A customer buying a bottle in-store, ordering online or purchasing through a trade account may be interacting with the same business, but behind the scenes those transactions can follow very different routes.
For James Nicholson Wine (JN Wine), that complexity is particularly relevant. The business combines retail, e-commerce and B2B distribution to restaurants, hotels and retailers, alongside direct vineyard imports and operations across Northern and Southern Ireland.
Its experience provides some useful lessons for other businesses managing multiple ways of selling.
1. Different Sales Channels Shouldn't Mean Different Information
JN Wine previously had no integration between its website and stock management, alongside separate ledger systems. As the business developed, bringing those areas together became increasingly important.
Today, the integration means De Facto ERP, EPOS and e-commerce work together across areas including prices, discounts, promotions, payments, event tickets and gift vouchers.
Takeaway: Pick one product and compare what a customer sees online, what someone sees at the till and what the team sees internally. Are stock, price and product information consistent across each?
2. Look at What Happens After the Customer Buys
It's easy to focus on making the point of sale convenient. But what happens afterwards can be just as important.
JN Wine's Wine Club is a good example. Customers can manage their subscription through the website, while the subsequent delivery is processed within De Facto ERP. Its EPOS also supports both walk-in and existing-customer sales with real-time stock control.
Takeaway: Follow a transaction beyond the point where the customer clicks Buy or pays at the till. How much manual work is required before the order is actually fulfilled and accounted for?
3. Automate the Routine, Not the Relationship
JN Wine has used automation and systemisation to reduce routine work. The objective wasn't simply to automate for automation's sake, but to allow its people to spend more time on activities that benefit customers.
As IT Consultant Paul Kelly explains:
“Anything that can be automated, and anything that can be systemised has been systemised.”
The result, he says, is that personnel can focus on business development and customer service.
Takeaway: Look at the repetitive administrative tasks your experienced people handle every week. Which tasks genuinely need their judgement, and which could happen without their intervention?
4. Don't Simplify What Makes the Business Different
Not every process should be forced into a standard model.
JN Wine has requirements that reflect the business it actually is: multi-jurisdiction and multi-currency operations, retail and trade customers, a Wine Club and En Primeur allocation and sales management.
The lesson isn't that every drinks business needs those same capabilities. It's almost the opposite.
Takeaway: Identify the processes that make your operation different. Are your systems able to accommodate them naturally, or has the business had to adapt around the software?
Bringing the Channels Together
JN Wine demonstrates that integration isn't simply about connecting software. It's about making it easier for different parts of the business to operate with consistent information while allowing people to concentrate on the areas where they add most value.
A useful exercise is to choose one customer or product and follow it across your business: website, retail, trade sales, stock, fulfilment and finance. Where does information flow naturally, and where does someone still have to bridge the gap?
As JN Wine’s Financial Director - Nicola Davies - explains, De Facto's existing experience in the drinks and wine industry was a key factor in the company's decision.
See How JN Wine Uses De Facto ERP & E-Commerce →