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ABA’s Monoprix Qatar celebrates success of FORWARD in the division

After implementing the FORWARD application in February 2019 and using it since then, it was time for Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Holding’s Monoprix division to celebrate the successful implementation. On May 30, 2019, the Monoprix Qatar team and members from FORWARD PMO gathered to commemorate this achievement.

Apart from the team that worked on the FORWARD Project, Regional General Manager of Monoprix Qatar Mr. Sébastien Farhat, FORWARD Project Sponsor Mr. Mohamad Ebrik and ABA Holding PMO Manager Mr. Youssef Farajallah were all there to applaud the hard work the team had put in.

Opening the gathering, Mr. Sebastian said: “Whatever we achieved was because of teamwork. True to the values of Ali Bin Ali S.H.A.R.P, where people are very important, together we made this achievement possible in a short timeframe. It was with all your efforts, particularly the team that developed the requirements as per the needs of the different streams of business, we met our expectations.”

Applauding the efforts of the team, Mr. Ebrik said: “Monoprix is one of the new babies of Ali Bin Ali Holding and the expansion, growth and pace that we have been going through is really good. The ERP solution is now functioning in full swing in the division but it is important that the people behind the system makes it work to its full potential. It is up to you to benefit or not benefit from it. 

“In terms of knowledge and growth, using the best systems in the world is a big plus for you as it increases your value. Next, the FORWARD team will refocus with you on how to enhance what has been delivered.”

It was also the perfect opportunity to recognize the heroes in the division who went that extra mile to make the transition smooth. 

Shyam Thushara Peiris – Senior Accountant, Afroj Alam – Store Financial Controller, Rezaul Karim Bhuiyan – Store Financial Controller, Mohammed Mahiuddin – Store Financial Controller, and Mohammed Ehteshamuddin – Gold System Administrator, were awarded for their outstanding role in the project. 

Dianne Daraman – Accountant, Manohar Pratap – Accounts Assistant, Bimal Khadka – Accounts Assistant,  Bijay Chaulagain – Accounts Assistant, Sajan Shah – Accounts Assistant, Bharat Bhatta – Assistant Accountant, Diana Grace Dolor – Assistant Accountant, and Bipin Neupane – Invoice Control Clerk, were also recognized for their unrelenting support to the project.

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ABA Fashion and Galeries Lafayette Doha celebrate successful implementation of FORWARD

After the successful implementation and stabilization of the FORWARD application in the divisions, Ali Bin Ali Fashion and Galeries Lafayette Doha celebrated the efficient automation of the work process in their divisions on May 23, 2019.

 

The two divisions, which have the same management and a similar workflow, worked on the project together and also went live on the same day. For both the divisions, FORWARD automated the Finance modules and interfaced with the Oracle Retail application.

 

Mr. David Miller, General Manager for both ABA Fashion and Galeries Lafayette Doha, was present on the occasion – heading a proud team that did an extraordinary job while implementing the application. The event was also attended by FORWARD project sponsor Mr. Mohamad Ebrik and members of the FORWARD PMO team.

 

“I thank the team for all the efforts you have put in. We were trying to integrate multiple operations during the transition process and the dedication everyone showed without any complaint was really commendable. You worked late on weeknights and also on the weekend to make this possible. Of course, we have some tiny issues and I know we will overcome those over time and reach the level we desire,” Mr. Miller said.

 

Mr. Ebrik explained, “We were very apprehensive when we started implementation of the FORWARD project at Galeries Lafayette Doha, ABA Fashion and 21 High st simultaneously. There was a lot happening at the same time. New businesses were opening, FORWARD was being applied, RetailTech – which is another first-time project for Galeries Lafayette and ABA Fashion, annual budget. But when we gave the go ahead, everybody was focused on making it happen. This is one of the key success areas as we did not drag the project and the objective was to complete it fast, even with so many other things happening in parallel. We received so much positivity from the division – it really helped us.”

 

The occasion was also the perfect stage to bring the FORWARD heroes in the divisions under the spotlight. While the entire team got together and made their contribution to this success, it was a couple of members who played a particularly pivotal role. Dilif Kumar Tripura – Management Accountant of Galeries Lafayette Doha, and Samuel Maina – Accounts Assistant at ABA Fashion, were honored with the FORWARD hero title from the divisions.

