All-Natural Water Company Plants Seeds for Success with TrueCommerce EDI

Objective

Meet the EDI requirements of a major trading partner, while creating internal efficiencies and greater accounting accuracy. 

Solution

Implement TrueCommerce’s EDI integration for QuickBooks Online to automatically exchange key documents with customers and provide crucial support during an unpredictable market. 

Benefits

• EDI compliance effortlessly meets the needs of a major grocery partner 
• Seamless QuickBooks Online integration increases accounting accuracy 
• User-friendly platform enables easy management by exception 
• Responsive support teams provide the best in customer service 

Background

Founded in 2017 and rebranded in 2019, the all-natural water company specializes in flavored waters enhanced by the power of cactus leaf juice. The founder discovered the popularity of cactus juice after selling cactus paddles at farmers markets in the Napa Valley. The drinks are known for their great taste and health benefits, including hydration, digestion, and skin health. 

When a large, Texas-based grocery chain decided to start carrying their products, they required all transactions to be done via EDI. The founder explained, “H-E-B gave me a list of companies they recommended, including TrueCommerce.” 

Although she looked at several EDI providers, the founder quickly felt drawn to TrueCommerce. She commented, “When I called to inquire about TrueCommerce, I got ahold of someone so quickly. The salesperson I spoke with was warm and friendly. I had called two or three other companies and had to leave voicemails—and no one ever got back to me.” 

Fast and Easy Implementation

To meet its customer’s EDI needs and get products on the shelves quickly, the company needed to implement an EDI solution in short order. TrueCommerce’s proven onboarding process provided the speed, transparency, and support the company needed to get started. 

“Implementing TrueCommerce EDI was so easy,” said the founder. “My implementation specialist and I had an initial call to walk me through how everything worked. He showed me how to get purchase orders, how to acknowledge them, and how to mark orders as shipped. He explained all the details I needed to fill out, too.”  

Thanks to TrueCommerce’s support team, the company was able to start trading with grocery partners fast. The company’s founder recalled, “I processed my first purchase order just a month after I started with TrueCommerce.” 

A “Flawless” QuickBooks Integration 

The water company has been using QuickBooks Online since its inception to manage invoicing and financials. “QuickBooks is an accounting software I’ve known forever,” said the founder. “I’m very familiar with the platform, and it’s always been good to me!”  

TrueCommerce’s direct integration with QuickBooks has been a key benefit. She remarked, “The TrueCommerce integration with QuickBooks is flawless. It’s a seamless transition of data.” 

That exchange of data has played an important role in creating accounting accuracy for the company. “TrueCommerce EDI keeps my accounting accountable,” clarified the founder. “With integrated EDI for QuickBooks, I don’t miss a single purchase order. TrueCommerce keeps track of everything and keeps everybody on the same page.” 

She went on, “With TrueCommerce, my customer gets the information they need right away; I have the information I need on my end as well. That makes transactions easier for everyone, instead of having to rely on back-and-forth emails or a paper trail.” 

A single vendor solution is also a key benefit for the founder. She noted, “I have to use so many different types of technology in my business. I love that with TrueCommerce, everything is on one platform. TrueCommerce connects to my QuickBooks directly, which cuts out a huge amount of work, and keeps everything accurate. It’s one less thing I have to worry about at the end of the day.” 

Expert Support with a “Human Touch” 

The TrueCommerce platform and fully managed service offer several ways for users to find answers to their questions. One useful option is the in-platform Help feature, which allows users to type in questions and find tutorials and articles on numerous topics. 

“I love the fact that I can use the Help feature to look up any questions I have,” the founder told us. “In many cases, the TrueCommerce Foundry Platform gives me the answers I need, without even needing to call in and speak to someone. The system is very user-friendly; for someone who might be fearful of technology, or inexperienced, it’s a great platform.” 

She maintained, “Of course, it’s nice to know I can call and get ahold of someone if I need to!” 

She has been impressed by TrueCommerce’s support teams. She noted, “Customer service is my favorite feature of TrueCommerce. When you’ve had a rough day with technology, it’s wonderful to speak to someone who is kind, and doesn’t make you feel like you’re asking a silly or ‘wrong’ question. The TrueCommerce team is always there to take the extra step and walk me through anything I need.” 

When the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic set back the company’s H-E-B launch in March, the TrueCommerce team was there to offer support. The founder explained, “H-E-B needed time to figure out what was going on, and whether this product was going to sell in the middle of a pandemic. TrueCommerce followed up with me to check in and see how I was doing. That was a really nice, human touch that you usually don’t get from such a big company.” 

Finding Success Despite Difficult Times 

Launching a new brand in 2020 had more than one complication. For one thing, many of the trade shows and reviews necessary for getting a new food product on store shelves were frozen in March. The founder remembered, “No one knew if they were just postponing, or cancelling. Grocery stores were going wild, so for the most part, category reviews were on hold, indefinitely.” 

The uncertainty was trying. “At one point I wondered, am I going to have to close my business before I really got started?” she described.  

Thankfully, the company’s H-E-B partnership was able to move forward, and the founder told us, “The brand has resonated really well with consumers, even during the pandemic.” 

Managing supply shortages was another challenge in the food and beverage industry. She explained, “There’s a worldwide aluminum shortage right now. At one point, I had to put off fulfilling a purchase order because I couldn’t get cans fast enough. With TrueCommerce, I didn’t need to do any messy paperwork; I just needed to let my customer know, and the system handled the documents when we were able to fulfill the purchase order. It was so easy” 

She went on, “Everyone at TrueCommerce has been so generous with their time and their kindness, and that is so appreciated, especially now.” 

The Future is Bright 

The company’s success is just getting started. The founder remarked, “Right now, H-E-B is the only customer I have using EDI, but I’m already talking to a few other potential partners. I’m currently under very positive review with two large grocery chains, who would want me to use TrueCommerce EDI.” 

To the company’s founder, the benefits of being EDI-enabled from the beginning are clear. “Everyone is switching over to EDI,” she noted. “That’s the wave; people are trying to cut out all the paper and emails going back and forth. Having TrueCommerce EDI is a huge competitive advantage for me.” 

Although the company’s products have only been on store shelves a few months, it’s already seen significant ROI from investing in EDI. The founder reported, “At first, I thought EDI was going to be so much more expensive than what I’m actually paying to TrueCommerce. Because it’s affordable, TrueCommerce EDI has already paid for itself in my business.” 

“I want people to know how easy it was to connect QuickBooks and TrueCommerce,” she concluded. “If you can make order processing easier, without spending an excessive amount of money, I would highly recommend it—and that’s what TrueCommerce EDI does.”