment Systems: The lack of a streamlined payment gateway hindered the checkout process, causing delays in payments and limiting customer experience.

Vcidex’s Solution

• Automated Order Management: With ERP integration, the company’s ordering process became fully automated, reducing errors and improving order fulfillment times. Orders from multiple channels, including WhatsApp and online, were funneled into a centralized system for seamless management.
• Enhanced Inventory & Supply Chain Management: Real-time inventory tracking provided visibility across multiple locations, enabling better forecasting, optimized stock levels, and preventing stockouts. This improved the overall supply chain efficiency.

Benefits

• 50% Reduction in Order Processing Time: The automation of order management significantly reduced the time taken to process and fulfill customer orders.
• Real-Time Supply Chain Insights: The company now enjoys full visibility into its supply chain, allowing for better decision-making and planning.
• Frictionless Payment Experience: The integration of Razorpay improved the payment process, reducing the number of failed transactions and increasing overall customer satisfaction.

THE MARKET MOVEMENTS: From Neighbourhood Stores to Corporate Giants and Need for Decentralisation

RETAIL EVOLVING: Ten years ago, the retailing was very simple; people used to buy their needs from local stores. These small vendors were the backbone of a local economy, servicing community needs. Over time, the retail industry changed. Departmental stores were then born, followed by supermarkets, which had the most choice under one roof. Soon after, the strategic market model would allow consumers to buy directly from the wholesalers at cheaper rates.

Once again, a rejuvenation of this retail business changed the rules, and now it is more or less an order-based paradigm. Modern shopping apps lead customers on their journeys, allowing them to purchase almost anything with a few taps on their phones. These apps were, at first, used to purchase products that were unavailable in nearby stores. Now, they have become the primary means of buying not only clothes, makeup, and wearables but essentials as well-groceries, food, and household items.

CORPORATE TAKEOVER & DECLINING SMALL VENDORS

With such big corporate strategies entering the e-commerce space, the aggressive marketing strategies included:

• Rewards and bonuses.
• Heavy discounts.
• Lightning-fast delivery,e.g.10-min grocery delivery.

These all incentives apply to almost anything, from fresh fruits and vegetables or meat to electronics and clothing. A boon, these strategies for customers in terms of cost and convenience, has put small vendors at the edge. No longer the lifeline of local economies, small vendors barely stand any chance against these monopolistic platforms. Corporations control the market, which in turn controls the consumer purchasing behavior. Although, in theory, a customer could choose what to buy, corporations push customers subtly.

• Limiting information about alternatives.
• Providing selective discounts for certain products.
• Targeted marketing and algorithmic nudging.

As the cycle goes on, consumers are lured into convenience while small vendors sink slowly. The markets are drowning in monopolies causing dreadful questions about economic equity and business sustainability.

STRUGGLES OF NEW ENTRANTS AND SME’S

For small vendors and entrepreneurs entering the market has become an uphill task. Be it small-scale manufacturers, home bakers, cloud kitchens or local restaurants, they face significant barriers:

• Supply chain management(SCM) issues: They don't have a working chain behind them, and therefore they still run in circles in terms of logistics and order fulfillment.
• Branding issues: The small trader does not have the kind of marketing budget to compete with the corporate-backed branding campaigns that these multinational corporations put up.
• Dependence on dominant platforms: Popular shopping and food-ordering apps demand high commissions; hence, the vendors are forced to either increase their price or maintain low-profit margins.
• Platform favoritism: These apps showcase products that are of high commission, leaving the other smaller vendors with very little visibility.

This leads to a vicious cycle in which small vendors are reliant on dominant platforms to access customers while being subjugated by the rules and charges of such platforms.

THE SOLUTION: A DECENTRALIZED ORDERING SYSTEM

The solution lies in an entirely different model-, that of the inclusive decentralized ordering system empowering small businesses to sell directly to consumers without being subject to the prohibitive constraints of the corporate- controlled e-commerce platforms.

WELCOME TO WHATSAPP ORDERING : By STORYBOARD SYSTEMS

Imagine a platform wherein an SME can completely own the price and branding of the promotion of what they sell to the final consumer. An instrument that allows consumers to directly interact without interference from the upper percentage of commissions or platform prejudices. This is where Storyboard Systems came to play with the WhatsApp Ordering System.

