Straight into the future
Since its founding in 1920, the family-owned dairy company Ehrmann GmbH has looked back on an impressive history of growth and has become one of the leading milk processing companies in Germany. Today, the company operates internationally, employs 3,200 people, and generated revenue of around 800 million euros in 2021. Ehrmann’s strength lies in its continuous innovative spirit, high quality standards, and a strong understanding of customer needs. This made the step presented here the logical next move: Ehrmann is entering direct-to-consumer sales with a new product line in order to connect even more closely with its customers.
As part of the successful product launch of Ehrmann Foodie, an unrefrigerated protein meal replacement drink, the online shop was introduced as a new and complementary sales channel. The focus was on a young and mobile target audience, which is why we followed a “mobile-first” approach. Thanks to efficient collaboration between the teams, the product launch was implemented quickly and successfully.
The first-ever direct-to-consumer sales marked a major milestone for Ehrmann. Until then, Ehrmann products had only been available through well-known grocery retailers. By seamlessly connecting the online shop with an integrated fulfillment solution, we were able to establish a new sales channel in just four months. We managed this challenge efficiently by coordinating and synchronizing the shop launch with the product release.
Experienced logistics partner
Although Ehrmann’s logistics operations were originally not designed for direct-to-consumer sales, an optimal solution was found through the partnership with Ideal Alpha. After the products are delivered, the fulfillment provider takes over all necessary steps in the process — from order processing and shipping to invoicing.
Efficient implementation thanks to the Scrum method
The agile development framework Scrum facilitated close collaboration throughout the project and enabled rapid implementation. Thanks to a versatile team of developers, designers, customer experience consultants, and project managers, we were able to respond flexibly to change requests during the entire project. At the same time, planning fixed work packages ensured an efficient execution and clear release plans.
Step by step to success
We deliberately chose an iterative approach. In close alignment with Shopware and system standards, a solid foundation was established first. Within the limited timeframe, we proceeded step by step and planned the implementation in successive stages. After the successful go-live, we are focusing on continuous development and optimization of the shop. This prepares the shop for numerous planned marketing and social campaigns that are intended to be launched in the future.
Data-driven optimizations for a better user experience
The ongoing improvement of the shop is based on a data-driven approach with clearly defined key performance indicators. For this purpose, we use the tracking tool Matomo, which enables privacy-compliant collection of user data. By analyzing this data, valuable insights can be gained to implement targeted optimizations. This continuous process helps to steadily enhance the user experience and align the shop more closely with customer needs.
