Modern manufacturing involves hundreds of production lines, thousands of SKUs, and the unpredictable influence of marketplaces. But what happens when this complex system is managed by dozens of disparate spreadsheets and manual replanning? Using a real-life Cotton Club case study, we explore how a large business can overcome collective Excel anxiety, prepare processes for ERP implementation, and why successful digital transformation in 2026 begins not with software, but with management discipline.

In the new episode of the "Business and Digital" program on the "Pro Business" TV channel, Stanislav Malyshev, CEO of ALPE Consulting, and Evgeny Mikhalev, Director of Digital Transformation at Cotton Club, discussed the practical aspects of digital transformation in modern manufacturing businesses.

Cotton Club is one of Russia's largest FMCG manufacturers, with 150 production lines, a wide product range, and an international supply chain. This scale of business requires highly accurate planning and the synchronization of procurement, production, logistics, and sales.

During the program, the experts examined in detail:
— How a company manages a complex production and logistics chain;
— Why Excel-based planning stops working at a certain stage of growth;
— What problems are created by the lack of unified classifiers and regulatory reference information;
— How e-commerce is changing the requirements for FMCG production;
— Why ERP implementation is primarily an organizational transformation;
— What limitations arise in managing procurement, imported raw materials, and production planning.

The episode focuses specifically on the following topics:

• Data management and the role of ERP as a "single source of truth";
• Synchronizing demand, procurement, and production;
• The impact of marketplaces on production processes;
• Transitioning from disparate Excel tools to an integrated digital enterprise architecture.

This program will be of particular interest to:
— Owners of manufacturing companies,
— CEOs,
— Digital transformation directors,
— Heads of production and logistics departments,
— CIOs and ERP specialists.

Watch the full interview: https://vk.com/wall861639996_24