The challenge: a large catalogue and a traditional workflow
Intertrade Auto is an automotive parts distributor with more than 8,000 SKUs. Product information was not consistently organised for e-commerce, and barcode information was not always available. Bringing the full catalogue online within three months required a process the existing staff could use.
Sales catalogues and price lists were handled through paper, WhatsApp, phone calls and verbal conversations. Information was scattered across these channels, making it difficult to maintain a clear view of products, pricing and sales activity.
A staff-friendly portal for product entry
Digital Seed developed a custom portal designed around the staff’s day-to-day workflow. OCR-assisted data capture helped staff read product information from parts and their markings, supporting catalogue entry even where barcode information was incomplete. Staff could then publish products online through their own portal.
Custom catalogues with tailored pricing
We built software that lets the sales team select parts and create a custom catalogue with prices tailored to their sales requirements. This gave them a structured way to prepare catalogues and price lists for vendors, replacing a process that had relied on manual preparation and conversations.
Clearer oversight through an admin dashboard
The admin dashboard brought product and sales information into a shared online system. The owner gained clearer visibility into stock on hand, consignment products and payment status, including overdue payments. This supported decisions based on recorded information rather than scattered messages and verbal updates.
Chatbot enquiries and the payment workflow
The chatbot supports enquiries and the invoice payment-collection workflow. Payment links are currently handled manually; automated payment-link generation is not part of the completed implementation described here.
The result: over 8,000 SKUs online within three months
The full catalogue of more than 8,000 SKUs was published online within three months. Alongside that catalogue, the business gained tools for creating tailored sales material and a clearer view of its operations through the admin dashboard.
Planned next phase: payment links with human oversight
A future phase will automate payment links using supplier-defined rates and credit terms, with human oversight of sensitive pricing decisions. Those terms need to account for raw-material prices and supply-and-demand conditions. This remains planned functionality, separate from the delivered results above.