Lactalis
Improving commercial performance by reworking the purchasing experience in an international context
The context
Lactalis, the world leader in dairy products, has faced several challenges in the midst of international expansion.
- A proliferation of markets and regions with legacy systems (regional ERPs, manual workflows, data silos);
- Costly, lengthy, and inconsistent ordering processes across countries;
- A lack of a single platform offering a modern and consistent B2B experience for professional customers (account management, history, quotes, quick ordering, etc.);
- Scattered, non-localized, and non-enriched product sheets, which reduced the ability to promote certain product lines across markets or channels.
Lactalis wanted not only to streamline its B2B operations, but also to offer an end-to-end, omnichannel Digital Commerce experience resolutely focused on innovation, while controlling its data and being aligned with principles of digital sovereignty.
The challenge
Ensure performance and scalability of data flows
- Unify B2B Markets
Implement a technical and organizational solution that works across multiple territories, while allowing for local adaptations: languages, regulations, and commercial conditions. - Improve operational performance
Reduce costs related to manual orders, complaints, product data discrepancies, and update delays. - Enhance product data
Implement a PIM/PXM to provide structured, high-quality, and enriched product sheets adapted to regions and channels (customers, distributors, marketplaces), with visuals, specifications, regulations, and usage. - Modern & omnichannel customer experience
Offer professional customers a 24/7, responsive portal with a fluid interface, sector/territory, quote management, history, quick order features, recommendations, etc. - Data Sovereignty and Respect
Ensure that the platform, customer data, and order processing comply with security requirements and privacy policies, and are manageable within an open source or controlled cloud framework.
OUR APPROACH
Our Smile + OroCommerce approach
To address the challenges of the B2B market, Smile and OroCommerce have deployed a structured and progressive strategy at Lactalis, focused on creating a high-performance and scalable foundation. This change clearly positions the Core Model as the strategic lever for rationalization and scalability of Lactalis's B2B e-commerce, with an immediate impact (12 sites deployed in 10 countries) and the capacity to evolve over time.
Key steps in our approach:
- Multi-market pilot: Initial validation of the model on 2 to 3 pilot countries, with rapid adaptation to local specifics (language, pricing, quotes) before extension.
- Implementation of a robust core model: Design and delivery in 3 months of a standardized Core Model, leveraging OroCommerce's best practices and Lactalis's specific needs. This foundation allowed for the accelerated and controlled deployment of the first 12 sites.
- Continuous evolution and feature flipping: Rapid adaptation to local needs without compromising global coherence, thanks to feature flipping mechanisms that enable the activation or deactivation of functionalities based on markets. This approach ensures flexibility, governance, and a reduced time-to-market.
- Unified and homogeneous B2B portal: Creation of a simplified professional customer experience allowing users to:
- Place orders.
- Consult their history and manage their quotes and invoices.
- Access technical content and submit support requests.
- Operational omnichannel: Effective coordination of different contact points and channels, including:
- Stock synchronization between regional warehouses, stores, and digital platforms.
- Management of local product availability.
- The possibility of delivery via local logistics partners.
- Respectful innovation and AI: Creation of a differentiating experience through:
- The implementation of a product recommendation engine.
- Advanced search (filter, facets) and catalog personalization based on customer profiles.
- The exploration of internal conversational agents, ensuring confidentiality and data control.
This change clearly repositions the core model as a strategic lever for rationalizing and scaling Lactalis B2B e-commerce, with an immediate impact (12 sites / 10 countries) and the ability to evolve over time.
The result
A high-performance, scalable and reliable data service center
Over the course of 18 to 24 months, the following impacts were measured:
- 230% increase in B2B digital orders in pilot markets;
- 45% reduction in manual processes (order entry, product data updates);
- Approximately 10,000 professional customers integrated into the new portal, with independent access to services (quotes, history, invoicing);
- Product catalog doubled in terms of enriched content: complete product sheets, images, technical specifications, local compliance;
- Improved consistency between channels: visible inventory, consistent pricing, local availability announced;
- Significant improvement in customer satisfaction: customer feedback indicating that the portal “saves them time,” “allows them to manage their orders without sales intervention,” etc.
The OroCommerce platform has been a major enabler in achieving our B2B e-commerce development goals. Implementing the platform is a real transformational challenge, and the OroCommerce platform's flexibility and robustness have helped us meet the demands of our various markets.
Aurélien Devaux
Head of Digital & eCommerce / Data Management / Consumer Care
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