Quatre N. The history of the development of the Katren company - one of the leaders of the Russian pharmaceutical market
Research and production company "Katren" is a national distributor medical supplies and equipment in the Russian Federation. A large private company occupies a large share of the Russian pharmaceutical market and supplies medicines to tens of thousands of pharmacies in Russia and the CIS countries.
Brief information:
- Company name: Katren company
- Legal form activities: Open Joint-Stock Company
- Kind of activity: Distribution of pharmaceutical products
- Revenue for 2016: RUB 228 billion
- Beneficiary: Leonid Konobeev (52.8% shares)
- Number of staff: more than 3.4 thousand people.
- The site of the company: www.katren.ru
The Katren company is one of the largest Russian pharmaceutical distributors. She collaborates with largest producers medicinal products all over the world, supplies goods to dozens of Russian regions. The history of the company began in the early 90s, and over the past time it has established itself among the leaders of the pharmaceutical market of the Russian Federation.
Creation of the company, first years of development
The research and production company "Katren" was founded in April 1993 by several entrepreneurs, graduates of the University of Novosibirsk. The authorized capital turned out to be small, amounting to only $600.
The name "Quatrain" comes from the French term "le quatre", meaning a form of versification, a stanza of four verses. As conceived by the creators, the name carries a deep meaning, meaning consistency and synchronicity of the enterprise’s work in all areas.
At first, the company gained a foothold in the market of the Novosibirsk region, carrying out wholesale and retail supplies of medicines and drugs, new contracts were concluded (50 clients were found in a year). The staff was small - only 6 people, but in the first year Katren achieved a turnover of $30 thousand. One of the important advantages of the distributor was direct deliveries from the manufacturer, which reduced the final cost and made purchases more profitable for wholesale, retail and medical enterprises . A scheme for working with pharmacy chains was developed.
Expansion continued in 1994. Additional funds were raised through a loan. A small warehouse is opened where products ready for delivery are collected.
The number of clients gradually increased, sales volume reached $3 million at the end of the second year of development. At the same time, entrepreneurs were determined to enter new regions of the Russian Federation. The company's staff has grown to 12 people, and a personal computer has been purchased to automate the management and reporting process.
In 1995, the company expanded beyond the Novosibirsk region. Company representatives negotiate with counterparties to make logistics more complex. Now delivery of pharmaceutical products is carried out:
- automobile;
- railway;
- by air.
The number of employees is increasing, logistics issues are being handled by transport department dispatchers. Sales during this period reach $6 million.
A year later, large depots were organized in Novosibirsk and Omsk. The company has opened a representative office in the latter city. The creation of several warehouses increases the reliability and uninterrupted supply of goods to pharmacies. The Ermak network has been created, aimed at automating the work of small warehouses for servicing pharmacies.
In 1997, a large warehouse with an area of 3 thousand square meters was opened. m, simplified the work logistics companies and supplies. Branded packaging created: organized own production, now medical products were supplied in containers with the logos of the pharmaceutical distributor.
- During this year, sales volume increased by 100%.
- The number of staff in the central office reaches 150 people.
- There are 15 representative offices throughout the country.
Interesting fact! NPK specialists began to optimize activities. A comprehensive program has been implemented to reduce costs and trade margins of goods - this has increased the attractiveness of Katren products in the eyes of partners and end consumers.
This program helped the company survive 1998, a time of major economic crisis in Russian economy. Despite the difficult situation and the bankruptcy of many enterprises, NPK continued to supply medicines to pharmacy chains and medical institutions. Moreover, sales volume increased by 17% compared to last year. During a period when many left the pharmaceutical market, Katren was able to strengthen own position.
In 1999, the business community gradually recovered from the crisis, and the same happened with purchasing activity. Sales company specialists decided to develop a warehouse network throughout the Russian Federation to occupy leadership positions in the pharmaceutical market.
Several branches and many warehouses were opened in different regions of the country, and significant funds were spent on this. The work was going on for the future; in the future, all expenses should have been repaid a hundredfold. By opening a network of warehouses, NPK was able to fully satisfy the needs of pharmacies and hospitals in various cities and towns.
At the turn of the millennium, the company became one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in Russia.
Development of NPK Katren in the 2000s
In the first year of the new millennium, the company launched 19 warehouses in different cities, including a large warehouse in Berdsk with an area of 12 thousand square meters. m. Computerization reached new level- now it is possible to coordinate all processes online.
Figure 1. Logistics warehouse at the Katren company facility.
