At a Glance
- Industry: Retail Supermarkets
- Number of Stores: 80+
- Region: Ghana
Benefits
- 1288 person-hours saved/month
- Completely digital workflows
- Visibility and accountability
Solutions Used
- Digital SOPs
- Store Audits and Visits
- Task Management
- Team Communication
- Reports and Dashboards
Melcom Group of Companies is a conglomerate Headquartered in Accra, Ghana. Melcom started with its supermarkets in 1989 and is now expanding into master franchising, manufacturing, distribution, servicing, food and bakery, and travel segments.
Melcom’s 60+ strong hypermarkets, supermarkets, and cash & carry is where Ghana shops. With an ever-expanding retail and business presence, Melcom is the biggest supermarket chain in Ghana.
We sat down with Ashok Nair, COO of Melcom Group of Companies, to discuss how Melcom transforms retail operations with Wooqer. Ashok is a seasoned Operations leader with 27+ years of experience.
“I have been here 16 years and been a part of the growth story. When I first arrived at Melcom, we had 11 stores. Now we are 80+ strong in supermarkets and another 60+ across other formats, ” stated Ashok.
The Problem
Ashok and team Melcom had the right Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place from 2012. However, these SOPs were being followed manually using pen and paper forms.
“We had very strong SOPs in place and continuously revamped them to reflect the changes of time and business growth. But it was all on paper,” continued Ashok, “we decided to build our own task management system with the help of my IT team. While it did help us to an extent, it did not solve our problems at large.”
Melcom also evaluated a few tools in addition to their own system. However, the need for the hour was a more robust, seasoned, and seamless solution that could help them digitize all processes, manage tasks better, and enable team communication.
The Solution
SOP Digitization
Melcom launched Wooqer in all their stores to digitize all their pen and paper SOPs and workflows. Ashok and the team have already digitized more than 40 processes on Wooqer and are adding one new process every two weeks.
“We are launching a new process every fortnight. The digitization journey has been more than fruitful. Since our team is very execution-focused, Wooqer has helped us focus more on that,” highlighted Ashok.
Ashok further highlights that they get better visibility on which store manager is adhering to the SOPs and completing the tasks. “We have some mundane but essential processes such as the Store Closing Checklist. It helps us ensure visibility and accountability on the store opening and closing, thus ensuring fewer leakages and aid loss prevention.”
“Additionally, Wooqer has helped us bring objectivity to our process. Since operations as a function are largely subjective, Collecting the right data for the right SOPs helps us reduce grey areas in the business,” concludes Ashok.
The Future
Ashok says Melcom is just getting started on their digital transformation journey with Wooqer. Melcom is now launching Wooqer for their supervisors and area managers as well.
“We have seen the power of digitization with Melcom’s retail units. We are now rolling out Wooqer to warehouses and other business units, too,” said Ashok.
Melcom is thinking ahead to leverage AI, deeper insights & reports, and other automation with Wooqer. With Ghana’s rapidly evolving digital landscape and consumer ecosystem, Melcom Group is leading the charge for digital transformation in Ghana’s retail fraternity.
