The challenge
A Pune-based auto parts distributor supplying 1,800 mechanic shops and small dealers across Maharashtra and Gujarat was losing wallet share to faster competitors. Field-sales reps visited every dealer every 14 days but reorders happened erratically in between. Dealers had no way to check credit limits or new SKUs without a phone call. Weekly credit blocks at point-of-sale eroded trust on both sides.
How we deployed
- Published a WhatsApp Business catalogue with 4,200 SKUs, prices and live stock per dealer territory.
- Triggered reorder reminders based on each dealer's historical consumption cadence per SKU.
- Exposed real-time credit limit and outstanding balance to dealers via a WhatsApp self-service flow.
- Synced order confirmations and invoices into the distributor's ERP and the dealer's Tally automatically.
- Routed credit-limit increase requests to the territory manager with usage and payment-history context.
What changed
- Reorder frequency lifted 47% across the 1,800-dealer network in two quarters.
- WhatsApp catalogue clocked 184k monthly views, replacing thousands of inbound phone enquiries.
- Credit-block disputes at point-of-sale fell 68% with self-service balance visibility.
- Field-sales reps reallocated to dealer expansion in tier-3 towns instead of reorder chasing.
- Average order value lifted 22% as dealers discovered SKUs they previously did not know existed.
"Our reps used to spend half their week chasing reorders. Now WhatsApp does that and they are opening new dealers in towns we had ignored for a decade."
— Director · Auto Parts Distributor