Fastparts

Discover how Fastparts found an e-commerce platform that fit perfectly with its business model and CRM solution.

  • Distributor of spare parts for tractors and other agricultural machinery
  • Founded by the Scrivener and Krone families in 1962
  • Works with a network of 450 dealers nationwide

30%

online orders

Microsoft Dynamics

NAV ERP

Over 20%

of time saved

The challenge

Tackling the peak periods and out-of-date paper product catalogs

In 2012 Fastpast realized they needed to continue innovating. In their digitization process they faced two challenges:

  • Tackling the peak periods: Prior to the implementation of an e-commerce solution, Fastparts was primarily operating their order process by phone, with dealers calling head office directly and sales representatives manually processing orders. Parts Director Sinead Scrivener explains, “Due to the seasonal nature of agriculture, we encounter our busiest periods between May and September. During this time we were inundated with calls. Customers couldn’t always get through to place orders and we were unable to dispatch products the same day.” In addition, Fastparts was printing product catalogs in-house, which was proving an expensive, time-consuming and ineffective way of marketing new products.
  • Out-of-date paper product catalogs: “The tipping point was when we printed our last catalog in 2012 and it was immediately out of date,” explained Sinead. “Adopting an e-commerce solution was a natural progression. Up until this point we were quite an old-fashioned company, but we realized we needed to move on fairly quickly to protect our future growth.” Having previously trialed two unsuitable retail-based web store platforms, it was crucial for Fastparts to find the right partner and roll out their e-commerce operation.

Challenges with past e-commerce platforms

Fastparts had previously trialed two different web store platforms, but did not get the results they were looking for. It dealt with two problems with other e-commerce platforms:

  • Fastparts had to update its web store’s prices, stock data and discounts every 24 hours.
  • The e-commerce platforms they tested were created specifically for B2C companies. As a result B2B functionalities didn’t work or fit well the web store.

Because of these discouraging trials, Fastparts quickly realized that selecting the right e-commerce provider would be crucial to their online success.

The solution

Sana Commerce ERP-integrated e-commerce

Fastparts opted for Sana’s e-commerce solution because:

  • The e-commerce platform fit perfectly with its business model and CRM solution. Because Sana’s e-commerce platform is specifically tailored to the B2B industry, its features and functionalities fit in perfectly with Fastparts’ business model.
  • The web store could be integrated with its existing ERP platform. Instead of manually updating stock and pricing every 24 hours as Fastparts had done when trialing previous web stores, Sana integrates seamlessly with their Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform and replicates changes instantly, providing a trusted and accurate representation of stock from the ERP. “Our customers are starting to see the benefits of the web store and the convenience of being able to order online whenever they like.” said Sinead.

The results

From zero to CRM, ERP and e-commerce in 5 years

After its web store went live, Fastparts quickly saw results: after only a few months around 30% of orders were already being processed online, and orders are expected to rise into the thousands. Fastparts also experienced the following results:

  • Improved product and pricing visibility: Sana offers sophisticated features for web store administrators to have greater visibility of key information and processes. Using the data already present in the ERP, managers can view product images, create bills of materials and sort products by physical dimension.
  • A solid partnership: Having learned from previous false starts with web stores that the right partner is key, it was important for Fastparts to choose an e-commerce provider who understood their requirements.“Sana just seemed to understand our business model straight away and this was really important to us. We were really happy with the support and the communication; it was very clear who we needed to approach with different queries.”
  • Positive customer feedback: Customer feedback has also been largely positive, especially around the platform’s functionality and ease of use. “Sana has enabled customers and our sales representatives to be more productive and independent. They can access everything they need more quickly and spend less time waiting in phone queues,” says Sinead.

The future

Exploring more data-driven insights and APIs

Fastparts plans to prioritize online orders to incentivize customers to order online and push Sana to its full potential. Fastparts hopes to see all customers using the platform as standard practice. Fastparts other plans are:

  • Gaining more insights from the data of the online orders
  • Explore APIs to extend the functionality of the platform and further tailor it to their requirements.

Do you also sell spare parts and would also like to manage all of your products in one catalog? Discover the benefits of integrated e-commmerce here.

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