Armaflo's Journey to a Customer-Centric Ecommerce Platform

A Better Way to Serve the Mechanical & Electrical Market

Armaflo supplies certainty to the First-Fix and Mechanical & Electrical Industry, where speed, accuracy, and reliability are critical. But until recently, their website couldn’t keep up with their ambitions. It functioned as little more than an online catalogue—unable to display personalised prices or give customers the information they needed to place orders with confidence.

With the implementation of Apparatus, Armaflo has completely transformed the way it serves its customers. Ecommerce has become a core part of their operations, saving time internally and making life easier for their customers.

Before Apparatus: A Website That Didn’t Work for Customers

Before turning to Apparatus, Armaflo’s online presence lacked the functionality their customers needed. According to Bruce Harmer, who led the ecommerce upgrade project, the main issue was clear:

“Our customers couldn’t get their prices on the website, and that’s something we wanted to overcome. It was basically just a catalogue—it showed the products, but that was it.”

Simon Powell, Armaflo’s Customer Service Manager, echoed the frustration from a frontline perspective:

“Before we had Apparatus, we had a very limited website—it was very basic. We had to set most things up ourselves.”

The lack of integration meant pricing had to be manually managed, stock updates weren’t automatic, and order processing involved multiple steps. This resulted both in inefficiencies for the internal team, and friction for the customers.

The Challenge: Complex Data and Integration

With over a decade of pricing history within their ERP system (Orderwise), Armaflo’s biggest hesitation was whether any ecommerce platform could handle the complexity.

“We’ve been using Orderwise for over 10 years. Every pricing matrix is completely bespoke to each customer,” Bruce explained. “This became quite a challenge to replicate on the website.”

Bruce spoke with multiple vendors but struggled to find a platform that could sync seamlessly with their ERP system—until he found Apparatus.

“What surprised me with Apparatus was how smoothly the integration went. After only a few phone calls and Teams calls, we got it sorted. It’s working really smoothly now.”

The Onboarding: Structured, Clear, and Collaborative

Both Bruce and Simon emphasised how well-structured the onboarding experience was. Bruce noted the clear project cadence:

“We had the initial kick-off meetings, then a weekly meeting cadence with task lists. If we had issues, we discussed them in those meetings. It was very structured and collaborative.”

This approach gave Armaflo confidence in the process and kept everything moving at a steady pace.

Simon appreciated that he didn’t have to micromanage anything. The Apparatus team took the lead on project planning and communication, freeing up his time to focus on customer service.

The Results: Speed, Simplicity, and Customer Freedom

Today, Armaflo’s ecommerce platform is tightly integrated with their ERP, providing real-time pricing and stock data. Customers can log in, check availability, see their custom prices, and place orders anytime—day or night.

“It pulls through all the prices for the customers, their account details, and stock levels. We don’t have to do any extra work to set it up,” Simon explained.

One of the biggest improvements? The freedom it gives their customers:

“If a customer’s at home at nine o’clock at night just sat in his underpants, wants to put an order on—he can. We’ll get it the next morning and ship it out for him,” Simon said with a laugh.

But it’s not just about convenience—it’s about speed and accuracy, too:

“Usually they’ll type it up, get it saved within 10–15 minutes, and it’s on our system—without us touching it. Half the time it’s down in the warehouse being picked before we’ve even looked at it,” Simon added.

From Bruce’s perspective, the platform has delivered far more than just technical functionality—it’s changed the way Armaflo builds long-term relationships with its customers.

“One of our goals was to tie customers into us by giving them their own pricing at their fingertips. Apparatus helped us do that.”

A Platform That Works for Every Role

The benefits of Apparatus are felt across the entire business. For Bruce, who oversees broader strategy and system integration, the platform has delivered where others couldn't.

“I had hesitation about whether anyone could actually deliver the results we needed—but Apparatus did. They listened, they understood the complexity, and they delivered.”

For Simon, who manages day-to-day customer interaction and order flow, it’s been a game-changer.

“It’s streamlined everything. It’s faster, there’s less manual input, and it’s better for the customer. If I was talking to other businesses in our space, I’d definitely tell them to look at Apparatus.”

Looking Ahead: A Long-Term Partnership

With a successful first year under their belt, Armaflo sees Apparatus not just as a software vendor but as a strategic partner for growth.

“Those considering using Apparatus—I would definitely recommend it,” Bruce said. “They’ll listen to you, they’ll dispel any fears, and they’ve delivered for us. We see a bright future working with them.”

Conclusion: A Smooth Transition with Significant Benefits

Armaflo’s experience with Apparatus shows that even complex, data-heavy ecommerce setups can be simplified with the right platform and support. By partnering with Apparatus, Armaflo transformed their website from a static catalogue into a dynamic tool that improves both customer experience and internal efficiency. With ongoing support and a user-friendly platform, Armaflo can now focus on growth and customer satisfaction, knowing they have a solid foundation for their ecommerce future.

Armaflo's Journey to a Customer-Centric Ecommerce Platform with Apparatus