This is the story of how a local and online coffee roastery shop managed to overcome several intricate operational challenges. From capturing real-time customer feedback, and handling complex operational tasks, to processing increasing order volumes – the escalating manual processes were beginning to dampen their efficiency and customer relationships. In this article, we will examine how and which automation solutions were used to blend this coffee roastery’s traditional values with progressive innovations and explore real-world examples of automation that delivered tangible results.
About the Client
Blu.Coffee, based out of Cluj, is a high-quality roasting company, launched in 2018. As a committed purveyor of specialty coffee, the brand has been continuously raising the bar in the industry through its unwavering dedication to quality and innovation.
The Challenge
Despite Blu.Coffee's promising journey and growth, they still experienced significant bottlenecks. As the business expanded, and experienced the necessity to enhance service and build customer relationships, they were confronted with the intricacies of capturing real-time customer feedback and reviews, as well as monthly retargeting the customers who had stopped ordering.
Additionally, processing orders promptly and maintaining real-time status updates became more demanding with the growing business volume.
Complications also arose in managing sales and booking invoices, generating weekly reports, and handling regulatory paperwork.
Manual errors in order processing, invoicing, and delivery were becoming more frequent and needed to be mitigated.
Lastly, the manual process of updating customers about their order delivery status needed streamlining for better efficiency and customer satisfaction.
The Solution
These labour-intensive tasks required automation for improved effectiveness and reduced employee costs.
Therefore, makeitfuture utilized strategic automation planning to resolve the following challenges:
Assessment and Goal Setting
Our first step was a thorough analysis of Blu.Coffee's existing operational systems and processes. Understanding their unique challenges facilitated the definition of goals aimed at enhancing efficiency, reducing manual errors, and improving customer engagement.
Identification of Automation Opportunities
We pinpointed areas that would significantly benefit from automation, such as customer retargeting, order processing, invoicing, reporting, regulatory paperwork management, and delivery notifications.
Selection of Automation Tools and Technologies
We selected Make.com for its advanced automation capabilities and integration with existing systems such as Shopify, Trello, HubSpot CRM, Oblio, Google Sheets, and Google Data Studio were also part of the solution.
Integration with Existing Systems
We seamlessly integrated Make.com with Blu.Coffee's existing systems, and created a personalized ERP system that combined market-leading solutions into a cohesive platform.
Employee Training and Change Management
Our solution included comprehensive training for Blu.Coffee’s staff on the new system and robust change management to ensure a smooth transition.
Results
Post integration, Blu.Coffee saw dramatic improvements in its operations.
- Real-time order status updates became possible, improving transparency and customer trust. The integration of systems enabled automatic retargeting, increasing customer retention by 54%.
- The system also allowed for automatic SMS or email sequences to keep customers updated, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction.
- Feedback and reviews were used innovatively for social media postings, boosting online visibility and engagement.
- Lastly, the automation reduced manual work by 90%, allowing the Blu.Coffee team to focus on growth-oriented strategies.
Examples of automation used
Automatic Synchronization of Orders to Trello Board
We enabled the automatic synchronization of new orders into a Trello board. Each Trello card contained vital details like order quantity, products, and packing procedure. This provided an intuitive, visual way to track and manage orders, enhancing the efficiency of the order processing team. It also reduced the potential for manual errors and improved overall order fulfillment speed, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction.
Automation of Orders, Customer Information, and Communication to HubSpot CRM
All order data and customer communications were automated to flow into HubSpot CRM. This provided a real-time view of customer data, order history, and communication trails. The CRM could classify customers into various groups for targeted retargeting through SMS and email campaigns. The benefits were multifold: improved visibility into customer interactions, more effective marketing and retargeting strategies, and better customer relationship management overall.
Automation of Delivery Notices and Invoices
We automated the generation and dispatch of delivery notices and invoices, which were sent via SMS to customers. This provided real-time updates to customers and allowed them to track packages live, enhancing customer experience. It also eliminated manual mistakes in this process, ensuring accurate and timely communication.
Automation of Incoming Invoices
We also automated the processing of incoming invoices. This included automatic stock deduction, invoice checking, and consolidation of weekly invoices. This process, which previously took 1-2 days of manual work, was reduced to a matter of minutes. Apart from significantly freeing up staff time for more valuable tasks, this automation also minimized the risk of errors in invoice processing and improved inventory management.
Conclusion
Understanding the gravity of Blu.Coffee's challenges, Makeitfuture didn't just aim to automate; we sought to innovate. From initial assessments to integrating top-tier automation tools like Make.com with existing systems, we devised a holistic approach. Our prime focus? To reduce manual interventions, enhance customer engagement, and propel Blu.Coffee into their next phase of growth.
The company now has a personalized ERP system that brings together best-in-class solutions and delivers substantial operational efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced business growth potential.
Welcome to the future of no-code and AI-driven automation solutions – where challenges are merely opportunities waiting to be leveraged.
