Connecting Retailers, 3PL Warehouses and Finance: COOP’s Odoo Success Story

Industry

Italian Food Import and Distribution

Primary Market

North America

ERP & Integration Partner

Aktiv Software

Our Solution

Odoo Enterprise + SPS Commerce Integration

About COOP Italian Food North America

COOP Italian Food North America is a leading importer and distributor of premium Italian food and grocery products across North America.

The company supplies products to major retailers and distribution networks, including Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Whole Foods, Sysco and several other national retail chains.

Operating within a highly regulated and time-sensitive food distribution environment, COOP must coordinate retailer orders, third-party warehousing, inventory movements, lot numbers, expiration dates, shipments, invoicing and freight costs across multiple systems.

To meet retailer compliance requirements and efficiently manage this complex supply chain, COOP needed an ERP ecosystem that could seamlessly integrate with its Electronic Data Interchange partner, SPS Commerce, and its third-party logistics provider, JAS Worldwide.

The Challenges

Complex Retailer EDI Requirements

Different retailer-specific EDI standards made individual integrations expensive to build, difficult to scale and challenging to maintain.

No ERP- 3PL Integration

Manual communication with JAS Worldwide (3PL partner) for deliveries, receipts and shipment confirmations created delays and operational dependency.

Limited Inventory and Product Traceability

Missing synchronization of stock, shipped quantities, lots and expiry dates increased discrepancies, overselling risks and recall challenges.

Fragmented Order-to-Cash Operations

Disconnected retailer, warehouse and finance systems required repeated data entry, resulting in delays, duplicate work and human errors.

No 360 degree Management Visibility

Traditional reports lacked real-time insights into purchasing, supplier performance, inventory availability, expiration risks and overall stock health.

Business-Specific Distribution Requirements

Standard workflows could not support COOP’s freight, dropship accounting, packaging, custom invoicing and sample order requirements.

Our Solution: Odoo for Food Importers and Distributors

Sales and EDI

Automated retailer orders and invoice exchange through SPS Commerce

Inventory and 3PL

Bi-directional synchronization of warehouse receipts, shipments, stock, lots and expiration dates

Accounting and Freight

Integrated invoicing, dropship accounting and multi-company freight management

Dashboards and Reporting

Real-time purchasing and inventory insights for faster, data-driven decisions

Implementing an Integrated Retail-to-Warehouse-to-Cash Ecosystem

Phase 1

Discovery and Integration Blueprinting

Aktiv Software began by mapping COOP’s complete supply chain, from the moment a retailer submits a purchase order to the point at which the order is shipped and invoiced.

Key focus areas included:

Retailer EDI transaction requirements
SPS Commerce document exchange
Sales Order creation in Odoo
Third-party warehouse fulfillment through JAS Worldwide
Inventory, lot and expiration-date synchronization
Customer invoicing and EDI invoice transmission
Multi-company and multi-currency freight management
Dropship and sample order workflows
Purchasing and inventory reporting requirements

Every integration checkpoint was designed to ensure that data remained accurate, traceable and validated throughout the process.

Phase 2

SPS Commerce EDI Integration

Aktiv Software implemented a custom integration between Odoo and SPS Commerce to automate retailer transactions without requiring separate Odoo integrations for every retail chain. SPS Commerce acts as the centralized EDI layer between COOP and its retail customers.

The automated EDI process works as follows:

Retailers submit EDI 850 Purchase Orders to SPS Commerce.
SPS Commerce converts retailer-specific EDI formats into standardized XML files.
Odoo automatically imports the XML files and generates Sales Orders.
Customer invoices are generated within Odoo.
Invoice data is transmitted from Odoo to SPS Commerce.
SPS Commerce converts the invoice information into EDI 810 documents.
The EDI 810 invoices are delivered to retailers in their required formats.

This architecture allows COOP to support multiple retailers through one scalable SPS Commerce integration.

Phase 3

JAS Worldwide 3PL Integration

Since COOP’s inventory is stored and fulfilled externally, Aktiv Software developed a custom jas_sftp_integration module to establish secure, bi-directional communication between Odoo and JAS Worldwide. The integration uses secure SFTP to exchange XML and XLSX files between both systems.

Data Synchronization Between Odoo and JAS:

Outgoing (Odoo to JAS): Delivery orders, Advanced Shipping Notices (ASNs), validated warehouse instructions, and complete order and fulfillment details.
Incoming (JAS to Odoo): Receipt confirmations, shipment confirmations, actual received and shipped quantities, lot numbers, and expiration dates.

A dedicated Ready for EDI checkpoint ensures that transactions are reviewed and validated before they are transmitted.
Every exchanged file is also archived, creating a complete audit trail for operational reviews, compliance requirements and potential product recalls.

Phase 4

End-to-End Automation, Dashboards and Operational Enhancements

After integrating SPS Commerce and JAS Worldwide individually, Aktiv Software connected both integrations into a single automated Order-to-Cash workflow. Custom dashboards and business-specific enhancements were then introduced to improve visibility, freight management, purchasing, dropshipping, reporting and daily system usability. The result is a connected ecosystem in which retailers, warehouse operations, inventory and finance communicate through one centralized Odoo platform.

If you want a company that really supports you and they know what they do, Aktiv is great!

-Alberto Marrassini- CEO, Coop Italian Food North America

Functional and Operational Overview of COOP’s Odoo System

Retailer EDI Management

Third-Party Warehouse Synchronization

Touchless Order-to-Cash Automation

Business Intelligence Dashboards

Food Distribution and Operational Enhancements

1 Retailer EDI Management

Problem Statement

Large retailers require COOP to exchange business documents through EDI rather than email, phone or manually prepared files.

Each retailer follows different EDI standards, creating several challenges:

Retailer-specific document formats

High integration maintenance costs

Manual Sales Order creation

Repeated invoice preparation

Risk of data-entry errors

Difficulty onboarding additional retailers

Solution

Aktiv Software connected Odoo with SPS Commerce as COOP’s centralized EDI platform.

The integration:

Receives retailer EDI 850 Purchase Orders through SPS Commerce

Converts retailer-specific EDI documents into standardized XML files

Automatically imports the XML files into Odoo

Creates Sales Orders without manual re-entry

Exports customer invoice information from Odoo

Sends invoice XML files to SPS Commerce

Enables SPS Commerce to generate retailer-compliant EDI 810 invoices

Supports multiple retailers through one integration architecture

Impact

One integration supports all retailers

Manual order entry was eliminated

Order-processing time was reduced

Human errors were minimized

Retailer compliance improved

New retailers can be supported through a scalable integration model

2 Third-Party Warehouse Synchronization

Problem Statement

COOP does not operate its own warehouses. Inventory is stored and fulfilled by JAS Worldwide.

Before automation, warehouse instructions and confirmations were exchanged manually, creating several operational risks:

Inventory quantities were not continuously synchronized

Actual received and shipped quantities required manual updates

Lot numbers and expiration dates were difficult to maintain

Stock discrepancies could remain unnoticed

COOP faced a greater risk of overselling

Product recall traceability was limited

Warehouse communication required significant manual effort

Solution

Aktiv Software developed the custom jas_sftp_integration module to establish secure, bi-directional SFTP communication between Odoo and JAS Worldwide.

Odoo automatically sends delivery instructions and Advanced Shipping Notices to JAS.

JAS then returns:

Receipt Confirmations

Shipment Confirmations

Actual received quantities

Actual shipped quantities

Lot numbers

Expiration dates

A Ready for EDI checkpoint ensures that only reviewed and validated transactions are transmitted.

All inbound and outbound files are automatically archived to maintain a complete transaction history and audit trail.

Impact

Near real-time inventory synchronization

Automatic capture of lot and expiration information

Improved food safety and regulatory compliance

Greater inventory accuracy across the supply chain

Reduced risk of overselling

Improved traceability during product recalls

Complete transaction and file audit history

Elimination of manual warehouse communication

3 Touchless Order-to-Cash Automation

Problem Statement

COOP’s previous Order-to-Cash process involved several disconnected systems across retailer ordering, warehouse fulfillment and finance.

Data had to be manually entered at multiple stages, resulting in:

Duplicate data entry

Slower order processing

Delayed warehouse instructions

Delayed shipment confirmations

Slower customer invoicing

Higher administrative costs

Increased risk of inconsistent information

Limited visibility across sales, logistics and finance

Solution

Aktiv Software connected the SPS Commerce and JAS Worldwide integrations into one automated Order-to-Cash workflow.