 

Depicting the glamorous business of both ABA Fashion and Galeries Lafayette Doha, a huge banner replicating the Hollywood walk of fame was set up. All members from both the divisions who worked on the FORWARD project put their handprint on the stars and signed on it to mark their feat.

 

With the much-anticipated opening of Galleries Lafayette in Qatar and ABA Fashion introducing a couple of new stores, it was an intensive journey for the team to implement the FORWARD application. The shift to the new system marked a watershed in the way the divisions function, adding a lot of automation and producing error-free results.

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Ali Bin Ali Hospitality celebrates successful implementation of FORWARD

After going live with the Group’s ERP FORWARD project in February 2019, it was time for Ali Bin Ali Hospitality to celebrate the success implementation of the solution in the division.

On May 23, 2019, the ABA Hospitality team led by General Manager Mr. Philippe Tardieu, FORWARD Project Sponsor Mr. Mohamad Ebrik and members of the FORWARD PMO gathered to applaud the achievement.

Opening the event, Mr. Tardieu welcomed all and said: “We are very happy with the FORWARD solution and would like to thank our entire Finance team and the PMO team for making this possible. More modules will be added to the system soon, making the work process more efficient in the division. We are very positive about this new system.”

Mr Ebrik said, “Hospitality is one of the latest batches of the ERP project and we have reached here today because of everybody’s dedication and hard work. However, this is not the end. It is the start of a new journey to use the system to its full potential. There will be another few months of stabilization period to make sure all tools of the system are put to full use. It is important for the team to know the system really well so that they can extract, analyze and then provide feedback to the business to move forward.”

All members of the small team from ABA Hospitality who were involved in the FORWARD project gave their very best to make the transition a success. The simultaneous process of opening new restaurants, implementing a new solution and integrating it with the existing one was not an easy one. Recognizing this feat and acknowledging their contribution, the heroes from the division were also awarded at the event.

Ahmed Abdelbaki – Finance Manager, Gururajan – Accounts Supervisor, Irshad Hassan – Accounts Supervisor, and Razzak Hossain – Senior Accountant, were handed certificates by Mr.  Tardieu.

A banner designed like a food cart was set up in line with the theme ‘FORWARD – the new secret ingredient of change’. The team members placed jars, indicating the key ingredients of FORWARD, on the cart to complete the visual.

The FORWARD ERP application will mainly support the Finance and Procurement functions of the Hospitality division. The restaurant chains will be using the Micros system to handle Point of Sale (POS) services but it will be integrated with FORWARD.

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Monoprix West Bay awarded for ‘Best Hygiene Practices for April 2019’

Adding yet another feather to its cap, Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Monoprix outlet at the Twin Tower in West Bay was recognized for ‘Best Hygiene Practices for April 2019’.

The certificate was awarded by Boecker®, the largest public health company in the Middle East.

In a letter dated May 15, the public health company wrote: “Monoprix West Bay achieved the highest score of 92.31% among all Boecker® Q-Platinum clients in Qatar for the Month of April 2019.”

This recognition by Boecker® confirms Monoprix Qatar’s constant endeavors to implement proper food safety practices on its premises, from receipt of raw materials to serving of the end products. The certificate also re-affirms that all food handlers are following the food safety guidelines as per the food safety training conducted by Boecker®.

The iconic French supermarket was introduced in Qatar in 2013 and since then has served quality products to people in the country.

Speaking about this latest addition to their portfolio, Regional General Manager of Monoprix Mr. Sébastien Farhat said: “Food safety is a culture and it should be always adopted to deliver the best to customers. We at Monoprix Qatar have always lived by this value and are elated to be recognized for that effort.”

Boecker® provides a holistic range of products, including Food Safety and Biosecurity across Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. All Boecker® services are ISO9001:2008-certified. The Boecker® signature Q Platinum Award™ certification has been tailored to meet the needs of small to medium food establishments, a certification assured by the CIEH-UK.