HOW IT WORKS

The vendors convert WhatsApp, an already downloaded app in most mobile phones, into a sufficiently powerful ordering system rather than relying on third-party apps. Here’s how it benefits businesses:

• Direct Sales: Orders are managed, customers are engaged, and sales concluded directly through WhatsApp.
• Full Price Control: No hidden fees or high commissions-vendors determine their prices.
• Branding & Customization: Businesses can display their products under their own brand identity
• Seamless Order Management: Automated tools to streamline the ordering process, from inquiry to delivery.
• Increased Transparency: Consumers witness direct access to vendors resulting in trust and accountability
• Enhanced Customer Relationships: Personalize messaging, offers, and updates, and you could send them directly to your consumers.

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL
A BALANCING ACT BETWEEN CONVENIENCE AND FAIR COMPETITION

The explosion of the e-commerce goliaths may indeed have changed the ground, but small vendorism has not been swept away. Catching up on something like the WhatsApp Ordering System would allow SMEs to access and develop without having to tie up with monopolizing marketplaces. Technology, therefore, would become the direct approach by which such businesses could hold transparency in their dealings and reclaim their market space.
As consumers, we must also wise about how our buying influences the economy. Keeping alive local businesses through decentralized platforms makes for an equitable market where everybody stands a fair chance of Winning

THAT'S HOW THE FUTURE SHOULD BE A RETAIL

not just by big businesses but in a marketplace where small and big businesses co-exist, willing to serve consumers as many choices as possible and yet have a relatively healthy market balance. And, with innovative solutions like WhatsApp Ordering, that future is within reach.

STORYBOARD SYSTEMS: Your Connected Digital Ecosystem for Manufacturing Excellence (Enterprise Resource Planning)

INTRODUCTION : Today’s manufacturers and small-to-medium enterprises are looking for more than just basic software — they require an ecosystem. Storyboard Systems is precisely designed by Vcidex Solutions for this purpose: a powerful and unified suite of enterprise-grade applications communicating harmoniously within organizations and functions across departments and processes.

Unlike most software solutions out there, Storyboard Systems connects every part of your business — from the very first customer interaction to the final entries in your balance sheet — in one seamless digital flow. And that's exactly the journey we want to walk you through: how Storyboard transforms the way your business operates, every step of the way.

1.STORYBOARD WOS - IT ALL STARTS WITH A MESSAGE

• The moment the first WhatsApp order drops into your inbox, Storyboard CRM starts to work. It's more than just a contact helper-this is an engine that watches, categorizes, and cultivates leads smartly. Whether the lead comes through Facebook, Instagram, email, or a campaign blast, Storyboard CRM instantly knows where it belongs—routing it to the right branch or product team and triggering follow-up actions right away. Campaigns can initiate through email, SMS, WhatsApp, or even direct telephony - all in one dashboard. Managers can then get complete visibility into the pipeline while executives log field activity, calls, and progress, using real-time dashboards. Proposals, document storage, alerts, and status tracking ensure your team never misses a beat.

• What sets Storyboard CRM apart is its structure-it goes beyond the leaving of leads by having a strategic marketing process that uses data and accountability along with integration into the rest of your business.

2. STORYBOARD SALES - LISTINGS THAT THINK AHEAD

• Once a lead matures and becomes a prospective client, that's where Storyboard Sales takes over. It is built To work on everything-multiple quotations, pricing sheets, progressive billing, milestone-based invoices. The entire nature of selling, be it the selling of physical products or the bundling of services, is in sync with the correct tax configuration for every order, as well as an automated e-invoice process, and renewal and return sequences.

• For manufacturers, Storyboard Sales offers an added advantage—support for rate contracts, multi-branch operations, and ecommerce integration. A single sales order can generate multiple invoices over time, and each step of the sales process remains visible, structured, and compliant.

• From first quote to final payment, every transaction is logged, mapped, and connected.

3. STORYBOARD PURCHASE - SIMPLIFIED PROCUREMENT, STREAMLINED SUPPLY

• This is where the whole concept of procurement comes into play during purchase and which is exactly what Storyboard Purchase is designed to manage. It's to bring structure and intelligence into the sourcing activities-from vendor mapping and quoting comparisons to PO approvals, POs changes, and budget controls.

