Links: envisioning the digital future

“Online demand surged by 70% literally overnight on March 19th and we didn’t have enough stock as our supply chain broke down,” says Vlatko Skarica Managing Director at Links. So, the team came up with an ambitious digital transformation plan that would improve external and internal processes, preserve jobs and avoid downsizing. The plan involved revamping the website, improving the ecommerce solutions and digitalising the archives, starting with one module at a time. “The system needed an upgrade with the increased traffic. For example, electronic signatures on tablets, invoicing by email, storing everything in the cloud to replace paper…It takes time to implement but we’re getting there,” explains Vlatko.

Funding to achieve this came through an EU-guaranteed loan from Zagrebačka banka, member of UniCredit Group and backed by the EIF, under the Investment Plan for Europe. The additional resources served as working capital and enabled the digitalisation efforts. “It has given us a distinct competitive advantage, sustained the increase in transactions and improved our key performance indicators,” Vlatko adds. But the company has more ambition for growth and expansion. “Our goal is to expand our sales channels (new megastore opening in Zagreb in 2021) and our product portfolio. We also want to explore further digital solutions as our customers’ needs keep shifting. Our aim is to keep giving them the same level of personalised support.”