Responsive website for efficiency

Responsive website for efficiency

About Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative Ltd (GFC)

Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative Ltd (GFC) has a rich history dating back to the 1950s when visionary fishermen aimed to market quality lobsters worldwide. Today, their renowned "Brolos" brand of lobsters is shipped globally, solidifying GFC's position as the leading processor and exporter of rock lobsters. With an impressive annual export volume of approximately 970,000 kilograms, GFC is at the forefront of the industry.

However, managing customer orders through spreadsheets posed several challenges for GFC. The spreadsheets lacked transaction history and data validation, leaving room for errors and inefficiencies. Moreover, the risk of accidental deletion was a constant concern. Additionally, the auction, price discovery, and report generation processes remained manual and devoid of automation.

To overcome these obstacles, GFC sought an online solution. However, they faced the unique challenge of ensuring accessibility for their Chinese customers, who were subject to the restrictions of the "Great Firewall of China"—a censorship and surveillance project blocking many foreign websites.

Solution

Lateral stepped in and developed "The Source Lobster Website," a responsive platform that revolutionised GFC's order management. Instead of relying on various communication channels like email, Skype, SMS, or telephone, GFC's customers could now conveniently place their orders using their desktop or mobile devices directly on the website. This streamlined the order-taking, negotiation, and allocation processes. Sales representatives could promptly review, respond, and negotiate with clients through the website, significantly reducing administrative time.

The Source Lobster Website incorporated inventory tracking, allowing daily inputs to be matched against customer orders. Sales thresholds were implemented to manage daily lobster sales quantities effectively. The office administrator could identify the warehouse from which the lobsters would be sourced, and the system facilitated the identification of the flights on which the orders would be transported.

To ensure accessibility for Chinese customers, the website was hosted in China via C3Edge, a provider of managed IT solutions for global enterprises. GFC also obtained an Internet Content Provider (ICP) license from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, allowing their website to operate within China's regulatory framework.

Result

Our expert takes on the project and emphasises the importance of prioritising functionalities for highly complex or transactional applications. By focusing on the functions that cover most transactions (80%-95%), GFC achieved a minimum viable product (MVP) that garnered user buy-in and delivered value to customers in the shortest possible time.
Additionally, catering to the accessibility needs of a specific customer base, such as China, was crucial for GFC. Thorough research into the country's cybersecurity regulations and potential partnerships with knowledgeable entities played a vital role in ensuring the online solution's availability and success among their target market.
By implementing "The Source Lobster Website," GFC achieved impressive results:

Streamlined Order Management: The website reduced administrative time and improved the efficiency of taking, negotiating, and allocating customer orders.

1. Enhanced Data Tracking: Inventory inputs were tracked daily, ensuring accurate stock management and resource utilisation.
2. Sales Threshold Management: Configurable sales thresholds enabled better control over daily lobster sales, optimising supply and demand.
3. Warehouse Sourcing: The system identified the specific warehouse for sourcing, minimising order fulfilment delays.
4. Flight Information Integration: Integrated flight information improved logistics planning and ensured timely delivery of orders.

Accessibility for Chinese Customers: The website hosted in China and secured an ICP license, expanding GFC's reach and strengthening relationships with Chinese customers.

Overall, the implementation of The Source Lobster Website brought significant improvements to GFC's operations and customer experience. The streamlined order management process, enhanced data tracking, optimised sales thresholds, efficient warehouse sourcing, flight information integration, and accessibility for Chinese customers resulted in increased operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business growth for GFC.

For more information or to find out how Lateral can help develop an app for your business, get in touch with us today!