Avril: how Catalog strengthened key account satisfaction
Automating orders to deliver faster, without adding load to the teams: Avril shows how growth, order desk work and customer satisfaction can go together.
Fast processing means fast delivery.
Absorbing more, without touching the customer experience
As its key account portfolio grew, Avril needed a way to protect the customer experience without adding to the internal workload.
These customers send their orders by email, generated automatically by their own replenishment tools.
The goal: keep shelves stocked by triggering orders as soon as stock runs low.
The result: a high-volume, just-in-time flow that Avril has to handle quickly.
« The idea was to absorb more orders from our key customers without adding to the workload. Automation got us there, simply and quickly. »
— Amandine Planchon, Operations Manager
A fast rollout, shaped by the reality on the ground
The Catalog project came together during a growth period, while Avril's ERP transition was running late.
Faced with operational urgency, the teams took a pragmatic route:
- Catalog captures the purchase orders and sends them to an SFTP server,
- from which an Excel macro converts them into the legacy ERP's format.
« We hoped to finish our migration in time, but between the delays and how fast Catalog went live, we decided not to wait any longer. »
A direct impact on customer satisfaction
Catalog made it possible to onboard new customers with no drop in service. Orders are integrated more efficiently, warehouse preparation can start earlier, and delivery arrives earlier.
The result: out-of-stocks are caught and covered before the loss materialises. In retail, where every day counts, that faster handling has an immediate knock-on effect: better availability, so more sales for the retailer and for Avril alike.
« When the order reaches the shelf faster, revenue rises on both sides. »
Conclusion
Speeding up order entry is not simply time saved: it is what makes a demanding customer experience sustainable while the business grows.
At Avril, that added responsiveness means key account needs are met faster.
Automating is not replacing, it is amplifying: removing the drudgery, absorbing the growth, and laying the ground for an even stronger service tomorrow.
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