FirstBit ERP | Business Automation in the GCC

Segrex

Segrex (Segrex Family) is an international diversified holding company founded in 1995. The group comprises companies operating across various industries, including real estate development and construction, automotive, arts and entertainment, shipbuilding, interior design, and real estate sales and marketing. The group's companies carry out projects in the UAE and international markets, with a strong focus on quality, innovation, and long-term growth.

Dubai

201–500 employees

Interior design

Trading (wholesale / retail)

Construction

Professional services / agency

Manufacturing

Arts and entertainment

In April 2023, the Segrex Group faced a challenge: it lacked a unified solution for accounting and data consolidation. The holding company comprises 30 businesses across various industries, including real estate development, construction, automotive dealerships, a digital art theater, boat manufacturing, and other sectors.

With such a diverse business portfolio and rapid growth, the group needed a unified ERP platform. The system had to standardize accounting processes, enable consolidated reporting, and provide management control across the entire group.

Two key factors influenced Segrex's choice of solution: platform flexibility and comprehensive functionality adapted to local requirements. The group's finance manager had previously worked with various software solutions and was able to compare their capabilities. In this context, 1C stood out as a more flexible and feature-rich solution.

Another factor supporting the decision was that part of Segrex's automotive business in the UAE had already been using FirstBit Accounting software for several years.

We're not a typical business. Together with the First Bit team, we've implemented numerous custom features and enhancements that allow us to run our business the way we want, rather than simply adapting to predefined standard processes. This is what sets 1C apart from solutions like SAP and Microsoft, where customization isn't nearly as straightforward.

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Anastasia Romanenko

CFO, Segrex Group

Project Goals and Objectives

As part of the transition to a unified ERP environment, the team set the following objectives:

Establish transparent management of financial and business operations across the entire group
Standardize accounting and financial processes for all legal entities under a unified methodology
Enable consolidation of key management reports and regular monitoring of financial performance across the group
Automate mandatory accounting processes and reduce errors caused by manual data entry
Lay the foundation for advanced management analytics, particularly in the construction business, where accurate cost calculations and project reporting are essential

When I joined the company, there was effectively no unified accounting system in place. Our objective was to bring all businesses together on a single ERP platform and enable consolidated reporting across the group.

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Anastasia Romanenko

CFO, Segrex Group

What Was Automated

FirstBit ERP provided a unified accounting and management environment for the entire group. Key business processes were integrated into a single platform, allowing the group to standardize operations across its companies. Currently, 30 employees use the system, and the company plans to add another 20 licenses within the year.

The project automated the following processes:

Financial accounting and key financial reports, including cash balances, profit and loss statements (P&L), and cash flow statements
Procurement, inventory management, and tracking of goods and materials
Sales management and data exchange with Bitrix CRM
HR administration, payroll and other employee payments, time tracking, and overtime management
Cost control and project management functions
Budgeting and budget vs. actual analysis, including variance tracking

The team also migrated Segrex's construction company to FirstBit ERP Contracting, an industry-specific solution developed by the First Bit team in Dubai to address the unique requirements of construction businesses in the UAE.

Project Results

Following the implementation of FirstBit ERP, the group transitioned to a unified accounting and reporting system, gained tools for regular financial monitoring, and accelerated approval workflows.

The system not only saves time but also helps us make informed management decisions and address budget variances as they arise.

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Anastasia Romanenko

CFO, Segrex Group

Among other achievements, the First Bit and Segrex teams delivered the following results:

Enabled consolidated profit and loss (P&L) reporting across the group, simplifying financial performance monitoring at the holding company level
Introduced essential daily and monthly financial reports, including cash balance reports, cash flow statements, and profit and loss (P&L) statements
Configured tax return preparation within the system, saving time and supporting compliance with UAE tax legislation
Implemented approval workflows through a Telegram bot, saving managers approximately one hour per day, depending on the volume of approvals
Established a foundation for further development of financial analytics and reporting across the group and individual business units, including construction operations and project reporting

1C is head and shoulders above other software solutions. Whatever we need, whether it's Corporate Tax, e-invoicing, bank integration, or customized reports, the system delivers. It also adapts quickly to regulatory changes across the GCC market.

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Anastasia Romanenko

CFO, Segrex Group

Customer Feedback

For us, it was essential to bring our diverse businesses together on a single platform and achieve consolidated reporting across the group. FirstBit ERP allows us to manage our core accounting processes while continuously developing the solution as our business grows. Our current priorities are to further enhance analytics and management tools, particularly for our construction operations, and make reporting more convenient for executives.

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Anastasia Romanenko

CFO, Segrex Group

Our project has its own unique requirements and a long history involving numerous customizations. This requires a great deal of personalized support, which we consistently receive from our account manager, Anastasia Orinicheva. Sometimes she draws our attention to important technical details that we hadn't even considered.

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Anastasia Romanenko

CFO, Segrex Group

Future Plans

Over the next year, Segrex plans to further customize FirstBit ERP Contracting to meet the needs of its construction business. Planned enhancements include adding historical analytical data, integrating with the Bill of Quantities (BOQ) for budget vs. actual comparisons, and implementing a comprehensive set of dashboards. These improvements will allow the company to make greater use of the system's industry-specific capabilities.

The company also plans to complete the configuration of Corporate Tax functionality in 2026. Another priority is integration with an e-invoicing service provider. First Bit will provide its customers with ready-to-use functionality within the deadlines established by UAE legislation.

As the team grows, Segrex also plans to increase the number of system users and purchase additional licenses.