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Vendor management workflow automation for a Shopify store

How a D2C brand for kids, automated its entire made-to-order vendor system. A detailed look at how we built a custom workflow that saved a growing Shopify brand hours of manual work every single day.

At a glance

Quick overview of the client, their challenge, and our solution.

The client

A thriving D2C brand in India offering made-to-order kids' products, from outfits and toys to room decor. They partner with various independent vendors and artisans.

The challenge

Manual vendor management consuming 2-3 hours daily: splitting orders, emailing vendors, tracking responses, and updating customer shipping details, all through a chaotic email system.

The solution

A custom, intelligent automation engine using n8n workflows that automatically reads orders, communicates with vendors, tracks status, and updates customers, eliminating manual work entirely.

2-3 hours
Saved daily per employee
$1200
Monthly savings
No more
SaaS fees

About the client

A thriving D2C brand that needed to scale their unique business model.

A curated Shopify store for kids' products

Our client is a popular online D2C brand in India, offering a unique collection of made-to-order kids' products, from outfits and toys to room decor. They partner with various independent vendors and artisans to bring their collection to life.

Shopify store Made-to-order Multiple vendors
Shopify store screenshot

*Note: Client names are changed or hidden for confidentiality purposes

The challenge

The chaos of manual vendor management that consumed hours every day. Because every item was made-to-order from a different vendor, the client's team was trapped in a cycle of manual, repetitive tasks that consumed hours every day.

Manual order splitting

When a new order arrived on Shopify, an employee had to manually check which items belonged to which vendor and write separate emails to each one.

Constant email follow-up

The team had to track vendor acknowledgments, get updates on when items were ready, and coordinate delivery logistics, all through a cluttered email inbox.

Delayed customer updates

Customers were often left waiting for shipping details because the team had to manually update the tracking information in Shopify after it was received from the vendor.

The solution

A custom, intelligent automation engine that works tirelessly. We built a custom, end-to-end automation solution for the client using a self-hosted n8n workflow. This "digital assistant" now manages the entire process with minimal human intervention.

Smart order reading

The moment a new order is received in Shopify, the workflow automatically reads the order and identifies which items need to be sent to which vendors.

Automated vendor communication

It instantly sends a personalized "new order" email to each relevant vendor with only the specific items they need to prepare.

Effortless status tracking

The system logs vendor replies and automatically updates the order status when a vendor confirms the item is ready for shipment.

Instant customer notifications

Once the delivery is arranged, the workflow automatically updates the tracking information in Shopify, sending an immediate shipping notification to the customer.

The results

A seamless, cost-effective operation that exceeded expectations. By replacing their manual process and failed SaaS tool with a custom Aiwah Labs solution, the client achieved significant results:

Time saved

Saved an estimated 2-3 hours of manual work every single day.

Cost reduction

Eliminated the $1200/month for the unreliable third-party tool.

Increased efficiency

Reduced order processing time and eliminated human data entry errors.

Complete data security

Because the solution is self-hosted, all sensitive customer and order data remains within the client's own secure ecosystem.

Bonus insights

The new workflow also tracks key metrics like vendor response times and fulfillment speed, providing valuable data for managing their supply chain.