AB Pipe and Supply becomes digitally enabled in under 14 weeks on AD AccelDX.

May 30, 2024

"We went from 0-100 in under 14 weeks with minimal resource allocation from our own team." Eric Collazo, Operations Manager

Company Background

Established in 1927, AB Pipe and Supply operates two branches in South Florida and have become the region’s leading multi-line, stocking wholesale distributor of pipe, valves, fittings, and waterworks products. AB Pipe and Supply’s customers include those in South Florida and the continental US, as well as international customers based in South America. AB Pipe and Supply is a member of the AD PVF division and subscribes to over 7,000 SKUs of brand-name supplies through AD’s eContent Service.

The Challenge

AB Pipe and Supply recognized the importance of embracing digital solutions to expand their business, propel growth both internally and externally, and better serve their customers to enhance satisfaction. When looking for digital solutions, they focused on finding a way to showcase their product offering and reach their customers more efficiently.

Historically, their sales team used text messages and email to share product data and images with customers. This limited their customers’ ability to perform product discovery on their own and didn’t promote cross-sell opportunities.

While the team knew the clear benefits of having an eCommerce-enabled platform, they grappled with the high startup cost and significant resource allocation requirements that are often associated with launching an eCommerce platform. Being an existing eContent participant, the team had access to robust, enriched, and normalized product content and simply needed a vehicle that would allow them to serve their customers more effectively. The challenge was getting started.

The Solution

With AD’s goal to have all AD Members digitally enabled, AD partnered with ROC Commerce, an industry-leading eCommerce platform provider. Through this collaboration, the AD AccelDX solution was launched to enable members to quickly establish a robust web presence to meet the needs of their business.

AB Pipe and Supply’s needs included strengthening their brand presence online, showcasing all their in-stock SKUs, allowing their customers to submit RFQs (request for quotes), and critically, AD resources to support the implementation and management of the website and product content going forward. Through the partnership with ROC Commerce, AD developed an API integration that guarantees product content is seamlessly syndicated from the AD Member PIM (Product Information Management) to their website. The AD AccelDX solution met all the teams’ requirements and went even further, offering pre-configured Google Analytics dashboards to help their team understand where and how customers are interacting with their site.

Results

In less than 14 weeks, the team was able to go live with an eCommerce-enabled website. Since launching their site, AB Pipe and Supply has noticed an increase in their customers’ understanding of their product lines. Customers are now more aware of not only the brand lines they offer but also the types of products offered by a particular brand, promoting cross-sell opportunities.

In addition to product discovery, their customers can register for an account, create SKU list for specific projects & reorders and submit RFQs directly to the AB Pipe and Supply sales team. Not only has the solution benefited their customers, but it has also become an indispensable tool for their sales team, allowing them to show product information to customers in real time in their branch locations or on the go. The AB Pipe and Supply team plans to continue onboarding new customers and expanding their online catalog by working alongside the AD Digital Success Team.

"By leveraging the AD AccelDX solution, we gained access to several new employees in AD that act as a true extension of our own team." Eric Collazo, Operations Manager