How a trusted dental product distributor migrated to Sana to grow their business

    Intro

    Trusted dental product distributor

    Founded in 2008, this California-based dental product distributor migrated from the high-cost k-eCommerce solution to a natively ERP-integrated web store powered by Sana to support B2B and B2C sales.

    • Family-owned and operated business run by dental professionals for dental professionals
    • Direct sourcing strategies offer high-quality dental products at low prices
    • Long-term relationships with B2B customers driven by in-depth knowledge of the dental industry
    • Plans to expand into the B2C space with a robust e-commerce solution
    Dental products in a dentist office

    The goal

    k-eCommerce platform drove up costs and hindered growth

    The company planned to expand its business to serve both B2B and B2C customers and needed a robust B2X e-commerce solution that would meet various requirements. It was looking for a solution that could handle the high volume and complexity of B2B sales while offering the marketing capabilities and modern user experience that was needed to serve its B2C customers.

    Meanwhile, the company had to navigate internal resource constraints. With only five sales reps and growing challenges in employee retention, it needed advanced automation functionalities to support inbound sales, recurring orders, and customer account management so it could deliver a modern customer experience with fewer resources.
    man pointing at an image of growth achieved through e-commerce

    The company used k-eCommerce to run its online store. But the cumbersome user experience made buying online a hassle, and customers would call the sales reps to place their orders, which had to be manually entered into the ERP system. The heavy inbound lead flow from existing customers exacerbated the resource strain while impacting operational cost-efficiency.

    That wasn’t the only frustration the company had with k-eCommerce. The platform needed a lot of custom development. Adding a feature was not only costly but also required a lengthy set-up process. It would take five days to obtain a scope for a small project, making it challenging to stay nimble in today’s marketplace. Furthermore, customer support was lacking, and the unresponsiveness was hindering the company’s ability to grow its business.

    The solution

    Robust out-of-the-box features shorten time to value

    While the dental product distributor evaluated other e-commerce platforms, most solutions on the market could only meet either their B2B or B2C requirements. Shopify was a good solution for B2C sales but couldn’t support the growth potential on the B2B side.

    The company decided to implement Sana Commerce Cloud, an ERP-integrated e-commerce solution that streamlines the ordering process while delivering an outstanding shopping experience to both B2B and B2C customers. The deployment took about six months and went smoothly.

    The user-friendly interface and improved purchasing experience made it easy for customers to place their orders online. Without needing to handle a large volume of inbound sales, the sales team had more time to pursue outbound leads and grow its pipeline. Meanwhile, sales reps could take on a proactive and consultative role to build customer relationships instead of spending their time keying in orders and handling transactions.

    Sana’s advanced out-of-the-box functionalities meant that the company didn’t have to spend time and money developing custom features. The entire implementation process was more affordable than anticipated. The company also received the support and partnership needed for long-term growth.

    Webstore showing a woman at the dentist and dental products

    The results

    Automation drives rapid growth and e-Commerce maturity

    ERP integration has enabled the company to create a single source of truth for its product data, eliminate system silos, simplify complex processes, and accelerate its growth. Meanwhile, robust automation capabilities have helped it overcome resource constraints. Customers can easily find their account data and manage recurring purchases online, freeing up the sales team to focus on growth opportunities and nurturing customer relationships.

    Sana is more than a technology vendor for this dental product distributor—it’s the business partner the company needs to grow its e-commerce maturity and venture into the B2C space with success. With the support of Sana Commerce Cloud (SCC), it plans to expand its catalog to include 6,500 unique products.

    Now that the company has successfully rolled out its first online store, it’s gearing up to launch multiple brands powered by a single ERP and leverage automation technology to drive growth.

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