Illustrative case · Trade and distribution
Digital growth for a wine merchant
Reaching more hospitality customers and making ordering simpler
An ambitious wine merchant wants to reach more hospitality customers and make it easier for existing customers to order again. WiseWorks can connect the search for new customers, the website and order processing. That way technology supports the whole customer journey, from first commercial opportunity to repeat order.
This scenario shows what we can build. It describes a possible approach, not a completed client project. The examples are fictional and the benefits mentioned are intended results.
The business behind the scenario
Picture an established wine merchant with a carefully chosen range, deep product knowledge and personal relationships with customers. The owner wants to grow further in hospitality. The current website and webshop are due for renewal and do not reflect the ambition of the business.
Growth also raises operational questions. How do you spot a new restaurant that fits your range in time? How do you help an interested owner along online? And how do you make sure that more orders do not automatically mean more retyping, searching and phone calls?
The challenge
In this scenario much runs on experience and personal follow-up. New hospitality businesses are noticed by chance, information for prospecting has to be looked up, and orders come in through various channels. That works as long as the team can keep track of it. As the business grows, the same approach demands more and more attention.
The owner is therefore looking for a way to use commercial opportunities more systematically and serve customers smoothly. Personal advice stays important. Technology can support the preparatory and repetitive work, so the team has more time for the conversation with the customer.
One coherent approach
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Finding new customers
Spotting relevant hospitality businesses and sales signals, assessing them and preparing them for follow-up.
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Turning interest into action
A website and webshop that make the range understandable and offer a clear next step.
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Simpler reordering
Turning orders placed through a familiar channel into a controlled order flow.
Spotting relevant hospitality customers earlier
A new restaurant opens in the region. The concept looks like a good fit for the merchant’s range. That is a possible reason to get in touch, but only if the team notices the opportunity and has enough information for a relevant conversation.
What WiseWorks can build
We can set up an AI-supported prospecting flow that follows agreed sources and collects signals: new openings, a new hospitality concept or a change of operator. Together with the owner we decide which regions and types of business are interesting, and what makes a prospect usable.
The application bundles available information into a compact prospect card. It shows the trigger, the source and date, the likely fit with the range and available business contact details. Missing or uncertain information stays recognisable. The team can then assess the opportunity and follow it up.
A fictional example
A restaurant announces an opening and describes its kitchen as Mediterranean. The application notes that the business lies within the agreed region and puts together a card. One possible angle for a conversation is an introduction about a wine selection that suits the menu.
That signal does not yet mean the restaurant is looking for a supplier. The salesperson checks the information, looks whether a relationship already exists and decides whether contact makes sense. The application can prepare a first message, which the team adjusts and approves.
How the follow-up runs
- The application finds a signal and checks whether the business is already known.
- Relevant information is bundled together with the reason why this prospect could be interesting.
- The team accepts the prospect, rejects it or asks for more research.
- The chosen follow-up and the outcome are recorded, so opportunities do not drop out of sight.
What this should deliver
The intended benefit is a steadier flow of relevant commercial opportunities and less time lost gathering background information. The salesperson starts the conversation better prepared. So we measure not only how many names the application finds, but above all how many prospects the team finds usable and how many conversations follow from them.
Quality depends on available sources, how current they are and the selection criteria chosen. We test these first on a limited region or target group. Which sources and forms of approach are appropriate is agreed before go-live.
A website that supports the sales conversation
A prospect is interested and looks at the website. It has to make clear quickly what makes the merchant special, which part of the range is relevant and how the visitor can go on. For a hospitality customer that could be an introduction or a tasting selection; an existing customer may want to order directly.
What WiseWorks can build
We can rebuild the website and webshop around the customer’s questions. The merchant gets a recognisable presentation of its expertise, range and service. Visitors find products through clear categories and filters, with understandable product information and a good mobile experience.
We work out separate routes for hospitality and private customers where that is needed. A restaurant owner is looking for a partner for the wine list, for instance, while a private visitor wants to buy a few bottles. The website guides each to a fitting next step.
A fictional example
After a first contact a restaurant owner looks at the hospitality page. They read how the merchant can help put together a wine list, explore a selection of wines and request an introduction. The team receives that request with the information needed to answer to the point.
