Manual order management isn't just tedious. It's limiting your growth potential. Every phone call, every email confirmation, every manual entry costs you time your team could spend scaling your business.
Artistree knows this firsthand. The world's largest framer produces two million frames annually, serving 1,400 Michaels stores across the US and Canada. They carry 500 different moldings and support both B2B commercial accounts and API e-commerce partners. Despite their scale and established customer base, manual sales processes created a ceiling they couldn't break through.
Then they made a shift. By moving to automated procurement, Artistree acquired 12 new customers without a single cold call, streamlined communication from email chains to real-time messaging, and freed their sales team from the constant hunt for orders.
For material suppliers serving the print production industry, their transformation shows what becomes possible when you stop managing orders manually and start letting orders come to you.
The Hidden Costs of Manual Order Management
Most suppliers underestimate the true cost of manual processes. It's not just about labor hours (though those add up quickly). Manual order management creates four critical problems:
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Time drain on your team. Cold calls, trade show attendance, email chains, order confirmations. Vishal Kotadiya, Business Program Manager at Artistree (the world's biggest framer producing two million frames annually), explains their old approach: "Before GelatoConnect, a lot of it was the good old sales channel: making cold calls, cold emails. Throughout the year we also went to a lot of trade shows and various expos to build a network, meet customers, and understand their needs."
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Communication inefficiency. When orders move through email, information gets scattered. Details get missed. Follow-ups take longer. "Before GCP, all communication happened through email," says Kotadiya. "The messaging app allows us more streamlined communication. It's like going through a text message. It happens in real time and it's very optimized."
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Unpredictable revenue streams. Without digital integration, you're reactive rather than proactive. You can't see when customers are running low on inventory. You can't predict when the next order will arrive. Forecasting becomes guesswork.
Scaling limitations. Every new customer adds more manual overhead. Growth means hiring more staff to handle order management rather than investing in capabilities that expand your offering.
What Digital Procurement Automation Delivers
Automated procurement platforms transform how suppliers connect with customers. Instead of chasing orders, orders come to you through digital channels integrated directly with your customers' operations.
Automated order flow. