Case Study: Nautilus – B2B Wholesale System with Custom Pricing and Accounting Integration
Client Overview
Client: Nautilus
Industry: B2B Wholesale and Distribution
Description: Nautilus is a B2B wholesaler supplying a diverse range of products to retailers. As a wholesale provider, Nautilus needed a powerful, scalable online platform to manage their extensive product catalogue, streamline pricing for various customer groups, and simplify financial tracking. The platform needed to cater to a complex set of requirements, including tiered pricing, customised product availability, retailer profit tracking, and seamless accounting integration.
Challenge
Nautilus approached us with a specific set of requirements for their wholesale platform:
- Large Product Database: With an expansive product range, the site required a robust solution to manage and display items efficiently, catering to the needs of B2B customers.
- Tiered, Grouped Pricing Structure: Nautilus needed to implement a tiered pricing model, allowing different pricing levels based on customer group and purchase volume, ensuring tailored pricing for each retailer.
- Custom Product Availability by User Group: Certain products are restricted based on the retailer’s profile, so the platform had to allow controlled access to specific items based on user permissions.
- Product Feed for Retailers: To make product integration easier, Nautilus required a customisable product feed that retailers could use to populate their own e-commerce sites.
- Bespoke Margin and Profit Calculations: Nautilus wanted to offer retailers tools to track margins and profit calculations, enabling them to make informed purchasing decisions directly on the platform.
- Xero Accounting Integration: To streamline financial operations, Nautilus requested seamless integration with Xero, allowing automatic syncing of invoices, sales data, and inventory updates.
The challenge was to develop a highly functional B2B platform that could handle complex pricing and inventory management, while being user-friendly for both the Nautilus team and their retailers.
Solution
To meet these needs, we developed a bespoke B2B wholesale system tailored to Nautilus’s operational and customer requirements:
- Extensive Product Database Management:
- The system was built to handle Nautilus’s large product database, allowing efficient organisation, search functionality, and filtered views, so retailers can easily find the products they need.
- Product information, including specifications, pricing, and availability, is easily updated in bulk, making management simple for the Nautilus team.
- Tiered, Grouped Pricing Structure:
- We implemented a tiered pricing model, enabling Nautilus to assign custom prices to different customer groups based on their purchasing volume or profile. This allows each retailer to view only the pricing tiers relevant to them, ensuring transparency and supporting sales at all levels.
- The system accommodates volume discounts and promotional pricing, providing flexibility in Nautilus’s pricing strategy.
- Custom Product Availability by User Group:
- A custom permission system was built to control product visibility, allowing Nautilus to restrict access to certain products for specific retailer groups. This ensures that each retailer can only view and purchase products aligned with their agreement or profile, simplifying the shopping experience and reducing potential errors.
- Product Feed for Retailers:
- We created a product feed feature that retailers can access to pull product data directly into their own online stores. The feed updates in real time, ensuring retailers always have the latest information on product availability, pricing, and specifications without needing to manually update their sites.
- Bespoke Margin and Profit Calculations:
- To support retailers in tracking profitability, we implemented custom calculation tools that show estimated profit margins based on their pricing structure and potential sales volumes. This feature empowers retailers to make informed purchasing decisions directly on the platform.
- Xero Accounting Integration:
- For seamless financial management, we integrated Xero accounting software, allowing automatic syncing of sales data, inventory adjustments, and invoices. This integration streamlines Nautilus’s bookkeeping and financial tracking, reducing the need for manual entry and improving data accuracy.
Results
Since the implementation of the Nautilus B2B wholesale system, the platform has delivered the following outcomes:
- Increased Operational Efficiency: With automated product feeds, custom pricing, and inventory control, Nautilus can manage a large product database with minimal effort, saving significant time and resources.
- Enhanced Retailer Satisfaction: Retailers benefit from a tailored experience, with access to the right products, personalised pricing, and profit-tracking tools that help them make informed purchasing decisions.
- Simplified Financial Management: Xero integration has reduced the time spent on manual data entry, improved financial accuracy, and simplified the accounting process for Nautilus’s team.
