Winterhalter + Fenner

Swiss wholesaler Winterhalter + Fenner uses Scandit-enabled mobile order entry to dramatically improve the customer experience and enable leading national and international suppliers to more easily acquire their electrical goods.

The Client

Winterhalter + Fenner’s broad range of goods comprises electronic components, installation materials, products for data networking and photovoltaic constructions. Winterhalter + Fenner is a subsidiary of the French Sonepar SA, a family-run company based in Paris. The Sonepar Group is active in 41 countries around the world, employs over 40,000 people and has more than 2,600 locations.

Starting Point- Find a way to mobilize customer order entry

After the successful introduction of their online shop, Winterhalter + Fenner’s leadership noted that more and more of their users were accessing the web through mobile devices. Noting these trends, their management team decided to build a mobile app to support the changing behavior of their customers, making order entry simple from any customer smartphone.

Vision- Build the best mobile app for media products

Winterhalter + Fenner operates in a traditional supply chain management environment. Their customers are manufacturers or smaller enterprises that have not been involved in any electronic or automated procurement processes. The IT team was challenged to build a state-of-the-art tool that would make it fast and easy for their customers to place orders. It was clear that a smartphone-based scanning solution could ease the process of ordering electronic goods for all kinds of businesses.

Solution- A mobile app that makes ordering simple and easy

Acting as Winterhalter + Fenner’s trusted solution provider, iEffects had to find a barcode scanning technology that was easy to integrate into their application. They also knew that Winterhalter + Fenner’s customers were used to working with dedicated handheld laser scanners, therefore they needed a barcode scanner that was fast, reliable and easy to use. As a result, the iEffects team required a software-based mobile barcode scanning technology that would match the performance of traditional handheld laser scanners. Many of the products in the Winterhalter + Fenner catalog already contained barcodes and the professional users are able to print lists of barcode labels using the online shop. By providing an enterprise-grade smartphone app for their customers, Winterhalter + Fenner could lower the cost of procurement for all stakeholders, while benefitting from increased order frequency and revenue.

Results- An app that allows customers to place orders anytime, anywhere

Winterhalter + Fenner introduced a handy tool for manufacturers to order electronic supplies. With the integration of the Scandit Barcode Scanner SDK in the Winterhalter + Fenner app, customers can conveniently scan product barcodes to assemble orders. It’s no longer necessary to type in a product name or search through product categories to place orders — scanning the barcode is enough. The tool saves time for clients and closes a gap within the procurement process for electronic goods. The results: an accelerated procurement process where customers can browse products, review important product information and assemble orders by scanning a barcode.