Kraftling ensures rapid growth by digitizing the ordering process with EDI and automating manual data entry
About Kraftling
Kraftling has set itself the ambitious mission of making healthy eating easy for everyone. The Cologne-based company started in 2018 with this vision and can claim to have closed a real gap in the market. Using a special process, Kraftling produces ginger shots that are not only sold through its own online store, but can now be found on almost every shelf in food retail.
The most important trading partners are located in bio-, and grocery retail throughout Germany.
Rapid growth pushes processes to their limits
Started in the first supermarkets around Cologne, Kraftling faced many challenges with its massive growth. The ordering process, was not fully automated and manual in many places, proved to be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Although Kraftling was already using an effective ERP system (Xentral), data still had to be entered manually at many points in the ordering process. The result: inefficient and error-prone processes that severely limited the fast-growing startup Kraftling in their expansion.
The process before EDI introduction
Orders were received by email or taken from the supplier portals of the respective trading partners and then entered into the ERP system by hand. Subsequently, the order confirmation had to be entered manually into the portal again. When the goods were shipped, documents from the logistics service provider, such as the shipping notification and the invoice, had to be transferred to the retailer's own ERP system and supplier portal. A tedious and unfulfilling task that tied up employees numerous hours per week. In addition, a 4 - 6 eyes principle was necessary to minimize manual errors.
For many startups, the topic of EDI is a question mark - people don't really dare to approach it. For us, however, the advantages of EDI were obvious. The basis for efficient processes.
Maximilian Wermke
Co Founder
Digital orders via EDI
Scaling and automation of the ordering process in retail is based on a connection via EDI. EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange and has been used as a standard for decades. Here, the ERP system of the retail partner (e.g. REWE) is connected to the company's own ERP system so that they can exchange order documents directly with each other.
The benefits of the digital ordering process via EDI at Kraftling:
Automation
Orders, shipping notes and invoices now can be received or sent automatically in Kraftling's own ERP system. No more manual transfer from or to a .pdf format.
Error reduction
Automatic order entry makes typing errors a thing of the past and minimizes errors throughout the process. Should an error still occur, it can be read out. The result is significantly increased process control. This minimizes penalties that can result from incorrect deliveries.
In the case of Kraftling, the challenge was that various retail partners (including Edeka and Rewe) had to be connected within a short time.
The Procuros Integration Hub
Procuros makes it possible to digitize the entire ordering process - without high initial investments or complex and lengthy IT projects. The additional effort due to supplier portals and manual data entry should not further deter food startups from their core business.
Procuros was able to contribute as a crucial piece of the puzzle to Kraftling's strong growth. A digitized Order to Invoice process provides the foundation on which Kraftling can scale their business model. As a result, there is a huge time savings from the now efficient, automated process and a happier team as repetitive and low-value adding tasks have been minimized. The focus is now back on core processes rather than time-consuming manual data entry. The benefits of Procuros Integration Hub:
- No upfront investment or onboarding fees
- Work directly in the ERP system
- Plug-and-play Implementation
What sets Procuros apart is the mindset. Instead of focusing on the problem, they actively look for solutions. You rarely see that in the IT environment.