How to cut costs out of B2B delivery process?

How to sell more, provide better service and cut costs at the same time? Office Supplies are usually remembered when we run out of them. It's easy to expect that they are always on hand. But how do we achieve this in practice? ExtraLux, one of Slovenia's largest office supply retailers, came up with the idea of supplying customers with supplies on a stock basis, charging only for actual usage. But such a plan is only feasible with the right IT support. They entrusted the task to Creatim.

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The Challenge

Usually, we only think about office supplies if we run out of them. They are simply a commodity that is expected to always be within reach. And we get frustrated if this is not the case, even if we forgot to order them.
On the flip side, coping with urgent orders and an erratic delivery schedule has always been a strain for office suppliers. Nevertheless, a B2B office supplier Extralux was determined to pull the costs out of the supply process.

Diagram showing the supply management process at ExtraLux

The company’s new business model would offer its customers an optimized inventory at their locations, refilling them regularly and charging only for materials that have been used.
For this plan to come to light, Extralux needed a tailored e-commerce system they dubbed “Birolux.” They asked Creatim to frame the future solution.

The Solution

Creatim first carved out all user flows needed to enable Extralux customers to manage their personalized list of office supplies.

The pivotal element of user experience was a web application designed for customers to report their monthly consumption, which was the basis for automatic invoicing. Creatim’s UX designers made sure it was simple and easy to use so that customers would embrace it. The system would alert an ExtraLux representative to come by periodically and restocks the inventory.

In the meantime, the development team set up the technical framework. They built the solution on Sylius, an e-commerce platform designed for the development of bespoke e-commerce models. In the Extralux case, the solution comprises

a B2B online store with customer-specific catalogs and pricing, personalized promotions, and the assisted-selling module
Birolux application streaming a consigned inventory, jointly managed by Extralux and its most trustful B2B customers.

The solution automates the B2B selling process, from order to contract management, and provides both supplier and customer with better consumption control.

Results

Extralux’s customers are satisfied since they never run out of stock again. On the flip side, the company saves massively on delivery costs and customer service. It wins tenders frequently because of its advantage on the delivery terms; their order-to-delivery time is basically zero.

Screenshot of the ExtraLux webshop

With the new solution, our client can:

optimize the inventory and the delivery process
win new customers because of competitive delivery costs
leverage a single view of its customers, inventories, and orders
drive brand recognition and reputation

The solution is managed and hosted by Creatim, so Extralux can keep the costs under control while the company’s sales force can focus on areas where human creativity is indispensable.

Ready to cut costs out of your supply chain?

If you frequently supply goods to your clients, you might consider the distributed inventory model. Contact us today to learn how Creatim can help you optimize your delivery process.