In e-commerce, everything revolves around speed and precision, especially when it comes to logistics. Until recently, at Distrilink, we manually sent out our purchase orders, but as we scale up, it’s gradually becoming impossible to perform this task manually.
With thousands of SKUs across more than 20 channels in our Distrilink Acceleration Platform, we were looking for a logistics partner to guide us in the quest for more automation through AI and big data. Say hello to Optiply!
From hands-full to hands-free
In the past, we created our purchase orders at Distrilink using Excel files. Based on these spreadsheets, we manually added the POs to our Distrilink Acceleration Platform to then send them to our customers.
It was a labor-intensive process where we analyzed brand by brand, product by product, to see if we still had enough stock on our products. Calculating how much inventory to purchase was mainly based on the sales of the past 30 days. Taking into account additional factors such as promotional periods, seasonal influences, or the logistical requirements of our customers was a significant challenge and required a lot of manual work.
That’s why we sought out a logistics partner to scale our business, automate more, minimize the chance of manual errors, and work more data-driven. In our search, we came across Optiply, the Dutch pioneer in data-driven procurement and inventory management solutions with more than 500+ satisfied customers worldwide.
Optiply: a revolution in procurement
By implementing Optiply, we are working more data-driven and utilizing advanced algorithms. The underlying AI automatically takes into account various factors, such as sales history, competition, promotional periods, and a brand new ‘ABC classification’. Previously, it was difficult for us to distinguish between a bestseller and a ‘flash in the pan’, but thanks to this classification, we can ensure that our A-products (topsellers) remain in stock.
Because Optiply automatically sends out POs, we can now work largely hands-free. The software will monitor whether deliveries are made on time. For each customer, we can set their specific requirements, which makes Optiply really flexible.
Beautiful in its simplicity
The result? We rely less on guesswork and save a lot of time. Thanks to Optiply, our business is much more predictable and scalable. Since our integration, we’ve been sending out our POs twice as fast and have more accurate inventory forecasts, which has a positive impact on sales.
Optiply was the crucial link in our logistics workflow. After opening our warehouse last year, it’s important to remain agile and innovate in the ever-changing industry. We chose Optiply because it stands out for its user-friendly interface. Furthermore, Optiply is locally anchored in the Benelux; we enjoy joining forces with our neighbors.
With this new innovation, Distrilink takes a significant step towards our big dream: hands-free, data-driven e-commerce.
Interested in joining this story? Contact Distrilink, and together we’ll explore what we can do for your brand.