Source: svetlines.ru
In 2001-2002, an original sales promotion program was launched new products for pharmacies; special competitions motivated private entrepreneurs to cooperate with RPC. During the same period:
- launched production of its own medical clothing;
- A corporate newspaper began to be published.
In 2003, the number of branches continued to grow, with the largest sales coming from the capitals: Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Interesting fact! This spring, on the 10th anniversary of Katren, it was recognized as a national distributor.
IN next year management implemented a number of new projects:
- Launched new system working with pharmacies, where the main supplier was Katren: they received goods whose quality was confirmed by an NPK certificate, and the supplied products were insured.
- Actively worked charitable foundation company, a program for the supply of medicines to orphanages in the country began: medicines were donated to institutions in 7 regions of Russia on an ongoing basis. Subsequently, company representatives received an award at the Platinum Ounce competition for the “Medicines for Orphans” program.
During the same period, the third collection of medical clothing was released.
In 2005, she developed her projects and strengthened partnerships with clients. Among the services that NPK provided was the organization of a bright holiday and high-quality service.
In 2006, it took second place in the list of national pharmaceutical distributors.
Detailed information about the largest pharmaceutical companies is contained in the material: "".
New branches and large logistics complexes (up to 50 thousand sq. m. in area) were opened. The company's specialists found various ways promoting products and winning new customers. One of them: holding all-Russian conferences for pharmacy workers (together with the publication “Pharmaceutical Review”).
In 2007, Katren demonstrated the highest sales growth rates - 77.4%. By the fall, product shipments in monetary terms amounted to about $1 billion, NPK took third place in terms of gross turnover on the Russian pharmaceutical market.
Several new warehouse complexes were launched, and automated assembly lines began operating in the capital's branches.
Figure 2. Warehouse complex "Katren" in the Saratov region.
Source: reportal.com
Key financial and economic indicators for 2012-2016 can be found in the table below.
CJSC NPK Katren is a pharmaceutical company in St. Petersburg, which I do not advise anyone to work for!
I worked there for more than six months and left with a feeling of happiness that I would no longer have to get dirty on this shithole. I'll tell you about everything in order.
Of the minuses:
1) they are located in an industrial zone, it takes half an hour to get there by private car or by delivery, so if you suddenly need to take time off or leave an hour earlier, that’s a problem. when you quit (and you will definitely have to quit from this shithole) - the problem will arise, how to go to interviews in the afternoon or at 2 noon if you don’t leave the industrial zone?
2) inadequate team and management. The director of the branch is a typical man in a skirt, with a complete lack of moral qualities, humanity and understanding of the staff. It’s a problem for her to clearly formulate her thoughts. she mixes emotions into her work almost constantly; hysterics when communicating with subordinates are completely normal for her; she is capable of yelling, spitting saliva, and throwing papers. in the top management of the branch there are entirely relatives, even by their last names you can see, a la Ivanov and Ivanova, Petrov and Petrova, Sidorov and Sidorova, and even their children. Everyone working through connections walks around the office with their noses in the air. If you see a vacancy on the Internet, you can be sure that you are initially hired as " consumables"and the last class of people, slaves.
3) inadequate selection and adaptation of personnel, some kind of Soviet horror. HR employee, a lady well over 50..., communicates with applicants in a contemptuous tone, arrogantly and impolitely. when trying to ask a question about work registration (to clarify something), he allows himself ridicule, sarcastic remarks out loud right in front of the person, reluctantly answers questions and shows necessary documentation. When you are invited to an interview, and you are traveling by car (and not by delivery), they don’t even give you the exact address!!! Although it later turned out that the building had an address, the HR manager apparently was not able to at least find out this information for himself. You are driving along the Ring Road, and they dictate to you: “Well, there will be such a gray building on the right behind the gas station... where? Well, I don’t know, it’s just that there are gray buildings like this on the right. Well, don’t you know where our Quatrain is?? Don’t you Do you know where MLP-KAD is?”, like how can you be so uneducated and not know where our GREAT company is located. Let's not disgrace ourselves!
There is no need to talk about personnel adaptation with the help of this HR “manager”. Instead of a gentle introduction to the work of the staff and transfer to a direct manager, this elderly lady treats specialists, especially those under 30 years old, with constant nagging, negative remarks, “sat down wrong, stood up wrong, greeted wrong, closed the door wrong.” . It feels like she is not an HR manager, but an old woman on a bench who sees only “drug addicts and prostitutes” around, forgetting to think that the problems and all this dirt are in HER HEAD.
