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 these challenges, Smile and OroCommerce have implemented a structured and progressive strategy, focused on value from the early stages:
Phase | Key objective | What we did |
Multi-market pilot | Validate the model on 2–3 markets before expansion | Initial deployment in 3 pilot countries, with local adaptation (language, pricing, quotes). B2B workflow tests by region. |
Implementation of a Core Model | Rationalize and industrialize the B2B e-commerce product | Design and delivery in 3 months of a standardized Core Model, capitalizing on OroCommerce best practices and the specific needs of Lactalis. This foundation allowed for the deployment of 12 sites in 10 countries in an accelerated and controlled manner. |
Continuous evolution & feature flipping | Adapt quickly to local needs while maintaining global consistency | Implementation of feature flipping mechanisms, allowing certain features to be activated or deactivated depending on the market, without compromising the Core Model. This approach provides flexibility, governance and reduced time-to-market. |
Unified B2B Portal | Delivering a seamless experience for business customers | Creation of the portal where a customer can: place orders, consult histories, manage their quotes, their invoices, access technical content, support requests. |
Operational omnichannel | Coordinate different touchpoints and channels | Synchronization of stocks between regional warehouses, stores, digital platform; availability of products locally; possibility of delivery via local logistics partners. |
Innovation & respectful AI | Create a differentiating experience on search, recommendation, interactions | Implementation of a product recommendation engine, advanced search (filter, facets), customization of the catalog according to customer profiles; 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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