Nordic Bike Group
Headless e-commerce, PIM and ERP integration in a multi-store bicycle chain.
Nordic Bike Group (NBG) on suomalainen viiden itsenäisen pyöräliikkeen muodostama ketju, joka tarjoaa laajan valikoiman pyöriä ja pyöräilyyn liittyviä tuotteita. Vuosien varrella ketjun liiketoiminta kasvoi, mutta toiminnan hajanaisuus ja vanhentuneet järjestelmät alkoivat rajoittaa ketjun tehokkuutta ja kasvumahdollisuuksia. Tavoitteena oli tehostaa toimintaa ja parantaa asiakaskokemusta digitaalisissa kanavissa.
HAASTEET
The decentralized product management of the Nordic Bike Group made it difficult to maintain product information and weakened the customer experience, as the data was not up-to-date across different channels. The individual ERP systems of different stores made data management slow and complex. Furthermore, the outdated e-commerce platform limited growth and flexibility, and in multichannel sales, the inventory levels of offline and online stores were not easily accessible to customers.
RATKAISU
AI Commerce and Akeneo PIM were implemented to centralize product information in one place and automatically synchronize it across all sales channels. The Combosaple Commerce architecture and headless interface enabled flexible updates and a broader inventory view, including manufacturers' stock information. Additionally, mobile usability was improved, and a digital relationship management order system was added to automate service processes. As a result of these changes, the online store became more sales-driven, customer experience improved, and cross-selling was significantly enhanced.
Centralized product management (PIM) and headless architecture
The challenge for the Nordic Bike Group was decentralized product management – each store had its own ERP system and online shop. This led to fragmented product information across different platforms, increasing manual work, slowing down updates, and degrading operational efficiency. Inconsistencies in data availability and product information made customer purchasing decisions more difficult, increased queries handled in support requests, and weakened the customer experience.
The Nordic Bike Group implemented systems and integrations carried out by AI Commerce, which included the AI Commerce online shop platform and Akeneo PIM system. With this solution, all stores were unified into a cohesive online shopping experience, and the ERP system was seamlessly integrated into both the online shop and product information management. This enabled real-time and consistent product information management across all sales channels, enhancing operational efficiency and the customer experience.
Real-time inventory balance presentation across multiple stores
AI Commerce's Combosaple Commerce architecture enabled real-time inventory management across the five different stores of NBG. The inventory balance of each store could be displayed in the online shop, allowing customers to see product availability in various stores and select the most suitable pickup or delivery option. This reduced ambiguities in product availability and significantly improved the customer experience. Additionally, the solution optimized inventory utilization within the chain, as stores could more effectively leverage each other's inventories, reducing unnecessary restocking orders.
Manufacturer interfaces – selling directly from manufacturer inventory
Another significant innovation was the development of interfaces directly to manufacturer inventories, which allowed for the sale of products without needing to store them separately in NBG's own stores. This reduced procurement costs and shortened inventory turnover time, as products could be ordered directly from the manufacturers to the store only when an order was placed. At the same time, the online shop could offer a broader product range without inventory risk, which increased sales opportunities and improved delivery speed. Thanks to headless technology, these interfaces were seamlessly integrated into the online shop's user interface, so there was no difference for the customer between products in stock and those ordered directly from manufacturers.
User-centered innovation and a smoother shopping experience
The redesign of NBG's online shop was initiated with a thorough analysis, which extensively collected data and customer feedback on current services and sales processes. This enabled precise identification of development needs and ensured that the solutions were based on real user experiences.
Based on the analysis, a lightweight prototype in Figma was created, allowing new features to be tested and refined before implementation. This reduced development risks and enabled iterative design, where the user experience was optimized at an early stage.
The redesign particularly focused on improving the user experience. NBG added new features, such as a digital employee bike ordering system, which automated processes and streamlined the service model. In addition, the mobile use of the online shop was optimized, improving product findability and the shopping experience, especially with the growing share of mobile users.
AI Commerce's customizable checkout solution also enabled the implementation of the employee bike payment method directly at the checkout, streamlining the purchasing process and reducing manual work for both customers and staff.
Check out one of the bike chain's stores here! 💻