• Whether purchase requisitions for raw materials are raised, or long-term service contracts are negotiated, every purchase is tied up with the actual requirements either for production or your stock levels. The multi- currency and multi-branch support found here makes the global sourcing accessible and traceable, while aging reports and agreement tracking avoid impending misses in terms of deadlines and renewals.

• In a nutshell, the procurement process has become much more than an isolated backend task-it actually becomes a very strategic cost-effective arm within the manufacturing process.

4. STORYBOARD INVENTORY - REAL-TIME INVENTORY VISIBILITY

• Once materials are received, Storyboard Inventory tracks their categorization, storage, and movement through every bin, warehouse, and branch. It gives you complete transparency regarding stock levels, re- order points, movements, and even temporary custodianship.

• Each item can be tracked via bar coding, split into different units, and assigned to internal requests, along with approvals for gate passes. From Good Receipt Notes (GRN) to delivery notes, from material transfers to courier integration, the system keeps your inventory lean, responsive, and just-in-time ready.

• This module doesn't only keep a record of quantities but also becomes the pulse of your operations, providing real-time data into production planning and buy decisions.

5. STORYBOARD PRODUCTION & SUB-PRODUCTION - THE HEART OF MANUFACTURING

• The production floor is where the strategy becomes an operation. With Storyboard Production, you can define BOMs (Bill of Materials), manage machines, schedule shifts, and monitor every job card from initiation to delivery. Actual orders can allow production against actual orders, allowing the resource planning to be very precise and resource planning is just in time.

• Storyboard Sub-Production then goes deeper into the process of task assignment, packing details, delivery logistics, and workflow stages. This groups tasks, assigns them to teams, gives you detail on customizations, and might even add shipping tracking via very thorough reports.

• Making real-time dashboards available to production managers while giving an executive the ability to "see" in brief what is being built, by whom, and by when- down to the last bolt.

6. STORYBOARD HR & PAYROLL - EMPOWERING PEOPLE

• Your workforce is central to execution. Storyboard HR simplifies onboarding, shift management, attendance tracking, and role definitions. HR ensures that whether multiple teams across locations are managed, resources are well-placed and well-utilized.

• The employees of each company selected the very best solution to calculate their employees' wages according to production and work schedules. In brief, Storyboard Payroll takes overtime, leave, tax, PF/ESI, and bonuses into account in producing this estimation. Payments are made through bank integrations while advanced reports assist with compliance and analysis.

• The entire system is employee-friendly, with self- services, reminder tools, performance logs, and automated compliance forms. This makes payroll an extension of the business and not just an assistant.

7. STORYBOARD ASSET - TRACK AND PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENTS

• Your machines, tools, vehicles, and sometimes even land—each asset you possess has value, responsibility, and risk attached to it. Storyboard Asset helps you manage all of them. From procurement to depreciation, from barcode tracking to maintenance logs, every asset registers, tracks, and assigns.

• Insurance, service records, audit compliance, and department-wise usage are built-in. You can generate asset-wise reports, work with grouped barcodes, and set up automated reminders for renewals or replacements. For manufacturers, where asset health affects productivity straight on, this module seals every blind spot.

8. STORYBOARD FINANCE - THE FINANCIAL NERVE CENTER

• It's not just any kind of accounting software. It integrates with all other modules to give you real-time ledgers for sales, purchases, expenses, assets, and payroll. You generate profit-loss statements in seconds, balance sheets, and internal-external audit reports.

• Multi-year entries, multi-bank management, tax- compliant, GL code-mapping? Not an issue for finance teams. Every rupee and paise accounted for; every transaction is traceable; reports are ready for export. Turning business insights into key decisions.

STORYBOARD SYSTEMS - AN ECOSYSTEM, NOT JUST A SOFTWARE!

• What differentiates Storyboard Systems is the modular architecture induced by seamless integration. You can start with WOS or CRM and scale up as the business grows, with each module automatically syncing data with the next. Unified interface, structured data, and always accessible support.

• This ecosystem is not built for a department, but for your entire organization, reflecting the way you operate, sell, produce, and scale.

THE BOTTOM LINE - A SMART BUSINESS RUNS ON STORYBOARD

• Storyboard Systems from Vcidex Solutions is more than an ERP. It is smart, intelligent, and adaptive business ecosystems empowering manufacturers and small and medium enterprises to run with profound clarity, consistency, etc.

