Introduction
An Industry Leader Seeks to Modernize Operations and Improve Efficiency
As North America’s largest supplier of hops, Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) has built a reputation as a trusted partner for brewers worldwide. To modernize and support its customers, the company wanted to move more operations online and offer an automated, self-service option for orders. “We knew YCH would eventually need to offer customers the more ‘Amazon-style’ checkout experience that ShipperHQ offers,” said Jordan Gottlieb, Director of Software Engineering at YCH. “I think folks have come to expect that from quality brands conducting business online.”
The company had a custom-built site, but it was limited in what it could do and left a lot of manual work to be done. With the help of Adobe Commerce and ShipperHQ, Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) launched an eCommerce site that not only simplified operations but also empowered their customers with a transparent, self-service ordering experience.
We knew YCH would eventually need to offer customers the more ‘Amazon-style’ checkout experience that ShipperHQ offers. I think folks have come to expect that from quality brands conducting business online.”Jordan GottliebDirector of Software Engineering at YCH
Challenges
YCH’s Legacy Site was Inefficient and Labor-Intensive
Yakima Chief Hops had been operating on a homegrown eCommerce system that required heavy manual effort. With the move to an eCommerce platform, they were able to streamline the order experience and automate processes that were previously manual. Yet they still struggled with inefficient logistics and inaccurate shipping rates. These issues made it hard to ship at the scale their customers demanded.
The company distributed inventory across multiple locations to reduce transit times and serve customers faster. However, this strategy introduced logistical hurdles that were both costly and labor-intensive.
One major challenge was managing multi-origin shipments, which often required site transfers to consolidate orders into a single delivery. YCH absorbed these costs, which eroded profitability. Additionally, static flat-rate matrices for shipping quotes led to inaccuracies, causing frustration for customers who either overpaid or received unexpected costs.
On top of that, the lack of automation in shipping workflows burdened YCH’s customer service and logistics teams. They spent countless hours manually calculating rates, coordinating orders, and managing customer inquiries, slowing down operations and increasing the risk of human error.
Goal
Improve Shipping Efficiency to Save Time and Money
YCH sought to improve the efficiency of its shipping processes. The company needed a solution that would:
- Provide accurate, real-time shipping rates to replace static, outdated flat-rate matrices.
- Enable full visibility for customers, showing where their orders originated and how much shipping would cost.
- Optimize multi-origin shipping to reduce the need for intersite transfers and improve cost efficiency.
- Streamline workflows through automation to reduce the manual workload for internal teams.
Solution
ShipperHQ Simplifies Shipping to Deliver Efficiency
At the recommendation of their digital agency, Binary Anvil, YCH integrated ShipperHQ with its Adobe Commerce site.
ShipperHQ was the key to unlocking efficiency and transparency in YCH’s shipping operations. The integration brought powerful tools that addressed the company’s most pressing challenges.
With Multi-Origin Shipping, YCH could now display real-time shipping options that accounted for specific inventory locations. Customers could see where their items were shipping from and the associated costs, which reduced confusion and provided a clear picture of delivery timelines. This feature also minimized the need for costly intersite transfers, significantly lowering operational expenses.
The implementation of Split Shipping gave customers unprecedented control over their orders. With ShipperHQ’s Enhanced Checkout solution, customers could choose to expedite part of their order while opting for economy shipping on the rest. This flexibility improved customer satisfaction and made YCH’s checkout process more competitive.
Replacing flat-rate matrices, Live LTL and Parcel Rates ensured shipping costs were fair and accurate. YCH could provide real-time quotes that adjusted dynamically to current transportation rates and order variables, eliminating surprises for customers.
Internally, YCH developed a custom quoting tool using ShipperHQ’s API. This tool allowed customer service representatives to access live shipping rates for manual orders, ensuring consistent pricing across online and offline channels. By automating this process, the team reduced manual calculations and saved valuable time.
