Data Centralization in the 1C:Retail for the Pharmacy Chain of Kazakhstan

The project aimed to modernize the retail operations of a major pharmaceutical holding in Kazakhstan. Key objectives were:

1. Replace outdated and heterogeneous software systems across 122 pharmacies and 3 distribution centers with a unified "1C:Pharmacy for Kazakhstan 2.3" platform.
2. Implement mandatory pharmaceutical labeling processes to comply with national legislation.
3. Establish real-time, accurate inventory visibility across all retail points to enable data-driven decision-making.
4. Automate the entire "Shelf-Life Management" process, including automatic markdowns for nearly expired goods and write-offs for expired products, to minimize losses. The goal was to create a centralized, reliable, and efficient retail management system.

1. Replacement of Outdated and Fragmented Software
   Outdated and heterogeneous retail software in Sadykhan Group was replaced with 1C:Pharmacy for Kazakhstan 2.3.
   The following processes were implemented:
   – Inventory management and control across Sadykhan retail outlets (receipt, transfer, write-offs, inventory counts, shipments, and shelf-life management).
   – Automatic markdown of nearly expired goods (implemented through the mechanism of marketing campaigns and product line segments).
   – Sales management (execution and control of sales in the company's retail area).
   – Conducting planned and unplanned audits.
   – Cash flow management.
   

2. Implementation of Pharmaceutical Labeling
   Full integration of the labeling process for pharmaceuticals — from product receipt at the retail outlet to sale or disposal.

3. Real-Time Inventory Visibility
   The unified accounting system ensures accurate, real-time stock information across all retail operations.

4. Automation of Shelf-Life Management
   The shelf-life management process was fully automated, providing automatic markdowns and write-offs for expired products.

5. Two-Way Integration via Data Bus
   A two-way integration between the central retail database and 1C:UTP systems was implemented using a data bus, enabling real-time data exchange and synchronization 

Primary Software: 1C:Pharmacy for Kazakhstan 2.3, 1C:UTP (for management accounting)

Integration & Data Transfer: Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) based on Apache Kafka

Infrastructure: Optimized technical infrastructure for data storage and exchange (specific recommendations were implemented to increase reliability and speed)

The main challenges were in three areas. First, we had to migrate data from four outdated, unsupported systems without disrupting 122 pharmacies - any failure would stop sales and violate labeling laws. Second, we needed to ensure real-time data exchange over unstable internet connections, where old systems would constantly fail. Third, the deadline was fixed by new government labeling requirements, making traditional lengthy testing impossible.

We solved this by building a new data hub using Kafka instead of patching old systems. This provided reliable data delivery despite connection issues, enabled seamless migration, and met the legal deadline.

Sadykhan Group, a leading pharmaceutical holding in Kazakhstan with 122 pharmacies and 3 distribution centers, faced critical challenges with its fragmented and outdated retail software. The situation was characterized by four different, unsupported information systems, hourly data synchronization that frequently failed, non-compliance with pharmaceutical labeling laws, and entirely manual shelf-life management leading to significant operational losses.

The project involved a comprehensive replacement of the entire retail software ecosystem with the standardized "1C:Pharmacy" solution. The implementation was characterized by a flexible approach to business process automation, adapting most processes to standard system capabilities while performing careful customizations only where necessary. A major achievement was the optimization of the technical architecture, culminating in the deployment of an ESB based on Apache Kafka. This enabled real-time, event-driven, two-way data synchronization between the central retail database and the 1C:UTP management systems, ensuring data consistency and operational continuity.

The result is a unified, centralized accounting system where all retail outlets now operate from a single database. This has enabled the successful implementation of pharmaceutical labeling from receipt to sale, provided real-time inventory visibility, and fully automated the shelf-life management process with automatic markdowns and write-offs.