EDI integration for Pink Gellac

EDI integration for Pink Gellac

One stock, multiple sales channels, no extra manual work

Since 2013, Pink Gellac has been making salon-quality manicures accessible to everyone. What started at a kitchen table in Laren has grown into an international beauty brand with a strong online community, 17 Colour Boutiques of its own and a growing presence at retailers such as Douglas.

That growth also brings new logistical challenges. With a single stock serving multiple sales channels, orders, delivery notes (despatch advices) and invoices need to move smoothly through the supply chain. That is why Pink Gellac chose an automated EDI solution that connects to Exact Online and its logistics partner Monta.

Growing across multiple sales channels

Pink Gellac sells directly to consumers through its own webshops, operates 17 Colour Boutiques in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and also sells through marketplaces. Its products are now available in every Douglas store in the Netherlands and Belgium as well.

Pink Gellac’s products are made by specialised production partners and arrive at Monta, the brand’s logistics partner. Everything ships from there: parcels to consumers, replenishment for Pink Gellac’s own stores, and orders for Douglas, both for its webshop and for its distribution centres and stores.

That means one stock, but multiple channels, each with its own processes and requirements. For Pink Gellac, it is therefore essential that the logistics chain behind the scenes is fully aligned, from production and inventory to fulfilment, transport and delivery to the consumer.

Douglas and EDI

The partnership with Douglas came with an important new requirement: the retailer works entirely with EDI. Orders, delivery notes and invoices must be exchanged digitally and in the correct format.

Pink Gellac therefore needed a solution that could not only handle EDI communication with Douglas, but also integrate seamlessly with its existing systems and logistics processes. The solution had to connect with Exact Online and with Monta, Pink Gellac’s logistics partner.

Type 2 Solutions and OrderChief built this integration, so messages are now exchanged automatically between Douglas, Exact Online and Monta. No manual order entry, and no in-house EDI department required.

How it works

For Pink Gellac, the solution revolves around one key idea: getting systems to work together, so the team can focus on growing the brand.

Step 1: Analysis

‍We map out the different links in the chain:

• Retailer: Douglas
• Business software: Exact Online
• Logistics partner: Monta
• EDI messages: orders, delivery notes and invoices

We look beyond the technical connections to the complete order flow: from order to delivery.

Step 2: Solution

‍Based on the analysis, the right integration is set up:

• OrderChief for the connection with Exact Online
• The Type 2 Solutions EDI Platform for EDI communication with Douglas
• An integration with Monta as logistics partner

This allows the systems to communicate automatically, without staff having to re-enter orders manually.

Step 3: Planning

‍We define in advance what needs to be delivered, which parties are involved and how the full chain will be tested. For a retailer like Douglas, it is important that not only the order comes in correctly, but that the delivery note and invoice are processed correctly too.

Step 4: Implementation

‍The integrations are configured and the full chain is tested.

Pink Gellac’s advice to companies facing an EDI integration: start early and make sure your product data is in order. EAN codes, prices and item numbers must match across every system. And test the entire chain, order, delivery note and invoice, before going live.

Step 5: Go-live

‍After successful testing, Pink Gellac was ready to start with the automated EDI flow. Orders, delivery notes and invoices are now exchanged automatically between Douglas, Exact Online and Monta. The system runs in the background, exactly the way Pink Gellac wants it.

From manual work to automation

For Pink Gellac, automation is not a goal in itself. It is about enabling the organisation to grow without every new sales channel or retailer automatically creating more manual work.

By connecting systems instead of relying on separate Excel files and emails, Pink Gellac is better equipped to support its growth. This fits the way the company looks at further expansion: automate smartly, so the team doesn’t have to grow at the same rate.

Results

The EDI integration delivers concrete results for Pink Gellac: No manual order entry

• Fewer errors
• Faster lead time from order to delivery
• Automatic exchange between Douglas, Exact Online and Monta
• No in-house EDI department needed
• A solution that scales with volume

The most important result: Pink Gellac can supply every Douglas store in the Netherlands and Belgium without adding staff, and the solution can easily scale as volumes continue to grow.

Ready to grow without extra manual work?

Pink Gellac shows that growth doesn’t have to mean more complex processes. By connecting Exact Online, Douglas and Monta, the company now has an automated order flow that grows with the brand.

The next step? Further international growth. With the existing integrations in place, new retailers and countries can be added with relative ease.

About us

‍OrderChief and Type 2 Solutions help retail suppliers integrate their order flows with their business software. All the information needed for smooth order processing is connected between retailer, business software, 3PL and VMI partners.

• No IT knowledge or in-house IT staff required
• End-to-end implementation, from A to Z
• Full service with a personal approach

EDI integration

‍We deliver a complete solution for EDI and SSCC labels, with integrations between:

• Business software, such as Exact Online
• Retailers, via the Type 2 Solutions EDI Platform
• Logistics partners and 3PLs