If they become a customer, an ordering environment can connect to the arrangements agreed with the merchant. Customer-specific prices, availability and reordering are possible components, depending on the data and connections the business can offer.
The link with day-to-day operations
A new webshop only has value if the business can maintain it and process the orders. So we also map where product data, prices, stock and customer information are managed. For each piece of data we agree which source leads and how changes reach the website.
A request or order gets a clear destination in the work process. That stops the team behind a renewed website from having to copy the same data all over again. Where a connection is not yet possible, we make visible which step stays manual for now.
What this should deliver
The intended improvement is a clearer path from interest to contact or purchase. The website helps visitors choose and gives the team usable requests. Among other things we track relevant hospitality requests, use of the webshop and where visitors drop off.
Not every step calls for AI. Good product information, clear navigation and reliable data exchange matter at least as much here. We choose the technology based on what sales and processing actually need.
Reordering through a simple conversation
A regular hospitality customer wants to top up stock at the end of a busy service. They know what they need and would rather send a short message than work through a full catalogue again. A conversational ordering flow can meet that, for example through WhatsApp.
What WiseWorks can build
We can build an application that turns a message into a draft order. It recognises the customer, looks up the products meant and asks for clarification where something is unclear. Available price, stock and delivery information is drawn in where the underlying systems support it.
Before the order goes further, the customer gets a summary to confirm. Exceptions land with a member of staff. Only confirmed orders go to the agreed order processing; a message with a wish is not yet a commitment about stock or delivery.
A fictional ordering conversation
Fictional example
Customer Twelve bottles of our white house wine again please, and six of the red from last time. Could that be Friday?
Order assistant By the red wine, do you mean the selection from your last order?
Customer Yes, that is the one.
The application lines up the right items and quantities, shows the price as soon as it can be verified and notes Friday as the requested delivery day. The customer confirms the summary. A member of staff assesses the delivery where the system cannot verify it itself.
What happens behind the conversation
- The business contact is linked to the right customer.
- The wines mentioned are matched against the catalogue and, where available, earlier orders.
- Quantities, units and agreements are checked. “Two cases” is not converted into a number of bottles without a known case size.
- Missing data or discrepancies are put to the customer or to a member of staff.
- After confirmation the order goes to the agreed system. A technical error stays visible for follow-up and does not lead to a silent or duplicate order.
What this should deliver
The intended benefit is less searching and retyping, with a low-threshold ordering experience for the customer. Staff can focus on advice and exceptions. We measure the processing time required, corrections and the share of customers who use the channel again.
From first application to measurable improvement
Why the coherence matters
Prospecting brings a relevant business into view. The website supports the first conversation and helps turn interest into a request. A simple ordering flow then makes it easier to stay a customer. By connecting customer and product data across these steps, the team can follow the relationship better.
The three components can be introduced separately. We do design them from the same customer journey and way of working, so an improvement at the front does not create extra administration behind the scenes.
How we tackle this together
We start with the owner and the staff: how do customers come in today, how is selling done and how does an order reach processing? We look at the available data and systems and choose a first application with a clear boundary and a measurable goal.
A first step could be prospect detection within one region, a better route for hospitality requests, or reordering with a small group of regular customers. The choice depends on urgency, data quality and available connections. We build a first version, test with real users and extend on the basis of what we find.
What we measure together
| Component | Examples of success measures |
|---|---|
| Prospecting | Usable prospects, preparation time and conversations from accepted leads. |
| Website and webshop | Relevant requests, completed orders and drop-off during the purchase process. |
| Reorder | Processing time per order, corrections, exceptions and repeat use by customers. |
Before the start we record the baseline. After that we measure over an agreed period, with an eye on season and order volume. Savings or revenue growth can only be substantiated after implementation.
What WiseWorks contributes in concrete terms
WiseWorks maps the opportunities, designs the work processes and builds the chosen applications and connections. We test with the team, agree where human checks are needed and guide the roll-out. Further support and improvement are tailored to what the business needs.
This approach can also suit other trading and service businesses that want to grow with less repetitive administration.
What could this mean for your business
Do you want to reach new customers or process orders more simply? Tell us where you want to grow and where the work gets stuck. Then we will look at what AI and automation can contribute.
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