Wholesale Electric Supply Company of Houston successfully implements AD’s data automation offering within one week.
“The AD eCommerce Solutions API has been instrumental in streamlining our automation efforts, providing a seamless integration process that was both intuitive and straightforward. The code samples and documentation provided by AD were comprehensive and easy to follow. Within one week, we were able to successfully implement the API functionality, enhancing our system's efficiency and productivity."
Ethan Rushing, Strategic Accounts Analyst, WESCOH
Company Background
Wholesale Electric Supply Company of Houston, Inc. is a leader in the electrical distribution industry, providing high-quality products and comprehensive services for the industrial and commercial markets. The Houston-based company was founded in 1949 and has expanded to become a global provider, operating worldwide and serving markets domestically and internationally. Wholesale Electric Supply Company of Houston is an AD Independent Electrical Supply Division member and accesses over 530,000 enhanced SKUs through AD’s eContent Service.
The Challenge
Before implementing AD’s data automation offering, Wholesale Electric Supply Company of Houston (WESCOH) faced several challenges in managing and processing their product content, including inefficiencies in data management, system architecture limitations, and the need for automated content delivery.
With AD as their primary source of content, their workflow involved exporting data from the AD Member Product Information Management (PIM) platform and manually importing large files back into their internal systems. The sheer volume of data and the repetitive nature of these manual tasks created bottlenecks and hindered productivity. In addition to these inefficiencies, WESCOH's system infrastructure lacked the flexibility and integration capabilities needed for seamless data management and consolidating and utilizing data from multiple sources. To align their infrastructure with their digital goals, WESCOH partnered with service providers for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, an enterprise PIM, and Optimizely for webstore solutions.
The Solution
After meeting with the AD eCommerce Solutions team to discuss their digital journey, WESCOH recognized that AD’s Application Programming Interface (API) was key to automating and scaling efficient data extractions. Before the API setup, WESCOH needed to optimize their internal master attribute mapping document. This document ensured that the enhanced data fields and attributes that the AD eContent program provided aligned with those in their PIM.
Once complete, AD provided user-friendly training documentation for a smooth, successful implementation process. WESCOH's programming team, leveraging the pre-built functionalities included with the API, completed integration in just one week, greatly reducing the development cycle. The AD API enabled WESCOH's programmers to perform a range of standard operations—PUT, POST, GET, and DELETE—effectively streamlining the process of managing product data. The API enabled the seamless transfer of enhanced product content, facilitating automated weekly updates to their enterprise PIM.
Results
The AD API was a game-changer for WESCOH, transforming several aspects of their content delivery process. By automating manual processes and eliminating the need for personnel to oversee end-to-end workflows, WESCOH saved an estimated 8-10 hours of manual work each week.
Key to these savings was the ability to schedule automated data transfers at any interval, removing the need for manual monitoring. This reduction in manual effort allowed the team to reallocate time towards higher-priority strategic objectives.
The API also enhanced the accuracy and reliability of the content ingestion process, reducing the time spent on data corrections. By simplifying how product data is stored and processed, WESCOH could accept and manage incoming information more easily. This approach allowed their system to quickly adjust to changes in data formats, reducing disruptions and keeping workflows efficient. Furthermore, the solution provided WESCOH with the scalability needed to support their ongoing digital growth.
By leveraging AD’s API, Wholesale Electric Supply Company of Houston overcame its content management challenges, achieved greater productivity, a stronger competitive position, and a solid foundation for continued digital progress. WESCOH continues to partner with AD eCommerce Solutions to further strengthen their digital capabilities and maintain their competitive edge.