Supplier Onboarding, A Start-Up Retailer’s Story

As a start-up retailer, PetCulture knew the importance of purchase order automation and a streamlined order replenishment process. Automation was the answer. Through supplier onboarding using SPS Commerce Community, PetCulture boosted efficiencies and focused on growing the business.

Pet Culture
  • Company Type:
    Retailer
  •  Industry:
    Pet Food & Supplies
  • Headquarters:
    Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
  • SPS Solution:
    SPS Commerce Community

PetCulture is a joint venture start-up between Woolworths and PetSure, whose vision is to create the most rewarding relationship between pets and their pet parents. To achieve this goal, they need to focus on their customers and provide a superior online customer experience where shoppers can find and buy the latest pet toys, accessories and food. Behind the scenes, this experience requires supplier onboarding to ensure inventory is available and orders can be fulfilled quickly.

According to PetCulture’s Chief eCommerce Officer, Chris Cheung, “The supply chain’s a critical part of our business. If products are out of stock, it causes a massive disappointment to customers, and they’ll happily switch and shop elsewhere.”

Understanding the start-up retailer’s business

PetCulture selected the SPS Commerce Community program to provide the structure and resources needed to onboard their supplier community onto EDI. Flexibility was essential. As a start-up business, PetCulture was learning and growing quickly. They needed a partner with the tools, expertise and dashboards to run the program on their behalf. As the industry leader, SPS was well-equipped to deliver and was chosen by PetCulture.

Cheung explained, “SPS helped us improve our efficiencies in terms of ordering and understanding the order profiles of our products very quickly. SPS was very flexible and very agile in the ways of working.”

Launching an supplier onboarding program in just 12 weeks

PetCulture needed to move fast with its supplier onboarding program. They knew the value of purchase order automation: by partnering with a proven leader in SPS, the retailer could act quickly. SPS provided the proven process and staff to work alongside PetCulture and its vendors to make the connections that would provide better visibility and order management across their supply chain.

From vendor communications to dedicated supplier onboarding specialists familiar with PetCulture and its EDI requirements, SPS led the program from end to end and achieved an initial compliance rate of 85 percent, with more suppliers onboarding soon.

“With SPS, we’re able to launch within 12 weeks, which is really awesome for PetCulture and our supplier partners. As we got to know SPS more and more, we definitely found the team very personable and very easy to work with. They really were a partner for us in EDI.”
– Chris Cheung, Chief eCommerce Officer, PetCulture

The Interviewee:

Chris Cheung, Chief eCommerce Officer, PetCulture

The Challenge:

Deliver a superior online shopping experience by confidently offering innovative products that are in stock and ship fast.

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The Solution:

SPS Commerce Community

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The Results:

EDI compliance with 85% of suppliers and an supplier onboarding process to bring on new vendors within 48 hours.

“We really enjoyed working together as a team [with SPS] to get our suppliers on board. SPS helped us get to that 85% compliance mark with our suppliers, and without their help, we wouldn’t have gotten there.”

– Chris Cheung, Chief eCommerce Officer, PetCulture

Is your supplier onboarding taking too long and underperforming? If so, it’s time for SPS.

Sign up here to learn more about how SPS Community can help your retail business and make working with your suppliers easier.

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