The process now flows seamlessly:

A retailer submits an EDI Purchase Order.

SPS Commerce converts the retailer’s EDI document into standardized XML.

Odoo automatically imports the XML file.

A Sales Order is created in Odoo.

Delivery instructions are generated and transmitted to JAS Worldwide.

JAS processes and ships the order.

Shipment confirmation and actual shipped quantities are returned to Odoo.

Odoo updates the delivery information.

The customer invoice is automatically generated in Odoo.

Invoice XML is sent to SPS Commerce.

SPS Commerce converts the data into the retailer’s required EDI 810 Invoice.

The invoice is delivered to the retailer.

The complete lifecycle operates with minimal manual intervention. Users are only required to perform business validation where necessary.

Impact

Touchless Order-to-Cash processing

Zero manual re-keying between systems

Faster retailer order processing

Faster warehouse fulfillment

Faster invoice generation

Reduced administrative and operational costs

Improved accuracy across sales, logistics and finance

Better visibility throughout the complete transaction lifecycle

4 Business Intelligence Dashboards

Problem Statement

COOP needed better visibility into purchasing, supplier performance, inventory availability, stock movement and expiration risks.

Management required dashboards that could convert operational data into clear and actionable business insights.

Solution

Aktiv Software developed customized Purchase and Inventory Dashboards within Odoo.

Purchase Dashboard

The customized Purchase Dashboard provides insights into:

Purchase Overview

Order Status Overview

Supplier Efficiency

Internal User Efficiency

Purchasing Trends

Vendor Performance Analysis

Interactive bar charts replaced traditional line graphs, making purchasing information easier to interpret, compare and analyze.

Inventory Dashboard

The customized Inventory Dashboard provides real-time visibility into:

Inventory levels

Product availability

Expiration tracking

Stock movement

Inventory health

The dashboards help management identify risks and trends before they affect customer orders or warehouse operations.

Impact

Improved management visibility

Faster analysis of purchasing performance

Better evaluation of supplier efficiency

Clearer visibility into internal purchasing activities

Proactive expiration-date monitoring

Better inventory planning

Reduced risk of product wastage from expired stock

Faster, data-driven operational decisions

5 Food Distribution and Operational Enhancements

Problem Statement

COOP’s distribution model required several specialized workflows beyond standard ERP functionality.

The organization needed greater control over product packaging, dropship orders, freight expenses, warehouse selection, customer documents and operational usability.

Solution

Aktiv Software implemented several business-specific enhancements throughout Odoo.

Product and Order Management

Product packaging management

Unit-of-measure management

Sample order processing

Warehouse selection on Sales Orders

Warehouse selection on Purchase Orders

Dropship Management

Custom Packing List reports for dropship orders

Dropship accounting enhancements

Actual delivery tracking for dropship orders

Freight Management

Multi-company freight management

Multi-currency freight service costing

Improved Freight Order usability

Reporting and Customer Documentation

Customer-specific invoice templates

Improved Purchase Order usability

Improved operational document presentation and processing

Impact

Better packaging and unit-of-measure control

More accurate dropship documentation

Improved financial treatment of dropship transactions

Better visibility into actual dropship deliveries

Centralized freight management across companies

Accurate freight costing across multiple currencies

Customer-specific invoice presentation

More efficient sample order processing

Simplified Sales, Purchase and Freight Order operations

What Changed for COOP Post-Implementation?

Results and Business Impact

COOP replaced fragmented communication and repeated manual data entry with a connected digital supply chain that links retailers, warehouse operations, inventory, freight and finance.

Eliminating manual order entry through SPS Commerce.

Improving inventory accuracy across JAS warehouses.

Strengthening food safety and recall readiness.

Accelerating the complete Order-to-Cash cycle.

Reduced overselling and stock issues through synchronized inventory updates.

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Aktiv is Odoo certified partner offering end-to-end implementation services.

We don’t just implement ERP, we bridge the gap between technology and your workforce, ensuring smooth adoption, empowered employees, and maximized ROI.

With over 10+ years of experience implementing Odoo for SME and Enterprise clients, we know how to assist you in your digital transformation journey. It’s what we do the best!