Logistics giant UPS urgently needed a B2B ecommerce portal to streamline European distribution of pharmaceutical products to 15,000 customers daily. To meet the strict requirements of the pharmaceutical sector they needed high-level functionality straight out of the box.
They were looking for a managed service that could seamlessly integrate with their own distribution systems. To meet increasing demand the solution also needed to be flexible and scalable.
UPS wanted to work with an experienced partner who could respond quickly and deliver outstanding ecommerce performance. The Cloudfy Enterprise solution was chosen because of the team’s pharmaceutical industry experience and ability to deliver quickly and effectively.
Products
Solution: B2B ecommerce
Integration: ERP and WMS
Features: Billing and credit control
The Challenge
Operating in an increasingly complex environment, UPS works in partnership with healthcare providers and life science companies. The aim is to continuously improve and optimize the supply chain to deliver better performance and maintain compliance.
The top priority was to launch a new online self-service site in less than 8 weeks. Customers of all sizes needed to place their orders online or via direct integration with their procurement systems and processes. With significant traffic and growing order volumes a flexible and scalable solution was needed.
Our Approach
To understand the needs of so many stakeholders the Cloudfy team led a discovery process. This created a shared understanding of data flows, integration requirements and user experience (UX) needs. Once this was complete a dedicated project team started work, alongside key customer representatives and stakeholders.
Drawing on expertise within both organizations an agile project approach supported a rapid development phase for data and systems integration. It was essential to maintain flexibility to achieve the demanding delivery schedule.
Strong collaboration throughout ensured effective beta testing, pre-launch and go-live processes. The Cloudfy team also supported customer on-boarding for both the B2B ecommerce portal and direct order integration. This remained in place throughout the first three months to make sure everything ran smoothly.
UPS now has a one-stop solution for its clinical and pharmaceutical shipments. The new B2B ecommerce portal provides secure logins so customers can quickly and easily place orders and reorder. It’s easy to check inventory levels and integration with UPS global distribution systems supports automated shipping.
For larger customers customized interfaces, AS2 EDI, and XML support direct ordering. Integration between Cloudfy and back-office billing and management systems provides end-to-end support for customer service and credit control.
Cloudfy has continued working closely with UPS to add extra features and launch the platform in other parts of the world.
“Cloudfy delivered their B2B Ecommerce platform fully integrated with our global distribution systems in under 8 weeks.”
ERP and WMS integration
B2B ecommerce-ERP integration provides a single solution to streamline business operations, improve efficiency and enhance customer experiences. The Cloudfy Enterprise team understands that systems integration is complex. That’s why we handle the setup and ongoing maintenance. When a fast turnaround is needed Cloudfy’s pre-built connectors for leading business systems simplify the process. For customized requirements there’s also a powerful application programming interface (API). A fast and efficient process leaves our customers free to focus on improving customer service.
Add warehouse management system (WMS) integration and they can also keep track of all their inventory. From order capture to fulfillment customers and in-house teams have a complete view of what’s happening in near real time. The key to success is effective data sharing and a deep understanding of business processes and requirements.
Cloudfy comes with out-of-the-box WMS integration that can handle the most complex warehousing tables. A single connector saves time and money; you’ll reduce manual data entry errors and improve order fulfillment accuracy. Multi-warehousing functionality simplifies inventory control across all locations and integrates with ERP and WMS systems. It’s ideal for efficient management of multiple physical, virtual, and mobile warehousing locations and ecommerce sites.
Results
Cloudfy delivered all the key project objectives in just eight weeks. The new B2B ecommerce portal has grown to keep pace with increasing demand. Every day thousands of customers use online self-service to place new orders and reorder key pharmaceutical products.
Find out how you can simplify and streamline your pharmaceutical distribution operations with online customer self-service. Schedule your complimentary Cloudfy demonstration today.
If you’re seeking an enterprise grade B2B ecommerce software for your distribution business, contact us now to schedule your complimentary Cloudfy demo.
