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Brand Cohesion and Control: Launching a Future-Ready B2B Sales Engine on Adobe Commerce for a Multi-Brand Enterprise

 

Applied Fluid Power: An Adobe Commerce Implementation Success Story

 
Managing numerous brands on separate platforms created an unmanageable maintenance burden and an inconsistent customer experience. We implemented a unified eCommerce system that allows for easy, central management of all brands and prepares the organization for significant B2B digital expansion.
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success story-applied-fluid-power

Technologies

  • Adobe Commerce (powered by Magento)
  • Epicor P21 ERP

The Client

As the world’s largest fluid power distributor, Applied Fluid Power and its network of companies is a resource for fluid power support and custom-designed solutions. 

The AFP Family consists of 70+ locations that provide services including: 

  • System integration
  • Manifold design, machining, and assembly
  • High-speed hose assembly
  • Repair services

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The Goals

  • Update the main AFP site web presence
  • Create a unified brand across all subsidiary sites with new websites
  • Establish a solid foundation for future eCommerce efforts
  • Give customers a streamlined browsing (and eventual shopping) experience

Key Results

50:1 Platforms

Consolidated Multiple Platforms into a Single Magento Instance

800% Increase

Organic Search Sessions

2,200+ Customers

Engaged with the newly created sites

500% Increase

Initial Website Traffic

Project Highlights

The Challenge

Over the course of a few years, Applied Fluid Power had acquired over 50 subsidiary sites, all of which were on different web platforms.

AFP needed to update their own web presence, as well as unify the sites of their subsidiaries to present customers with a cohesive network of sites. While starting as content focused, the new sites needed to be developed as eventual eCommerce platforms.

The Solution

The central solution was to design and implement a single, robust Magento eCommerce instance capable of supporting and differentiating over 50 unique acquired brands.

This massive undertaking successfully replaced numerous, disparate platforms, drastically simplifying the client’s technological footprint. By unifying the brands onto a centralized system, the organization gained unprecedented ease of management, allowing for updates, maintenance, and feature rollouts to occur once, across the entire portfolio.

This approach not only delivered a cohesive and enhanced user experience across all brands but also built a scalable, future-proof B2B sales foundation for continued growth and acquisition integration.

The Result

All AFP subisidiary sites share a Magento instance allowing administrators to easily update and manage the 50+ sites. 

Using a waterfall method, existing sites were replatformed to Magento 2.2.5 and within the project's first year 1y new websites were launched on Magento Cloud. 

Thanks to these efforts, AFP has gained stronger visibility in their market and is primed to implement eCommerce functions on each of those sites, giving their B2B customers the opportunity to place orders online.

The main and subsidiary sites have all seen an increase in site visits and form submissions. The main site has seen:
  • 800% increase in sessions from organic search
  • 500% increase in traffic

By using consistent templates and design styles for all the sites, customers clearly know that they are shopping within AFP’s network of sites. Additionally, Magento eCommerce allows customers to access inventory beyond what their local dealer may provide. By using Magento to unify their web presence, customers are able to take full advantage of the AFP network.

The Details - How We Did it

  • Replatformed 16 websites to Magento 2.2.5 in eight months, followed by the remaining sites over the next 24 months
  • Implemented a cloud deployment of Magento’s content management and eCommerce systems to connect the subsidiary sites
  • Implemented a custom zip code search tool, allowing site visitors to enter their zip code on any of the AFP sites and find a representative in their area who can assist them with their purchase
  • Trained AFP employees on Magento 2’s advanced B2B capabilities
  • Designed and implemented similar templates and styles to unify AFP's web presence 
  • Formalized Magento eCommerce to allows customers to access inventory beyond what their local dealer may provide
  • Integrated with their existing ERP, Epicor P21, to prepare for future eCommerce functionality

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