For as long as I worked at Katren, my circle of friends at work was varied - both sales managers and accountants... The opinion regarding the management and administrative staff is unanimous. There is no respect for such “managers”; if anyone still works at Katren, it is because they pay off loans or are accustomed to such an attitude.
4) Also, from a friend of mine in a warehouse, I am adding to my message: constant overtime and lack of adequate rest for general workers and warehouse workers. There are cameras everywhere, surveillance, control for how many minutes you go to the toilet! The management simply wipes their feet on the staff, they don’t care that you sleep 3-4 hours a day after your shift, get up and go to shift again! They have an order, and it must be done, but how you will then run to doctors, trying to restore your damaged health - they don’t care.
Thus, the attitude towards the staff is disgusting, during my work I have repeatedly seen situations where people were hired, waving the idea “how our Quatrain is super, and what a nonentity you are, you should bow to our feet that we hired you!!” Then they simply squeezed all the juice out of people, forcing them to work 12 hours a day instead of the required 8, to go out on weekends (without pay), and when a person tried to restore the established work regime and demanded respect for his legitimate interests, he received ridicule and screams, dirt, insults, threats!!
I have 2 people with me. they quit there after they were publicly slandered and insulted by their manager, and it wasn’t the watchmen or loaders who quit, but my colleagues, sales managers and office employees!!
I do not advise ANYONE to go to work at Katren - ZAO NPK KATREN, branch in St. Petersburg!!
Save your nerves. You will definitely get dirty with this bunch and either become the same bastard exploiter of people, or you will leave after wasting a lot of nerves.
So, friends, it’s time to tell about “Quatrain” as it is, so to speak, time to collect stones.
I did not work in this company for long in a managerial position (in the sales department), but I examined the entire “iceberg” in its entirety.
Road: the Moscow office is located about 10 km from the Moscow Ring Road along the Leningradskoye Shosse, if you are by car, prepare for traffic jams of 40-70 minutes one way every day (although you can try to go around Moscow-St. Petersburg). There is corporate transport (minibus) from Khimki station, but you will be at the office later than 9.00 (they don’t do anything for being late). To go back on your own, you need to leave before 18.00. In any case, getting there is not very convenient
Collective: matriarchy, a very influential findir (one should be afraid of her!), as well as heads of departments who are engaged in intrigues instead of work (they can hire anyone and fire them on the same day, no one cares at TK). The branch director often invents new financial schemes, so be prepared for the fact that what you agreed on with the client yesterday does not concern ANYONE today. There are a lot of female managers whose competencies leave much to be desired; their job essentially consists of calling the base every day and telling them about new conditions, demanding accounts receivable (and there is always one, the market works on credit), and placing orders. There are no sales people there and if you go there to improve your skills, think twice. And yes, sycophancy and snitching flourish, people group in groups and survive. There is a plan to go around the territory, but no one discusses the trips themselves, you can talk about the weather, the main thing is that the pharmacy takes it and pays. There is a fine for the receivable (as if you are a collector). The CRM is primitive (a shame in general!), there is no training or mentoring (you can spin as you please, you’ll move in for a couple of months and go around asking everyone how and what to do, believe me - it’s still a pleasure), ordering stationery is extremely difficult (findir thinks there’s no need the manager needs extra things, just a pen and a notepad), incl. get ready to buy with your own money. There is an auditorium for eating, refrigerators, coolers, and a coffee machine. Min. lunch in the nearest canteens - from 250 rubles, on foot - 10 minutes (there is an hour for lunch). They give you a SIM card, but the handset is hello 90s, use yours better. Issues are resolved for a long time, all through prayers and going through agony, there are no procedures as such, it is necessary to “establish connections.” Returns may be refused without adequate explanation; you will cover it with your profit if the client is dear. Agency - through a crooked card scheme or trips for cosmic money (Egypt will cost about 150k per person (for clients)). There is a suspicion that someone is taking the difference for themselves. Clients are also deceived, not everyone is aware of the coefficients... Prices are on average 3-4th in Moscow, many things can be found cheaper. But - a good assortment, probably the largest, due to which they occupy their place. Apteka.ru is a good project, but it brings little to the company except PR. Managers are not paid for calling, pure altruism for the glory of the company!
Payment: the plan is drawn in such a way that the lucky few receive a bonus. For example: the new plan may contain requirements to increase both margin and turnover. But between us things are mutually exclusive. But who cares, because at the top there is a mathematical genius who does not want to pay bonuses (salary - 45-50k, don’t expect more). There is no payment for fuel and lubricants. Processing is the same.
