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ChannelApe > Case Studies > Implementing Direct-to-Consumer Initiative for PharmaCare US
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Implementing Direct-to-Consumer Initiative for PharmaCare US

Technology Category
  • Functional Applications - Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
Applicable Industries
  • Consumer Goods
  • Healthcare & Hospitals
Applicable Functions
  • Procurement
  • Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases
  • Last Mile Delivery
  • Picking, Sorting & Positioning
The Challenge

PharmaCare US, a subsidiary of PharmaCare Australia, was faced with the challenge of implementing a direct-to-consumer (B2C) initiative for its Sambucol and Real Health Labs product lines. The task was to transition from sending large quantities of products to retailers like Walmart and Walgreen's (B2B) to sending smaller packages directly to consumers. The company needed to convert customer orders from their multiple Shopify websites into an EDI format and transmit this data via AS2 to their warehouse (3PL). The orders then had to be shipped, and fulfillment data transmitted back to the site, with the customer notified of their order's shipment. This process was expected to occur hundreds of times per day. Additionally, PharmaCare had specific shipping requirements based on the options selected by the customer, which needed to be coordinated with the 3PL.

About The Customer

PharmaCare US is the United States-based subsidiary of PharmaCare Australia, one of the largest Australian Owned Consumer Packaged Goods Companies. The company owns Real Health Laboratories, the Sambucol Brand of cold and flu remedies, and the Skin Doctors brand of skincare products. PharmaCare's products are sold in major retailers such as Walgreen's, Walmart, Vitamin Shoppe, and Amazon. With 10 offices around the world, PharmaCare sells over 29 brands, all with the mission of improving the health and well-being of people everywhere.

The Solution

ChannelApe provided a solution using their pre-built Shopify order management system. This system pulled customer orders from PharmaCare's multiple sites into the ChannelApe platform. Once the orders were in the system, the order data was converted into an EDI format in the form of a 940 X12 document. These orders were then sent over one AS2 pipe to the warehouse for shipment. The shipping strings from Shopify were converted and mapped to the correct service according to PharmaCare's specifications. After the orders were shipped, the 3PL sent back another EDI document, a 945 in X12 format, to ChannelApe. This document was then converted into a format that Shopify could ingest. This process could occur thousands of times per day and scale up as order volume increased. Using ChannelApe's prebuilt Shopify solution and pre-configured Shopify EDI architecture, these integrations were completed in weeks, not months, allowing PharmaCare to customize each piece of the integration to their specific needs.

Operational Impact

  • The solution provided by ChannelApe enabled PharmaCare US to successfully implement their direct-to-consumer initiative. The system not only allowed for the efficient conversion and transmission of order data but also facilitated the coordination of specific shipping requirements with the 3PL. The ability to process thousands of orders per day and scale up as needed ensured that PharmaCare could meet the demands of their B2C initiative. Furthermore, the speed of the integration process allowed PharmaCare to customize each piece of the integration to their specific needs, providing a tailored solution that met their unique business requirements.

Quantitative Benefit

  • The solution can process thousands of orders per day, scaling up as order volume increases.

  • The integration process was completed in weeks, not months, speeding up the implementation process.

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