Arc E-commerce is both a young e-commerce company and a well-established supplier and retailer of home, leisure and garden items. They have quickly built up a strong position on the European market for just over 10 years by offering high quality products at attractive prices.
The recipe for success? Comprehensive control over the entire value chain. Arc E-commerce eliminates middlemen, focuses on a limited number of products with large volumes and has a cost-effective distribution model with its own comprehensive inventory management. And of course, a smart and powerful TA system powered by Logtrade that made their transport booking 97% more efficient.
In 2019, Arc E-commerce faced a challenge: Their existing TA system, nShift, could not handle or automate the ever-increasing volume of shipments and order peaks during their rapid growth. In addition they needed a smart, robust and scalable logistics solution which could be seamlessly integrated with their new powerful business system, Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
"We had like three people who sat and booked shipments all day. We didn't have time for the manual work anymore, but needed to focus on more important things. We wanted to avoid the stress, the costs and get error-free handling of all shipments - that's what we're talking about!", says Joar Eriksson, Logistics Manager Arc E-commerce.
After a careful evaluation of different vendors, Arc E-commerce chose Logtrade. They were convinced by Logtrade's strong reputation, proven functionality, scalability and seamless integration with their new business system, Microsoft Dynamics NAV. It turned out to be the perfect fit:
Fast and smooth integration: Logtrade was seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Unified system view: The new integration created a unified system view, giving Arc E-commerce better control over its delivery process.
"Logtrade has in a way been a key factor in our growth, the system is easy to use, efficient and has given us the control and flexibility we need to manage our growing business." - Joar Eriksson
Enhanced System Synergy: The two powerful systems, Logtrade and Microsoft Dynamics NAV., could now communicate seamlessly with each other. This led to increased productivity, better decision-making and a more optimized supply chain.
Effective handling of increased volume: The system was able to handle the increased volume of shipments without problems, leading to improved efficiency and lower costs.
"Whether it's Black Friday or the height of the gardening season, Logtrade handles our peak orders without a problem. We've never experienced a difference, and it gives us huge peace of mind knowing that the system always delivers, no matter how busy it gets." - Joar Eriksson
"Imagine that you can book shipments in 3 seconds instead of 120 seconds as we did before in Unifaun. And think how much time and money we have saved in the last 5 years since we switched to Logtrade's TA system! Yes, you can do the math yourself..." - Joar Eriksson
We took Joar’s challenge and actually did the math, and it means saving 97% of the time that was previously placed on the transport booking! Currently Arc E-commerce handles up to 120,000 shipments per year. By switching to Logtrade, they have saved approx. 3 900 hours per year in manual booking time, which corresponds to a potential annual saving of almost SEK 4 million. And under 5 years they potentially have saved almost SEK 20 million (See the full calculation at the bottom).
This streamlining has not only freed up valuable time for staff, who can now focus on more strategic and value-creating activities, but has also generated resources for more fun and innovative projects.
In addition to the streamlined booking process, Arc E-commerce has greatly benefited from a number of Logtrade's smart features. These features have contributed to further optimizing logistics and increasing control and transparency in the following ways:
Notifications: Automatic notifications inform about important events in the shipping process, e.g. delays or problems, resulting in faster response times and better management of any challenges.
Automatic consolidation: Several small shipments can be combined into one larger one, which can lead to lower shipping costs and more efficient transport.
Price question: Compare and find out shipping prices from different carriers to find the most affordable option for each shipment before booking delivery.
Control Tower: Track shipments in real time, get status updates and get an overview of the entire transport flow - everything gathered in one place simplifies decision-making.
Sender Templates: Create and save templates to save time and ensure accurate and consistent information on shipping documents.
It is not only the efficiency, automation and functionality that has delivered, but also Logtrades competent customer service team have always been very helpful and accommodating.
"Despite our small staff, every case is met with immediate and committed problem solving, no matter how diffuse the problem may be. Your quick response, in under 8 hours, and genuinely helpful attitude exceeds all expectations and raises customer service to a whole new level." - Joar Eriksson
The Recommend Solution to Industry Collegues
Arc E-commerce is so satisfied with Logtrade that they warmly recommend it to all their industry colleagues. They consider it the obvious and only choice for TA systems.
"I always recommend Logtrade to all industry colleagues and companies looking for a powerful, flexible and user-friendly TA system. Logtrade is the perfect choice! Our own success with the service clearly demonstrates its value and potential. By asking the right questions and adapting the service to your specific needs, they are also guaranteed to achieve the desired results." - Joar Eriksson
Logtrade's TA system has given Arc E-commerce unprecedented efficiency in its logistics management. They have achieved:
Significant time savings in order processing and inventory control
Improved transparency and control over the entire supply chain
Reduced costs and increased profitability
The Challenge
Existing TA system could not handle increased volume and order peaks.
Manual handling was time consuming and costly.
The system lacked integration with Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
The rescue
Logtrade's TA system was chosen due to its strong reputation, functionality, scalability and integration with Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
Fast and smooth integration without business disruption.
Unified system view provided better control over the delivery process.
Enhanced system synergy led to increased productivity and better decision-making.
Efficient handling of increased volume improved efficiency and lowered costs.
The system handles order peaks without problems and provides security.
Result:
Arc E-commerce can now focus on more important things.
More efficient and cost-effective supply chain.
Better control over the delivery process.
Trouble-free handling of increased volume.
Reassurance that the system always delivers.
Calculation of efficiency per year:
Efficiency increase:
120 seconds - 3 seconds = 117 seconds
Time saved per transmission:
117 seconds / 60 seconds per minute = 1.95 minutes per broadcast
Total time saved per year:
120,000 broadcasts * 1.95 minutes per broadcast = 234 000 saved minutes per year
Conversion to saved working hours:
234,000 minutes / 60 minutes per hour = 3 900 hours saved per year
Potential Annual Savings:
3,900 hours per year * SEK 200 per hour = SEK 780 000 per year
Potential total savings over 5 years:
SEK 780,000 per year * 5 years = SEK 3 900,000