Offering an electronic kanban sales service

How Sacchi uses KanbanBOX to deliver a digital, advanced kanban sales service

Highlights: Sales Kanban | Customer Benefits of Sales Kanban | Connecting with Customers | Visibility into Customer Consumption

Kanban is often associated with manufacturing, but in reality this material management method is also widely used in sales and distribution activities. Sacchi clearly demonstrates this: thanks to its kanban sales service, customers no longer have to worry about reordering repetitive materials, while Sacchi can ensure a stable and transparent service.

The result is an efficient, collaborative relationship, where every replenishment happens automatically and without effort for either party.

Overview of Sacchi Elettroforniture

Sacchi Elettroforniture is the largest distributor of electrical and renewable energy materials in Northern Italy. For over 60 years, it has simplified the work of electrical professionals by offering the widest product availability and the best omnichannel purchasing experience, supported by the most efficient supply chain in the market and increasingly advanced services.

With 90 branch locations and one of the most automated and state-of-the-art logistics hubs in Italy, Sacchi stands out for fast and reliable deliveries, excellent service, and the expertise and professionalism of its 1,400 employees.

Since 2017, Sacchi has been part of the Sonepar Group, an independent, family-owned company and the global leader in B2B distribution of electrical products, solutions, and related services. Sonepar Italy includes more than 230 branches and 3,400 employees and is a leader in B2B electrical distribution through three companies: Sonepar Italia, Sacchi, and Elettroveneta.

Sacchi and the kanban sales service

To offer the best possible purchasing experience, Sacchi relies on advanced e-procurement systems designed for both small and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. Among these solutions, Sacchi chose KanbanBOX to deliver its electronic kanban sales service.

For customers who choose this service, the benefits are clear: electronic kanban management eliminates the need to manually reorder repetitive materials, those that must always be available in stock to ensure operational continuity.

Customer and supplier jointly define a minimum stock level for each item. From that point on, the customer no longer needs to monitor inventory levels or place orders. When stock drops below the agreed threshold, KanbanBOX automatically generates a replenishment order and sends it directly to Sacchi.

The same system can also be used for materials purchased on a just-in-time basis, items that are not kept in stock but ordered only when needed. In this case, customer and supplier agree in advance on standard quantities and lead times for each component, so that when an order is placed, Sacchi already has all the information required to fulfill it quickly.

In both cases (kanban or just-in-time) the result is leaner, more reliable, and more transparent management for both Sacchi and its customers, with fewer administrative tasks, lower risk of stockouts, and a material flow always aligned with actual business needs.

“Customers appreciate the kanban sales service because it removes a daily concern: they no longer have to think about reordering materials. They know the material will arrive at the right time and in the right quantity.”

Francesco Dall’Oca, founding partner KanbanBOX

Implementing KanbanBOX to deliver the kanban sales service

To offer a modern, efficient, and digital kanban sales service, Sacchi purchased a KanbanBOX license (with a monthly subscription), which allows the company to activate dedicated licenses at no additional cost for all customer companies with whom it wants to offer the service.

Once customer companies are connected to its license, Sacchi works with each customer to define standard quantities, lead times, minimum order quantities, and all other parameters needed to correctly configure the kanban sales service.

From that point on, Sacchi can view all stock levels for materials supplied to connected customers on a single, centralized digital board, filtering by customer, component, or other parameters. Customers can also access the board, viewing only data related to their own supplies.

The platform displays real-time inventory levels for each customer and each item, how close they are to the minimum level that triggers replenishment, and the status of each order (to be replenished, in progress, shipped, available). This enables Sacchi to quickly plan production, prepare materials, and update customers on order status efficiently and promptly.

Integration between KanbanBOX and SAP

To ensure accurate and constantly updated information flows, Sacchi implemented a direct integration between KanbanBOX and its SAP ERP system. This integration automates several key process steps: orders generated by KanbanBOX are automatically transferred to SAP, along with updates on inventory levels, availability, and order status.

As a result, the two systems remain fully aligned, significantly reducing manual activities and the risk of errors, while ensuring that every replenishment, production order, or shipment is fully consistent with real data.

Thanks to this synchronization, Sacchi can offer its customers a highly reliable, accurate, and transparent kanban sales service, with smooth operations and a supply chain that is always under control.

Benefits of the kanban sales service for Sacchi’s customers

Thanks to the kanban sales service managed with KanbanBOX software, Sacchi’s customers gain numerous operational and strategic advantages, including:

Elimination of manual reordering activities, as orders are generated automatically based on actual consumption.
Reduced risk of stockouts, thanks to continuous inventory monitoring and timely replenishment, while maintaining lower overall inventory levels.
Greater operational efficiency, with fewer emails, phone calls, and daily checks.Faster and more stable replenishment lead times, thanks to predefined quantities and lead times agreed in advance.
Full order traceability, with real-time visibility into order status (in progress, ready, shipped).
Transparent communication with Sacchi, supported by a clear, shared platform that centralizes all information.
A reliable, proactive service that allows customers to focus on higher value-added activities while leaving procurement management to a structured, automated system.

“Sacchi’s mission is to offer the best possible purchasing experience to its customers. Their adoption of KanbanBOX to deliver a kanban sales service proves that they truly pursue this goal, with benefits for both customers and their internal operations.”

Otello Marchesini, Lean consultant who supported the implementation at Sacchi

Benefits of the kanban sales service for Sacchi

Adopting a kanban sales service with KanbanBOX software provides Sacchi with concrete benefits in managing orders for customers using this service, including:

Lean, automated order intake processes, enabled by automatic order generation and reduced manual work through ERP integration.
Greater visibility into customer consumption, with real-time monitoring of inventory levels and demand through a single digital board.
Fewer urgencies and unexpected events, thanks to a stable, predictable flow based on agreed quantities and lead times.
More efficient production planning, with replenishments and shipments scheduled according to real consumption signals.
Seamless integration with SAP, ensuring consistent, continuously updated data across systems and reducing duplication and potential misalignment.

All of these benefits translate directly into improved customer service.

The kanban sales service, with its continuous supply, transparent inventory levels, and clear, immediate communication, helps build strong, long-lasting relationships of trust and supports long-term customer loyalty.