The Royal Cigar Company

Contacts and Master Data

Contact management is mostly done in the Odoo standard. An extension allows setting a preferred shipping method for invoices (email, mail, or both) as a default value per customer. The product categories have been supplemented with customs-relevant standard values and a sorting order to enable warehouse staff to work more efficiently during picking.

Purchasing and Customs Processing

Cigars are a sensitive product and must be stored at 72 percent humidity and controlled temperature. For this reason, TRCC is allowed to import the goods even before the actual customs clearance. The customs clearance only takes place during the storage process.

To this end, the warehouse has been divided into two areas: one for goods that have not yet been cleared and one for sale-ready products. Upon the arrival of unc cleared goods, each product automatically receives a unique identifier that simplifies communication with customs authorities. The customs-relevant information for the delivery is recorded once and continuously carried along, ensuring that the goods remain traceable at all times. At the same time, a label is automatically printed, designed for economical material consumption.

The actual customs clearance takes place during the internal transfer of goods from the unc cleared area to the sale-ready area. During this process, the products are cleared, receive a company-specific serial number instead of the previous identifier, and are provided with the sales label. A separate customs order is created for coordination with the logistics partner handling the customs clearance. The confirmation from the customs authority is then stored in the system and serves as proof of the completed customs clearance.

Warehouse and Inventory

To ensure that the identifiers from the unc cleared area do not burden the sales process, the Odoo system has been expanded so that they can be specifically removed when transitioning to the sale-ready area. This can be set for each storage location. Additionally, the inventory overview already shows how the stock is distributed across the various storage locations when entering an order.

Serial Numbers and Labels

A company-specific serial number has been introduced for traceability in case of complaints. If a box is returned, the serial number on the label can be used to check which customer it was originally delivered to. Since the identifier from the goods receipt is part of the serial number, traceability back to the supplier is also possible.

The corresponding sales label has been individually designed and includes, in addition to product name, item number, price, and barcode, a QR code with the serial number. Labels can be printed directly during stock movement or separately as needed.

Direct Sale

The direct sale is conducted traditionally via phone or email. The sales staff enter the orders directly into Odoo. The standard function for price lists is used for price determination, which also allows for multi-tiered, interdependent pricing structures.

Webshop and E-Commerce

A large part of the customers orders through the webshop, which is only accessible by invitation. To help customers find their way in the new shop immediately, it has been closely aligned with selected extensions to the familiar shopping experience and adapted to the project's requirements.

The product detail page has been completely revised: All variants appear in a clear table that is also easily readable on mobile devices. Product-specific features such as country of origin, strength, or aroma are displayed directly, are clickable, and also serve as filters for the entire range.

Payment is made on invoice. Webshop orders are manually checked before release, and the Odooo webshop only shows the actually sellable stocks. Individual variants can be hidden in the webshop if they are only to be available in direct sales.

Customers with overdue invoices can be blocked from making further orders. The block applies not only internally but also in the webshop, where the customer receives a corresponding notice. Search engine friendly product URLs complete the appearance.

Events

TRCC regularly participates in events, which are mostly organized by customers. This sales channel is also represented in the system: In advance, the quantities to be taken are reserved via a sales order, and after the event, the order is completed with the actually sold quantities. Sample products tasted are booked out separately.

Picking, Packaging and Shipping

In the warehouse, mobile barcode scanners are used. Additional warnings prevent accidentally capturing too high quantities.

A deliberately slim solution has been implemented for packaging: For each delivery, one or more packages can be created, and the total weight can be recorded directly, both at the workstation and on the scanner. The shipping service provider can be changed until the last moment.

Shipping is done through two parcel service providers as well as by personal delivery or self-pickup. The parcel service providers are connected via existing interfaces. Where necessary, these have been expanded, for example, so that multiple delivery orders receive a common shipping label.

Accounting

The accounting mostly runs on standard. The finances are managed internally. Occasionally, a trustee is also involved.

Project management and printing infrastructure

The project management of the system was already used productively during the introduction, initially for project planning and since the go-live also for ongoing operations. All label and receipt printers are managed via a central print server.