CUSTOMER STORY

Aromatherapy Associates Ltd.

Aromatherapy Associates Ltd. – Streamlined Operations and Enhanced Customer Experience with APPSeCONNECT

How Aromatherapy Associates Reshaped Sales Order Management, Inventory Control and Fulfilment Efficiency by using APPSeCONNECT’s Dynamics 365 Business Central and Shopify Integration.

The Story of Aromatherapy Associates

Aromatherapy Associates Ltd. is a luxurious brand that deals with essential oils, skincare, bodycare, and spa. Established in 1985 by Geraldine Howard and Sue Beechey, the company has been leading the wellness and beauty sector and offers high quality products that encourage holistic health. Founded in 1984 in London, UK, Aromatherapy Associates has experienced consistent growth over the years, not only in its product line, but also with its customer base. But as their demand increased they started experiencing pressure on their internal systems as more and more orders came in and they had to synchronize everything in real time both on the sales and operational levels.

Navigating Growth with Seamless Integration

Having a Shopify-based eCommerce platform and Dynamics 365 Business Central-based backend operations, Aromatherapy Associates required the two systems to work both in harmony and coordinate well together. However, the processing of orders, control of inventories and order fulfilment were still being done manually and this was causing serious bottlenecks that were hampering efficiency in operations. The company required a solution that would be scalable to automate processes, minimize mistakes and allow them to deliver improved customer service as they expanded their operations.

The Challenges

With the growth of Aromatherapy Associates, there were three challenges to notice:

1. Manual Sales Order Processing

Before APPSeCONNECT: Shopify sales orders were entered manually into Dynamics 365 Business Central, which resulted in delays in processing sales orders, inconsistency in the information, and higher error rates.

Impact:

Delayed order delivery → The customers faced longer shipping periods.
Increased chances of mistakes → Entry of incorrect data resulted in fulfilment mistakes.
Lack of operational efficiency → The time used in manual operations would have been utilized in areas that would lead to growth.
“We wasted too much time on manual entry when we should be working on the business and customer service.”

2. Inaccurate and Slow Inventory Updates

Before APPSeCONNECT: Manual updates in the inventory led to stock discrepancies, excess stock sold, frustration of the customer and the staff.

Impact:

Stockouts → Customers placed an order of products that were not in stock.
Customer dissatisfaction → Orders were delayed, along with refund requests.
Operational stress → Delays due to time-consuming updates and frequent stockouts.
“Our manual approach to inventory management could not sustain our business and brought problems with order fulfilment.”

3. Order Fulfillment Delays and Inefficiencies

Before APPSeCONNECT: The order information and fulfillment were handled manually and this gave rise to delays in communication with the customers and shipments taking a long time.

Impact:

Late notifications to customers → Customers had no clue about the status of their orders.
Frustrated employees → Employees were wasting much time in handling orders than interacting with customers.
Customer dissatisfaction → Longer shipping times affected brand perception.
“It was very frustrating to our team and customers as well. We needed a better solution.”

The Solution: APPSeCONNECT’s Integration with Dynamics 365 Business Central & Shopify

The APPSeCONNECT team provided a unified implementation of Dynamics 365 Business Central and Shopify with an emphasis on the main issues:

1. Automated Order Synchronization

After APPSeCONNECT: Shopify now synchronises its orders with Dynamics 365 Business Central in real-time.

Outcome:

Orders can be processed immediately, without backlogs.
Correct order information is automatically synchronized and this minimizes error.
Employees are liberated to do value added work and not manual entry.
“Every order is now automatically in Dynamics 365 Business Central and can be shipped immediately, no more backlogs.”

2. Real-Time Inventory Synchronization

After APPSeCONNECT: Shopify and Dynamics 365 Business Central automatically maintain inventory in real-time, with actual stocks.

Outcome:

Customers can see accurate and current stock information, decreasing overselling.
Employees do not struggle to upload inventory information manually, and this saves time each week.
Live updates will make sure the stock levels are kept up-to-date so that stockouts do not occur.
“We no longer have a manual system that was not able to keep up but now one that updates every few minutes thus at all times we have the correct stock levels.”

3. Streamlined Order Fulfillment and Shipping

After APPSeCONNECT: Shipment information, such as shipping status, are automatically synchronized across systems, which keeps the customer informed in real-time.

Outcome:

The customers are provided with real-time information on the status of their orders, thus boosting customer satisfaction.
It has boosted productivity because employees do not spend time on updating shipping details manually.
The turnaround time is reduced and better customer experience is achieved.
“Tracking updates are now real-time, and we are no longer wasting time on manual updates, fulfillment has never been this easy.”

The Implementation Journey

APPSeCONNECT collaborated with Aromatherapy Associates in order to make the integration process smooth and seamless. The process was fast and effective and instant changes were observed in the processing of orders and managing inventory. The custom integration fulfilled the needs of their expanding business and is characterized by the goals of scalability and reducing the workloads of manual processes.

The Results & Impact

The outcome of the integration was groundbreaking:

Accurate and Faster Order Processing: Sales orders are autosynced and this has improved quicker delivery of the orders and reduced manual workloads.

Better Inventory Control: Real time stock updates avoids overselling and stockouts so that customers can always see the correct stock levels.

Increased Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction has been increased because of processing speed and real time shipment updates.

Happier Team: The team can work on more valuable things such as customer engagement and business development by removing the manual activities.
“We have orders that are processed faster and we have a constantly updated inventory. It has been a breakthrough to our operations.”

Key Highlights

Real-time connectivity between Dynamics 365 Business Central and Shopify.
Real-time synchronization of sales orders, inventory, and order fulfillment.
Workflows that are automated and have less manual error.
Scalable solution that is ready to accommodate future growth.

Why It Matters

To Aromatherapy Associates, integration was an important milestone on their way to operational efficiency and long term growth. Automation of important processes did not only improve operational bottlenecks, but also equipped them to succeed long-term, both in internal operations and customer satisfaction.

About Aromatherapy Associates Ltd.

Aromatherapy associates is a renowned luxury brand of essential oils, skincare and bodycare, and spa products. Having a history of more than 35 years in the wellness and beauty market, the company has been able to provide high quality holistic products to a wide range of customers worldwide, prioritizing on luxury and customer satisfaction.