Business Platform
Source.One
Building a profitable, fast-moving B2B commerce platform
Brand
WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
Source.One launched a B2B commerce platform on WhatsApp, growing its customer base 10x in three years. Satisfied customers become repeat customers, leading to a big increase in revenue.
10X
growth in customer base in three years
$205M
in revenue attributable to WhatsApp
10
minutes to complete transactions instead of six to eight hours
35,000
pricing updates and 25,000 requests for price quotes handled daily on WhatsApp
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
Their Story
Creating a better way to buy
Source.One is changing the way Indian manufacturers source chemicals and raw materials through its pan-India network of buyers and suppliers. The Source.One B2B commerce platform enables manufacturers to search beyond local Suppliers for better prices and more options.
Their Goal
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Streamlined workflows and communication
Source.One needed a highly scalable communications channel to send push notifications about seller inventories and pricing while supporting conversations between buyers and sellers. Streamlining major workflows – including the invoicing and payment process, as well as tracking transports – on one platform makes service faster and more efficient.
Their Solution
Customer request and order validation
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A unique full-service B2B platform
From toothbrushes to tennis shoes, polymers are the unseen glue in modern life. For consumers, the cost of most everyday items can depend on how quickly and easily manufacturers can purchase the right chemicals. In India, manufacturers could become overly dependent on local suppliers emboldened to increase prices. To even the playing field, end-to-end commodity distribution company Source.One started a pan-India network that broadens buyer access beyond their local suppliers.
Through Source.One, buyers and suppliers around the country can connect in real-time to negotiate sales. Maintaining the platform – while managing a large network of over 800 warehouses and more than 590 transport partners – requires efficient, scalable communication. Source.One leadership had only one communication channel in mind.
“We built our platform on WhatsApp because it’s already a very popular app in India with many of our customers. With everyone in our network from the buyers to the transport teams using WhatsApp, we can easily expand access to services,” explains Arun Singhal, CEO. “WhatsApp empowers us to bring all the key players together to give customers more options at lower prices, especially when they need raw materials on short notice.”
Working with cloud communications provider tyntec, Source.One created a B2B commerce platform powered by WhatsApp Business Platform. After suppliers share their inventories and prices via the chat platform, Source.One sends daily notification messages to buyers, allowing them to start conversations directly through WhatsApp with Source.One teams monitoring the exchanges behind the scenes. For customers, these exchanges are key to making smart purchasing decisions. “The price updates Source.One sends in WhatsApp take the guesswork out of pricing and reduce their customers' time in procurement,” says Jean Shin, Director of Solutions at tyntec.
“We built our platform on WhatsApp because it’s already a very popular app in India with many of our customers. With everyone in our network from the buyers to the transport teams using WhatsApp, we can easily expand access to services. WhatsApp empowers us to bring all the key players together to give customers more options at lower prices, especially when they need raw materials on short notice.
Arun Singhal
CEO, Source.One
When a customer expresses intent to purchase, Source.One teams streamline their buying process by creating order requests right in WhatsApp. Once the customer approves the order by pressing the quick reply button, Source.One sends them a full contract. Before Source.One facilitated these conversations over WhatsApp, a single transaction might take six to eight hours of back-and-forth phone calls between buyers and suppliers. Now, it takes roughly 10 minutes.
“As buyers realize [how] much easier we make doing business, our customer base has grown tenfold in only three years. Over that time, we also increased revenue from three million to 205 million USD, all attributable to WhatsApp,” says Singhal. “Using WhatsApp gives us the scalability to accommodate incredible growth, including over 35,000 pricing updates and 25,000 requests for price quotes daily.”
Developing complete workflows on WhatsApp allows Source.One to track shipping status, down to checking in with individual drivers, while automating payment notifications to match delivery dates. Through WhatsApp, customers can easily arrange secure payments. If a buyer has a question about an order or a delivery, Source.One teams are only a WhatsApp chat away.
Source.One is continuing its own transformation, using WhatsApp as the foundation of a forthcoming mobile app.
Even customers that have been involved in manufacturing for a long time see big changes in the speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of getting materials. “We’re hearing customers say that, for the first time in 30 years, ordering polymers feels simple – all because of WhatsApp,” says Singhal. “The prompt service and excellent coordination we can deliver through WhatsApp transforms how we do business.”
Customer order confirmation
Their Success
Source.One builds a successful B2B commerce platform that grows a satisfied customer base while increasing revenue.
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Customer and revenue growth
- 10X growth in customer base in three years
- $205 million USD in revenue attributable to WhatsApp
- 10 minutes to complete transactions instead of 6-8 hours
- 35,000 pricing updates and 25,000 requests for price quotes handled daily
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
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