New Directions Aromatics

Project Objectives

Prior to project kickoff, the NDA team conducted internal workshops to build alignment around digital transformation and ecommerce strategy. The executive team and the ecommerce team settled on several key objectives for the project:

• Transition to a modern, scalable ecommerce platform from a custom system
• Launch dedicated sites for the U.S. and Canadian markets to better serve regional needs
• Implement key B2B features such as RFQ, company-specific price groups, and integrated omnichannel buyer portals for enhanced user experience
• Streamline backend processes and make their system more robust
• Revamp product display and hierarchy to better serve B2B audiences
• Improve user experience across both sites
• Increase site metrics like Conversion Rate and AOV
• Lift customer engagement with B2B functionalities
• Enhance scalability and reduced long-term maintenance costs
• Increase operational efficiency through ERP and CRM integrations

The process was thorough, and the launch was as smooth as one could have asked for. The move to BigCommerce makes our website mobile-first and improves the customer experience from search to checkout, so customers can find and fulfill their orders quickly and without hassles.

Sergio Pereira, CEO, New Directions Aromatics

Solution Implementation

The project followed Cadent Commerce’s highly structured and proven methodology, organized in the key project phases of Discover – Define – Design – Develop – Deploy – Deliver.

The Discovery and Definition phases included a robust requirements gathering and documentation exercise, resulting in a detailed project plan and, most importantly, solid expectations for the combined project team (Cadent Commerce, Chameleon Collective, and AMEND).

Chameleon Collective provided fractional CTO leadership, while the AMEND team focused on the NetSuite ERP integration and the Cadent Commerce team provided resourcing and expertise in ecommerce Strategy, UX design, development, and integrations.

Cadent Commerce customized the new BigCommerce platform to meet NDA’s specific B2B needs, including functionality for RFQ, pricing, Product Spec Sheets, Batch Certificates of Analysis, and buyer portals.

This highly strategic and organized project approach allowed the combined team to leverage complexity and match the specific technologies with the project’s objectives.

This initiative leveraged the following technologies:

• BigCommerce (Enterprise Edition with B2B features)
• Netsuite ERP and Salesforce CRM integrations
• Rocketflowz, a Laravel package developed by Cadent Commerce to accelerate the development of custom apps for BigCommerce
• SearchSpring for search and personalization
• Klaviyo for email marketing
• Yotpo for reviews
• ShipperHQ for shipping rules

Key Features and Outcomes

Every B2B-focused business is different, and the Cadent Commerce team has found that typically, B2B businesses approach ecommerce projects with varying requirements. However, there are some noteworthy features and outcomes that other B2B merchants would likely need as well:

Multistore Setup:

Seamless operation of both U.S. and Canadian stores, with tailored experiences for each market.

Key B2B Features:

• RFQ functionality for out-of-stock items
• Company price groups and accounts
• Document library with
• Certificates of Analysis and Product Specifications
• Omni-channel buyer portals for easier order management and reordering
• Self-service tax exempt certificate management

Integration:

Full integration with NetSuite ERP for real-time inventory management and Salesforce CRM for customer relationship management.

Internationalization:

Currency and product support for both U.S. and Canadian markets, with multi-currency functionality implemented.