• Be it a factory in one location or multiple units across the country; with Storyboard, everything goes under one digital roof, aligning the people, processes, and profits like never before.

ARE YOU ALL SET TO DIGITIZE THE BUSINESS JOURNEY?

DYNAMISM OF QUICK COMMERCE IN INDIA : DISRUPTION, DEMOGRAPHICS, AND MARKET RE-ALIGNMENT

INTRODUCTION

Transformation in the retail space of India is defined by the increasing acceptance of quick commerce—a model that has hyperlocal fulfillment and delivery of everyday essentials in less than 30 minutes. Technology-based platforms that change the market have quickly moved, this segment has quickly moved to urban markets, changing not only the consumer perspective but also the competitive dynamics and normal value chains.

MARKET IMPACT AND DISRUPTION TO A SECTOR

• Quick commerce emerged as one of the most disruptive parts of the larger retail ecosystem in India. It has taken away cities urban grocery and convenience categories under the larger hood of dark stores and last-mile logistics infrastructure. With this much adoption, the attack has proved most difficult for traditional players, especially small vendors and un-organized kirana stores.

• As per the data report, around 46% of the Indian populace tend not to buy as frecuently from traditional shops as it is easy and quick with the online quick commerce. Though confined mostly to metros, this particular behavioral change is shows that customers are changing what loyalty means redefinition on loyalty that has been defined around immediacy and digital access.

DEMOGRAPHY CHANGES AND EMERGING PREFERENCES OF CONSUMERS

• The early adopters of this model millennials who grew up with digital technology and Gen Z consumers in tier-1 and emerging tier-2 cities. These seeks value for time, app-based convenience, and and unclear pricing—in contrast to traditional retail.in contrast to traditional retail.

• As per findings from the NIQ Shopper Trends 2024 survey, now 31% of urban Indian consumers go for groceries through quick commerce, as opposed to an increase below pre-pandemic levels, showing that inertia over the consumer behavior spectrum is moving strongly to online-first tendency.

RECALIBRATING THE ORGANIZATION AGAINST THE UNORGANIZED SECTOR

• India's retailing has been unorganized over the years, as unorganized vendors accounted for nearly 85 percent of the total retail trade. The introduction of quick commerce is slowly tilting this figure in favor of the organized players. Whereas traditional formats depend on local trust and credit-based systems, modern platforms offer real-time inventory, instant payment mechanisms, and data-driven personalization.

• However, this is not entirely an adverse change. A few kirana stores are tying up with digital aggregators, or are setting up their own last-mile model, setting the stage for mixed ways of working together rather than replacing each other.

IMPLICATIONS AT THE AGGREGATE LEVEL AND FOR GDP

• From an overall economic view, quick delivery services, quick delivery services improve vertically formal employment, digital penetration in finance, and supply chain modernization. And according to the industry estimates, the segment's value has increased from roughly $100 million in 2020 to an expected $6 billion by the end of 2026. If sustained, such a growth trajectory could make meaningful contributions to organized retail GDP shares in India within the coming decade.

• Cost and profit of each sale remain under examination remain largely under examination for long-term viability in the dimension of quick commerce, although consumer metrics improve-basket size and retention although behind-the-scenes delivery systems continue to squeeze margins., infrastructure cost, and delivery incentives continue to squeeze margins.

CONSUMER CONVENIENCE VS MARKET CONSEQUENCES

• At its heart, quick commerce promises quick commerce promises extreme ease to be exact: speedy, spontaneous grocery runs, party additions, health essentials-all things that can be delivered in minutes with no other retail model meeting that specification at scale. Comfort has, however, been matched by concerns over labor conditions, environmental impact, and ethical retail practice.

• Regulatory action has ensued from allegations about deep discounting or allegations about unfairly low prices to hurt rivals. In early 2025, the Competition Commission of India instituted launched an investigation for unfair competition into several leading platforms, citing complaints from traditional retailers regarding their behaviour that could be interpreted as unfair market dominance and margin erosion.

CONCLUSION A MARKET UNDERGOING TRANSFORMATION

• Quick commerce is much beyond fads; it reshapes how Indians go about shopping and how supply chains do it. Such a rise unavoidably establishes benefits: creation of jobs, widening consumer choice, modernization of retail through technology. But, traditional business models tend to challenge viability at their scale, not just for the challenge the strength of small shop owners.

• To do so, policymakers, industry leaders, and consumer advocacy groups must collaborate to make the transformation as make the transformation fair and long-lasting for everyone. as possible. In so doing, India can leverage the strengths of both its digital and traditional economies toward the creation of a hybrid retail future that works for all.

THE SILENT STRAIN ON SMALL RESTAURANTS : Rethinking Platform Dependency

INTRODUCTION

Presently, food delivery stands at the interplay of competitiveness, and a number of small and medium eateries are silently venting their frustration behind the glossy facade of convenience and exposure. While third-party platforms promise growth and reach, the whole situation for many independent business owners turns into a more scattered, discouraging story.

THE SCENARIO OF UNKEPT PROMISES :

• A restaurant operator from an NCR suburb recently went public with his disengagement from a famous food delivery aggregator. The reasons behind this decision revolved around an array of unaddressed grievances: non-payment of dues, unannounced service charges, lack of billing transparency, and promotional listings not approved by the operator —an array of issues that are fast becoming common to small food vendors.

• The account of this operator, with unresolved complaints and with no points of contact for escalation, reveals a harsh reality: large as they are, many platforms either cannot or refuse to provide adequate support to their smaller partners.

INCOMPREHENSIBLE CHARGES, STEALTH COSTS :

• Engagements appear to be fair in the beginning but turn ugly if one begins assigning real monetary value to them. Commissions hug 30-40%, platforms demand their partners to give discounts, and they are unclear about what fees are being charged. This leaves a dotting number of restaurants with very skinny margins. Small outlets with little ability to negotiate or even push back find themselves tied to policies that reap profits for the platform at the expense of the partner.

• Not a cent can be afforded by most establishments. And when delays in settlement or differences in payout come into the picture, it does not just affect cash-flow issues but operational issues of the whole business.

ALMOST ABSENCE OF HUMAN TOUCH :

• Another matter that remains irritated and unresolved is the absence of communication. Operators have continuously mentioned how challenging it often is to get in touch with platform representatives or receive actual, meaningful support from them. With invariable automated responses and faceless processes, questions simply remain unaddressed, creating a painful disconnect and leaving enlightened business owners feeling abandoned during times of actual need.

• It's not merely about software. It's about people. And, when they forget, trust is suddenly eroded. There could be wrongful exposure of identity and undesirable advertisements being placed.

• In some instances, it has been reported that promotional advertisements have been placed underneath restaurant listings without consent. This results in a misrepresentation of their brand and also further confuses a customer as to what to expect. This damages a brand when the identity, the pricing, or the menus are not under their control—something that independent businesses have worked hard to create.

• This new ecosystem is creating a series of issues for the smaller business persons, who have only displeasure arising to them.

AND THE DOMINO EFFECT :

• The Loud Voices Are Getting Louder While many are silenced because of the fear of backlash or the threat of delisting, others have begun speaking out and creating these crucial conversations. This growing dissident voice isn't about being aggressive-it's about fairness, transparency, and creating an ecosystem that works for and not against the businesses.

• Increasingly heard within food communities’ businesses, this sentiment is tying together divergent experiences of a disturbing pattern: an unfair squeeze of the small partners.

AN ALTERNATIVE WAY :

Independence With Direct Channels In response to these challenges, some food entrepreneurs are pursuing alternative approaches to regain control. The systems that have sprung up are allowing direct orders to be made through messaging applications, with WhatsApp leading the charge. Such facilities imply:

• No commissions

• Custom menu management

• Complete ownership of marketing and consumer engagement

• Clear and straightforward order flows

• No binding contracts or platform dependence

These systems allow restaurant owners to create customer relationships directly, retain all income, and work with freedom and flexibility.

A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE INDUSTRY

• This is just the beginning of things; things will go bad after this. This is a food tech economy imbalance that calls for rethinking the partnership environment between digital platforms and small businesses.

• Now restaurateurs have a choice: Continue to walk the precarious path that aggregator has put them on, or take matters into their own hands and brave an independent route.

• For those who provide solutions, the time is ripe to build with empathy, in transparency, and in spirits of real partnership.

JOIN US AND BE THE CHANGE THROUGH OUR WHATSAPP ORDERING SYSTEM