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BlueBridge One From wholesale to multi-

channel: lessons to learn on the journey to growth

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Enabling transitions in business growth

§  Is your wholesale distribution business ready to go multi-channel?

§  Unsure as to how you can reach new customer and territories, and create a cohesive brand experience online and offline?

§  Are your current systems struggling to support the growth of your business?

§  ERP solutions can automate your end-to-end business processes, helping you to scale your business towards multi-channel and keep up in an increasingly digital world

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Distributors who are ready for growth

Is your business ready to expand from pure-play distribution to multi-channel selling?

§  You’re looking to reach new audiences and territories

§  You feel ready to launch your own branded products and sell B2C

§  A priority is to fulfil customer expectations of a cohesive customer experience that flows from online to in-store 

§  B2B wholesale custom has flourished, with increased demand for stock and new products

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The journey to multi-channel

Steps on the path from wholesale distributor to multi-channel business:

§  Wholesale distributor sells products to B2B customers from a single location

§  Increase in B2B customers call for introduction of ecommerce portal and additional warehouse space

§  Business begins selling directly to B2C customers via ecommerce, using their own website and third party market places such as Etsy and Amazon

§  Concessions may be opened in the stores of other larger name brands

§  When demand for products increases, the brand may decide to open their own bricks and mortar stores, progressing into new locations as and when successful

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Providing a cohesive customer experience

Selling through multiple outlets requires a cohesive approach:

§  Digitally savvy customers expect to see a seamless continuation of brand messages and integrated campaigns across ecommerce, social media and in-store platforms

§  Reaching customers through multiple outlets and channels brings unlimited possibilities for brand communications 

§  Increased opportunities for collecting customer information and capturing marketing data

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Challenges of multi-channel growth

Expanding from wholesale distribution to multi-channel selling brings challenges as your business grows:

§  Increased order volumes and demand for stock requires improved inventory management and logistics

§  Administrative processes, existing systems and manual procedures come under strain and need to be upgraded

§  Disparate and duplicate customer data may be obtained from multiple sources

§  Tax compliance obligations from trading in various territories globally

§  Lack of real-time visibility

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Solutions with business management software

Integrate business systems and streamline redundant processes:

§  Automating processes helps you to scale quicker

§  Manage, centralise and standardise processes across multiple locations

§  A single business management system can support ERP, CRM, ecommerce and EPOS operations and provide real-time visibility

§  Implement a system that supports multi-currency trading and oversees tax compliance

§  Intelligent order processing from multiple channels

§  Collate customer data across sales channels and have it all available it one system

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Summary

§  As you grow towards multi-channel operating, an ERP system will ensure your processes are able to cope with increased demand and expansion

§  The key to success is understanding how your business needs might change as you expand into multi-channel selling, and investing in a solution capable of embracing that evolution

§  Working with an expert partner that has extensive experience managing ERP implementations in your sector can greatly reduce risk and enhance the end result

§  That partner can also help you further down the line, as ERP ROI is about constantly developing the way the solution works for your organisation

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Why BlueBridge One? §  Most experienced NetSuite integrator operating across the UK

and EMEA

§  Award winning NetSuite solutions for multichannel distribution

§  Wealth of organisational knowledge for developing Wholesale Distribution solutions

§  Provide business solutions to 350+ growing and mid-size companies

§  Customer deployments range from 2 to 100+ NetSuite users

§  Committed to delivering value and developing enduring partnerships

§  Rapid deployment to ensure fastest time to recoup ROI

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Full white paper

§  Download the full white paper: From wholesale to multi-channel; lessons to learn on the journey to growth.

§  http://www.bluebridgeone.com/s.nl/it.I/id.148/.f

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BlueBridge One www.bluebridgeone.com