A Case Study on CMI’s Ongoing Digital Transformation
Beyond Culinary, an innovative brand under CMI (ChenMich), a BestChoice affiliate, is in the middle of a major digital upgrade of its operational ecosystem. As its reach expands—from ingredient warehousing to store retailing and service-based operations—the limitations of manual processes and fragmented tools have become more apparent.
To address these challenges, CMI partnered with Solomon to deploy a unified Inventory Management System in Phase 1, followed by an enhanced POS platform in Phase 2.
This ongoing pilot focuses on Beyond Culinary as the first adopter, establishing a scalable blueprint for all other CMI branches and partner warehouses.
Phase 1: Implementing Solomon Inventory System
A deep transition toward structured, real-time, and reliable inventory management.
1. Aligning Solomon Inventory with CMI’s Existing Systems
Before implementation, Beyond Culinary used a combination of spreadsheets, manual monitoring, and internal tools that handled data differently across departments.
Phase 1 ensures that the new Solomon Inventory System aligns with real workflows:
- Standardizing product codes, units, and categories
- Migrating and cleaning legacy data
- Mapping warehouse-to-store movements
- Defining receiving, issuance, adjustment, and transfer processes
- Establishing audit trails for accountability
This replaces guesswork with accuracy and introduces a single source of truth for all stock movements.
2. A Controlled Rollout to Protect Daily Operations
Beyond Culinary cannot afford major disruptions. CMI adopted a progressive transition from legacy tools to Solomon.
This includes:
- Running parallel checks
- Verifying each stock movement’s accuracy
- Training staff by function (warehouse, retail, admin)
- Gradual activation of inventory modules
- Real-time discrepancy tracking
The goal: implement a modern system without compromising daily fulfillment.
3. Real-Time Inventory Accuracy as the Foundation
By bringing Solomon Inventory online, Beyond Culinary now gains:
- Live stock visibility at main warehouse and sub-locations
- Immediate reflection of transfers
- Automated deductions for issuance and adjustments
- Strengthened audit capabilities
- Better forecasting inputs for purchasing and production
Even while Phase 1 continues, the shift toward data-driven operations is already underway.
Phase 2: Deploying the New Solomon POS for Beyond Culinary
Modern checkout, integrated payments, and service-driven workflows.
Phase 2 introduces the new Solomon POS, designed not only for retail sales but also for Beyond Culinary’s unique operational needs.
1. Maya Payment Integration for a Modern Checkout Experience
The POS system integrates seamlessly with Maya, enabling:
- QR payments
- Card transactions
- Wallet payments
- Real-time synchronization to cashier records
- Faster customer checkout
- Reduced reconciliation effort
This positions Beyond Culinary for cashless, audit-friendly operations.
2. Beyond Culinary’s Enhanced POS Modules
Built specifically to match their hybrid retail + service model.
The implementation includes advanced features beyond standard POS capabilities.
The Job Order / Advanced Workflow
One of the major custom features developed for the Beyond Culinary pilot.
Purpose:
To support custom preparations, service orders, bulk requests, and product jobs that require multiple steps, labor, and material usage—all with real-time stock accuracy.
Job Order Workflow Stages
1. Draft Creation (Pending Order)
Staff creates a draft order.
- Can view, edit, print, or delete
- Inventory is deducted immediately upon saving the draft
- Draft expires in 3 days (extendable by another 3 days)
- System sends draft confirmation via email
- Ensures reservation of items for the client
2. Cashier Stage – Downpayment
- Draft goes to cashier queue
- Head cashier handles all official printouts
- Quantity cannot be zero for any line item
- Downpayment is recorded before sending to picking
- Protects against unclaimed or abandoned orders
3. Picker Stage
- Two printouts generated: retail and warehouse copies
- Pickers prepare items based on the draft
- Warehouse version ensures accuracy between branches
- Items already reserved continue to be locked in the system
4. Client Finalization
- After picking and packing, client proceeds to finalize payment
- Once payment is completed → order is officially closed
- Any difference in quantity triggers revalidation
- Inventory is reconciled with the final output
This ensures full traceability from draft creation to final fulfillment.
3. Quotation Module for Corporate and Bulk Clients
Another critical enhancement:
- Staff can generate official quotations from the POS
- Prices, validity periods, and item availability are automatically reflected
- Ideal for corporate partners and planned orders
- Converts directly into a Job Order or Sales Order
This reduces manual paperwork and improves response times.
Post-Phase 2: Expansion to Other CMI Brands, Branches, and Partner Warehouses
Once Beyond Culinary’s pilot is fully stable, CMI plans to adopt the same ecosystem across other brands and operational locations.
Future Rollout Includes:
- Additional CMI branches
- Affiliated brands under the BestChoice umbrella
- Partner warehouses operating under ChenMich
- Centralized warehouse operations
- Multi-location stock synchronization
Benefits of Unified Adoption:
- Consistent workflows across all CMI entities
- Centralized reporting for management
- Faster inter-branch transfers
- Reduced shrinkage across operations
- Easier training and onboarding
- A unified ecosystem built on the pilot’s proven success
Beyond Culinary becomes the benchmark for future deployments.
Conclusion
The Beyond Culinary pilot under CMI showcases a forward-thinking digital transformation built on real operational needs. Phase 1 established a reliable foundation for inventory accuracy, while Phase 2 introduces a modern retail and service-driven POS ecosystem powered by Maya payments and enhanced Job Order workflows.
Once fully rolled out across other CMI and BestChoice-affiliated units, this ecosystem will deliver unified operations, improved accuracy, better customer experiences, and a scalable digital foundation for future growth.
