TotalSoft has migrated in record time the MIC.RO stores chain from its start-up software solution to Charisma, the enterprise solution.

The MIC.RO chain of neighborhood stores that came into force on the Romanian retail market has completely outsourced the IT services to TotalSoft – the software company that is a member of Global Finance. TotalSoft became the supplier for the software, hardware, maintenance and specialized technical assistance infrastructure necessary for opening the MIC.RO stores. The project is intended to last two years, during which the software company will implement its business solution, focusing on Charisma ERP, in the 1000 fixed and 2000 mobile stores that are part of MIC.RO’s expansion plans.

Started in the spring of 2010, the MIC.RO project has a very ambitious plan to expand the Romanian rsoftware etail industry based on the 7-11 American principle. Started initially with 110 stores, MIC.RO began its activity with a start-up software solution in order to validate its business concepts. This autumn, however, the solution was replaced by the integrated information system Charisma, following a very well and rigorously organized selection process that sought to identify a mature, scalable and flexible solution, as well as a software provider with a real implementation force.

“We wanted to offer an alternative to the Romanian copy-paste market trade imported from other European areas, without considering the cultural and traditional ways in which Romanians interact with the merchandise. Currently, the MIC.RO chain stores generate daily over 4 million transactions, and in order to control the system, we needed the information to be delivered in real time and in an intelligent format, avoiding thus losing time with complicated analysis. We chose TotalSoft for a pilot project, being convinced that the Romanian mind could build an integrated and efficient IT solution for controlling such a system. Beyond the technology used, the most important achievement of the project is the integrated and empathized working manner of the two teams.” Dan Ionescu, Managing Partner, MIC.RO.

The project also included a user training session that was organized in parallel in 20 “school stores” and involved teaching 200 store operators to use the system.

The utlimate novelty brought by MIC.RO in Romania is represented by the mobile stores that are moving between different locations,  bringing thus product offers right next to buyers’ houses and offices. Within these units, Charisma is accessed by users in real time via a laptop with a special configuration, which is permanently connected to the central database through a 3G connection.

By the end of 2010, Charisma is expected to operate in all 300 MIC.RO stores (opened and being opened), fact that positions TotalSoft as a leader in the retail chains field also, no other Romanian software company having a portfolio containing such a large number of stores.