Business Case: Kulker, Succeeding in B2B Digitalization with Melis Platform

A Longstanding Distributor at a Strategic Turning Point

Founded in 1964, Kulker is a leading independent distributor of agricultural irrigation equipment in France. With annual revenues of €15 million, the company stands out from competitors — most of whom are manufacturers — through its strong logistics expertise and customer-first approach.

In 2022, Kulker decided to take a major step: launching its first B2B e-commerce platform for resellers. A strategic move to engage a new generation of tech-savvy farmers and reduce pressure on its sales administration team.

💬 “Our core business is logistics. But our clients are evolving — especially the younger ones who prefer to order online rather than pick up the phone. We had to keep up with that transformation.”
— Nicolas Joyeux, Supply Chain & Digital Project Manager, Kulker

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Choosing the Right Digital Partner: Meeting Melis

Rather than going through a traditional RFP process, Kulker relied on its internal network and the experience of CEO Jean-Philippe Varnet. That’s how the collaboration with Melis Technology began — with a clear and urgent need:

✅ Quickly launch an e-commerce platform compatible with a complex existing IT system
✅ Address the specific expectations of professional clients
✅ Future-proof the tool in a continuous transformation strategy

💬 “We followed our gut — and our trust. From the start, it was clear Melis understood our challenges and could adapt to our operational reality.”

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Technical Challenge: Connecting a Complex IT System with a Modern Platform

The biggest hurdle? Making an aging, non-API ERP system work seamlessly with a modern e-commerce solution. Kulker’s technical legacy introduced several key constraints:

• - Thousands of customer/product price combinations that needed to be simplified

• - An overly broad product segmentation that had to be restructured

• - Customer profiles that required complete reorganization

💬 “We had to rethink our pricing strategy, product segmentation, and customer records. It was a massive effort — but essential for making e-commerce usable and fluid.”

Melis tackled these constraints by adapting its back office through custom developments, all while maintaining platform stability and robustness.

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A Successful Launch with Tangible Results

Within the first year:

• - €1 million in orders were placed via the site (roughly 7% of total revenue)

• - 10% of clients switched to 100% online ordering

• - The average cart value has been steadily increasing

• - Kulker successfully grew sales on new product lines thanks to their increased visibility on the site

💬 “Some customers told us, ‘I didn’t even know you offered that!’ Thanks to the site, we sold items that previously never moved.”

The initial goal — lighten the load on the ADV (sales admin) teams — is beginning to pay off, even though human contact remains essential for many clients.

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Support and Adaptability: The Melis Advantage

To steer this strategic project, Kulker enlisted the help of external e-commerce project manager Véronique Piccard, who worked in close coordination with both Melis and ERP integrator Calliope.
This structure allowed for tight timelines, managed complexity, and maintained flexibility.

💬 “Melis always found a way — even when our ERP imposed limitations. We never heard ‘no,’ only: ‘Here’s how we can approach it differently.’”

On the client relationship side, the feedback is clear:

✅ Fast response times
✅ Flexible evolution of the platform
✅ Strong system stability

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What’s Next: Omnichannel Expansion and Automation

Without revealing too much, Kulker confirms that new projects with Melis are already underway, including duplicating the platform for omnichannel strategy.
The partnership is strengthening, and the long-term vision is shared.

💬 “We can’t share all the details yet, but we’re preparing the next steps with Melis. There’s real trust in this relationship.”

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Looking Ahead: AI, Automation & Green IT

While AI hasn’t yet been fully integrated into the e-commerce project, Kulker is preparing for it, exploring:

• - Intelligent chatbots to further ease pressure on sales teams

• - AI use cases in connected agriculture, where Kulker could act as a smart distribution relay

• - A push toward Green IT and digital sustainability, which Kulker aims to integrate into its broader CSR strategy as soon as resources allow

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Experience & Feedback: A Solid Partnership, with Room for Growth

Nicolas Joyeux emphasizes the quality of the support provided but points out one area for improvement: proactive communication about Melis Platform’s new features.

💬 “We stumbled upon some new features by chance. A simple newsletter or shared roadmap would make it easier to keep up with updates.”

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Conclusion: A Realistic, Effective and Scalable Digital Project

The Kulker case shows how an industrial SME can successfully execute a B2B digital transformation, even with a complex IT infrastructure.

With Melis Platform, Kulker achieved:

• Smooth integration despite ERP constraints

• Clear improvements in customer relationship management

• Fast digital skill-building across the team

• A platform designed to evolve alongside the business

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✅ Summary: What Melis Enabled at Kulker