CBS 

 About Client

CBS Bio Platforms is a leading manufacturer specializing in biotechnology solutions for animal nutrition and feed technology. 
The company operates two key manufacturing facilities:
• Calgary, Canada: The original facility, serving as a major production and distribution center.
• Volga, South Dakota, USA (opened in 2024): A newly established, fully operational facility aimed at expanding CBS’s production capacity and market presence.CBS also works with D&D for toll blending, subcontracting some of its manufacturing needs to ensure flexibility and efficiency in production.

The company frequently engages in intercompany transfers between its US and Canadian facilities, optimizing supply chain operations. CBS is also focused on expanding its international market reach, with growing sales through distributors in South America and other emerging regions.

Current system

The existing system architecture includes the following key platforms:

• Sage 500: Manufacturing Accounting and financial management, Procurement to sales 
• Podio: Project management and team collaboration
• Excel: Custom data management and analysis
• Concur: Expense management

 Technologies Used

• Python
• Odoo

Challenges Faced & Impact

Contact and Multi-Company Operation Management

Working with diverse suppliers and customers across multiple countries. Managing contacts and multi-company operations had become increasingly complex.

Odoo Solution:

• Centralized Contact Management: SerpentCS team imported and helped to track vendors & customers with multiple contacts and delivery locations that ensures all interactions are tracked and accessible across multi regions.
• Multi-Company Accounting: our team configured automated currency conversions, inter-company transactions & consolidated financial reporting ensures consistency across all CBS multi subsidiaries companies.
• Inter-Company Transactions: our team improved flow to handle internal stock transfers with lot-serial based also notifies about nearly expiring items, invoicing approvals validation, and reporting between branches, reducing administrative burdens.

Impact: improved company’s visibility, simplified accounting management & reduced operational complexity.

Customized Reporting & Document Management

The client required detailed operational and financial insights, a secure way to manage compliance reporting and business documents, and a clearer vision of on-hand lots with quantity tracking with on-screen traceability.
Odoo Solution:

• Tilored financial and operational reports for sales, purchase, accounting and manufacturing.
• Document Management Module for centralized storage and easy retrieval of contracts, compliance files, quality records, and business-critical documents.
• Improved inventory accuracy with clear tracking of on-hand available and nearly expiring lots with on-screen traceability.

Impact:

• Improved decision-making with real-time insights.
• Ensured compliance management through Odoo’s secure document management with anytime audit ready.
• Greater transparency and control with quick access to reports, records, and lot/serial number traceability reports.

Financial and Accounting Challenges

Before Odoo there occurred delays due to fragmented systems that caused slow downs reconciliations, reporting and compliance tracking.

Odoo Solution:

• Simple and unified accounting platform across multiple companies.
• Automated reconciliation & compliance workflows.
• Our team customized configurations to manage expenses and customer wise credit limits as per client requirements.

Impact:

• Faster closing cycles with real-time financial accuracy.
• Reduced manual workload through automated reconciliation.
• Strengthened expense management and credit limit management that helps to lead healthier cash flow and minimized financial risk.

Manufacturing, Shopfloor & Supply Chain Inefficiencies

CBS Team faced inefficiencies with the production planning, resource allocation, and quality control which increased costs and slowed down productivity. They also struggled with complex BOM configurations, subcontracting management, procurement planning & handling shopfloor accesses for specific groups of employees.

Odoo Solution:

• Manufacturing Management: Real-time monitoring and optimization of production operations.

• BOM Configuration: SerpentCS Team addressed and solved the BOM challenges through simple customized and base configurations with in-depth understanding of client requirements, ensuring accurate planning with resource allocation management.

• Subcontracting & Procurement: our team has streamlined the subcontracting processes to manage partners/vendors with improved procurement planning for timely material availability, that helps to run the operations timely.

• Shopfloor Control & Access Rights: user and roles based access management with real-time operation updates, work order tracking with in-process quality checks.

• Warehouse & Logistics: Automated warehouse operations with routes and rules management for a smoother supply chain.

• HS Code Management: Implemented a custom Product HS code field for searching a product as per their previous system that allows to insert different codes for different regions/companies to ensure compliance for international trade rules.

Impact:

• Improved production efficiency and reduced operational costs.

• Enhanced accuracy in BOM management through custom configuration.

• Better subcontracting visibility and stronger purchase orders planning.

• Greater shopfloor transparency and security with controlled access rights.

• Streamlined compliance for international trade with flexible HS code management.

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Event Management

The CBS team frequently organized events for partners, suppliers, and customers but lacked a structured way to manage planning, event expenses, and customer relationship related activities.

Odoo Solution:

• Created and tracked events within Odoo.

• Linked event expenses directly for accurate cost monitoring.

• Organized meetings with contacts who participated in specific events.

• Added internal team members to events for collaboration.

• Captured event-related expenses in real time for direct accounting integration .

Impact: Streamlined event planning, accurate expense control, better collaboration, and clear ROI measurement for events.