Rowlands Ltd | Fresh Produce Wholesaler

Background 

Since 1894, Rowlands has been a cornerstone of wholesale food and beverage distribution, passing down expertise and customer relationships through four generations of family leadership. With over a century of experience, they've built their reputation on reliability and service excellence. However, even businesses with such deep roots need to evolve, and Rowlands recognised it was time to bring their proven business model into the digital age.

As they looked toward their next chapter, Rowlands faced a crucial decision: how could they modernise their operations while honouring the traditional values that had made them successful for more than 130 years? The answer would need to preserve their heritage while preparing them for the future.

Challenges

Despite their long-standing success, Rowlands was facing the growing pains that come with running a modern wholesale business using traditional methods. Their ordering process had become particularly challenging - at peak times, it took up to five staff members just to handle incoming orders that arrived through a mix of emails, voicemails, and even fax machines.

Training new staff presented another significant hurdle. Teaching employees to navigate their complex manual ordering system was time-consuming and resource-intensive. Every new hire needed extensive training just to master the basics of order processing, pulling experienced staff away from other important tasks.

The limitations of their traditional system also meant they weren't showcasing their full potential to customers. With orders typically placed through quick phone calls or hastily written emails, customers often stuck to their usual items, unaware of new products or seasonal specialities that Rowlands could offer.

As a fourth-generation family business, they also faced a common dilemma: how to introduce new technology without alienating long-standing employees and loyal customers who were comfortable with the traditional way of doing things. After 130 years of building trust through personal relationships, any change needed to be handled with care.

Solution 

After carefully evaluating their options, Rowlands found their answer in Orderlion's comprehensive platform. The solution was particularly appealing because it could modernise their operations while maintaining the flexibility their customers needed.

A main element of their new system was Orderlion's AI Inbox. This powerful tool transformed their fragmented ordering process by automatically consolidating orders from every channel - whether email, phone, voicemail, text or WhatsApp- into one streamlined interface. What once required five staff members to manage could now be handled efficiently by a much smaller team.

Furthermore, new staff members could now be trained quickly on a single, intuitive system instead of having to learn multiple ordering processes. This not only reduced training time but also helped ensure consistency across all orders.

Results 

The impact of Orderlion on Rowlands' operations was both immediate and substantial, delivering impressive cost savings and efficiency gains across their business.

The numbers tell a compelling story of transformation:

• Dramatic Cost Reduction: Rowlands achieved a remarkable 30-40% reduction in wage costs associated with order processing - a significant saving for their bottom line
• Faster Order Processing: What once required multiple staff members to handle voicemail orders could now be managed efficiently by a smaller team, freeing up staff for other valuable tasks
• Accelerated Training: New employees could now master the ordering system within days, matching the efficiency of experienced staff members - a dramatic improvement from the extensive training previously required
• Stronger Sales Performance: The app's clear product displays and easy browsing features helped customers discover new items, naturally increasing cross-selling opportunities

The transition to digital ordering proved smoother than expected. While some long-standing customers preferred traditional ordering methods, most new clients embraced the app immediately. More importantly, many existing customers gradually made the switch as they saw how much easier it made their ordering process.

Client Perspective

Peter Rowlands, owner of the family business, shared:

“The inbox alone saves us at least a third, if not half, of our working hours. Customers can now easily see our full product range, and orders are processed much faster. It’s made a huge difference to our business.”

Looking Forward 

Building on their initial success, Rowlands continues to explore new ways to leverage Orderlion's capabilities. With new customers naturally gravitating toward digital ordering, they're well-positioned to grow efficiently while maintaining their high standards of service. They're particularly focused on using the platform's data insights to better understand customer preferences and identify opportunities for growth.

The Bottom Line 

For a business with 130 years of history, embracing digital transformation was a significant step. Through Orderlion, Rowlands has successfully modernised their operations while preserving the personal relationships and service quality that have defined their business for four generations. 

More than just a technological upgrade, this transformation has positioned Rowlands to continue their legacy of excellence well into the future. They've proven that with the right tools, a century-old family business can adapt and evolve while staying true to its core values.