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A New Trading System for Artisan Producers
As a new ordering system it eliminates many of the costs associated with the traditional wholesale process and increases the quality, range and volume of products available to retailers and consumers.
The Founder of ‘Angel’, David Mack saw the need to develop a ‘fairer, more equitable and cost effective system’ that would enable retailers to locate, select and place orders directly for artisan products in one single ‘marketplace’.
A Clear Vision Of What Was Needed
David had consulted widely with both artisan producers and retailers to understand the difficulties with the traditional ordering process. They recognised that a ‘failsafe’ technical framework was needed to simplify the ordering process, reduce margins for error and costs involved in an unnecessarily complex administrative and shipping process.
They saw an opportunity to set up a triangular communication system or trading platform on which producers could place products at a transparent, flat rate administrative fee. Retailers could then order a full range of products directly from the platform without charge and increase their scope to drive sales through reduced delivery times and access to a wider range of products.
The challenge was to create a platform that was easy and intuitive to use as well as secure and durable with inbuilt flexibility to accommodate growth in the future.
Evergreen, The Obvious Choice
David recognised that an in-depth technical knowledge was required to set up the trading system that would work effectively both initially and into the longer term. He already knew the Evergreen team and had been impressed by ‘their professionalism, business knowledge and level of technical expertise’. He felt they were ideally placed to create the online ordering and administrative system which would enable retailers to;
- Discover artisan producers from across the UK quickly and easily at any given time
- Place orders directly with producers to maximize cost efficiency
- Gain the advantage of sourcing products with the best possible ‘shelf life’ by eliminating intermediary warehousing requirements
- Reduce administration time and costs through an invoicing system that generates one single invoice for all transactions
Efficient Project Management
The team at Evergreen were presented with a detailed specification which enabled them to quickly present a development proposal, costings and time-frames. Within the week the schedule of work was agreed and the project commenced shortly afterwards, led by Project Manager, Luke Pearce.
Full engagement and communication between Evergreen and the client throughout the project meant that in just 6 months the new platform was completed, tested and ready to launch to the full satisfaction of all concerned.
Since launching in January 2017, over 100 retailers have registered to use the system free of charge and it has more than 1000 available products on it with the numbers growing daily.
The Ingredients For Success
A number of key factors contributed to the success of this project.
- A clear business vision and good understanding of the problems faced by the market the software was aiming to serve
- A deep understanding of how technology and software could be used to create an effective system that would solve the problems faced
- A flexible approach to problem solving backed up with strong communication, co-operation and commitment by both parties throughout the process
And for your project?
For more information about improving your processes by creating a bespoke system, get in touch with the Evergreen team. Whether you have a clear vision of what you need, as with Fine Food Angel, or need some help to fully understand how it might work for you, they are on hand to provide guidance and technical support.