Logistics: in the warehouse, orders are formed in a semi-automatic mode, drugs are often simply dumped in boxes, including returns from customers - the norm of life. Drivers are also often rotated, they can easily not get to the client, and they really won’t give a fuck, and you will call and apologize. Customers can order goods from about 5-6 companies, the transition is very easy. No one is afraid of or listens to managers in Katren; each department is on its own. To work, you need to be friends with everyone, lick the bottom, flatter, hang out in smoking rooms and discuss all sorts of nonsense with an interested person. The company values only old employees, there is no place for newcomers, turnover is quite high, the company believes that everyone should bow to it, including clients (they are also not valued, but they are forced to hire in Katrena because there is a high shortage).
What's the result? Do you want to earn fairly average money in the market, dream of a bonus, engage in self-education for a long time, master the science of intrigue and flattery, make 100-200 outgoing information messages (a la telemarketer), live one day at a time (because tomorrow you could simply be fired because you dared to express your opinion), spend several hours on the road? Then - welcome.
PS. To be fair, the pharmaceutical market in general is like this, everyone knocks out accounts receivable, everyone grazes in pharmacies with “mariivannas”, and tomorrow they are “thrown away” and so on many times. And honestly, there are worse sewers than Katrena, so if you get used to it, you can probably work here too. But you will have to become a different person, to kill the person in yourself, more precisely.
Katren is a nationwide company that meets the needs of pharmacies for medicines and medical supplies. The company was founded in 1993. The company is one of the three largest leaders in the pharmaceutical market Russian Federation according to such an indicator as the volume of gross sales. Katren ranks 2nd in direct supplies of goods (this also includes preferential provision of medicines). The company has 43 thousand delivery points in 82 cities of the Russian Federation. The company's branch network includes 28 representative offices. The company has a large online pharmacy Katren. Square storage facilities reaches 89 thousand sq. m. The number of personnel in 2012 totaled 2,695 employees. The company provides a wide range of deliveries at minimal cost on time.
In 2001, the company launched Winprice, an electronic ordering program. In 2009, the company's turnover amounted to $2.13 billion. In 2007, the company implemented the following projects: “All Our Children”, “Legal Protection”, “ Social project", "Gallery of Hearts". The company supports the charity program “Medicines for Orphans”. In 2003. the company received the status of a national distributor of medical products. Katren also publishes a corporate newspaper.
I can’t even imagine what to grab hold of. Maybe it’s good that they clean their premises quite often? Although AHO, represented by one boss and a bunch of cleaners and Tajik workers, can barely cope with the flow of work.
I would like to immediately say this to those who suddenly decide to go there for work positions. Although they are unlikely to read the Internet, but still. Guys! Have you ever worked 12 hours a night and didn't have a chance to drink or eat? Come on, eat, smoke? If you want to try, go for it. I guarantee that you will run around like an electric broom and forget about yourself. You will develop a feeling of constant guilt, but you will firmly believe that just a little more and... you will be given a bonus or increased for your work.
Don't be naive! All your efforts to stand out, prove yourself, work and get more will periodically be reduced to “no” by coefficients and production standards :) You definitely won’t be able to win this race with numbers. Your task is to work for the idea and give all your best until you lose consciousness.
A small example: people have repeatedly complained that they have no time to spend at home, only to recuperate between “shifts.”
Now about those who occupy higher positions, up to department heads. We can be happy for you! You almost don’t have to rush around the warehouse with boxes, and you’ll get more hard workers. But! Everything else will remain the same - the race against numbers, working for an idea, a developed sense of guilt (well, and the opportunity to always cut your salary) are guaranteed to you. Constant humiliation from management to fuel this feeling of guilt is also guaranteed. Your torment will be long, because... probably a craving for a good record in the labor market leadership position will overpower all your human morals. However, the “moral” ones do not linger there.
Those who give a good rating to the team here mean those people who, like himself, accidentally ended up in the company and did not have time to turn into spineless robots.
If you are “lucky” and have taken a major position (not just the head of some department department), then you will most likely find yourself close to “secret” information and will not be bullied. You will spread rot yourself :)
In conclusion, I can say - when making a decision, between the salary (promised haha:) they will change your motivation - no doubt about it) and the atmosphere, calculate how strong you are to endure humiliation in various forms(reduced salary; rudeness; huge workload created specifically so that you don’t have time anywhere; lack of any equipment for work, time to eat, etc.) you can take a risk and get a job here :))
