In 2022 a large restaurant chain with its own production facility approached UCMS Group. The company had already attempted to implement 1C:Complex Automation + Catering with another provider, but the work was never completed: the project dragged on and the client had not even seen interim results. In parallel, questions arose about its accounting provider: the speed and quality of document processing were unsatisfactory.
The client was looking for a provider that would not only sort out the automation but also take on the bookkeeping. That is when it turned to UCMS Group, expecting not just support but a reliable partner that would cover all the tasks.
Company specifics:
By the time the project started the software was already installed, but it lacked the necessary data and settings, so the client could not use it in day-to-day work. The UCMS Group team started the project almost from scratch.
First we checked the composition, volume and correctness of the settings and reference information migrated from 1C:Accounting. It turned out that not everything had been transferred to the new system, and some reference books had duplicates, gaps and structural errors. We carried out an inventory: removed what was unnecessary, filled in what was missing and restored the links between elements.
The item list, costing cards, contracts and accounting groups partly had to be migrated manually because the standard exchange mechanism did not work. We checked every step by hand to avoid errors and ensure the system ran stably.
The Catering block was configured from scratch, because the standard configuration did not take the business specifics into account. We implemented cost calculations and configured the write-off of raw materials and the accounting of semi-finished and finished products. Everything now works the way production is actually organised, not the way standard logic assumes.
One of the tasks was to connect the system to weighing equipment. Previously employees filled in paper certificates by hand and recalculated everything themselves; now that is no longer needed. We developed a special interface for the touch terminal on the production floor: an employee selects the dish or preparation and the data goes straight into the system.
We also automated cash operations: all cash documents are now signed with an electronic digital signature and no longer need to be printed.
We integrated Chestny ZNAK: the write-off, release and resale of tracked goods happen automatically, without separate manual processing.
We set up the data exchange between 1C and iiko, the main system through which the client's restaurants keep their records. Previously some information was not transferred, which caused calculation errors. Now dishes, raw materials, costings, and sales, cash and commission documents are synchronised.
In the process we identified errors in iiko's own accounting logic that affected the calculations and fixed those too.
We configured automatic generation of payment requests and registers, which had all been done manually before. Requests can now be tracked by payment date, approval status and recipient, making the process more transparent and manageable.
We also set up turnover reporting for landlords. Previously these reports contained errors: for example, delivery revenue, which should be included, was left out of the calculations. This exposed the client to a risk of fines of up to 200 thousand rubles per location. The specialists identified and fixed the logic error, refined the accounting and automated report generation.
We implemented management reporting that meets the requirements of the international parent company. Reports on key areas, including receivables, were added to the system; previously they could not be produced in the required form. The formats were non-standard, and all reports were adapted to the structure and detail the customer needed.
To ensure the reports were correct, we additionally structured the item list: every item was linked to contracts and financial accounting groups. This made it possible to produce the required analytical views in the system and reduce manual work in preparing the reporting.
The client can see how automation reduces the team's workload, minimises errors and simplifies control, so it continues to develop the system together with UCMS Group. For example, we are already automating the re-invoicing of reimbursable services and supplies, which will cut the client's manually processed transactions by 40%.
While the implementation was under way, we started keeping the accounting and tax records. The level of immersion was maximum: in effect, the UCMS Group team became the client's internal department. Each area had its own responsible specialist who worked directly with the relevant units: restaurants, leasing and production.
Examples of tasks:
The books are closed strictly on schedule. After each month we hold a review with the client: we discuss deviations and look for what can be improved. Errors, if they appear, are corrected only in the current period, never retroactively.
The client was pleased with UCMS Group's work, stressing that the project succeeded thanks to our approach and involvement. What was especially valuable was that we did not just implement the system but got to grips with their business, set up the processes and suggested how to make things better.
They highlighted several factors that matter on such projects.
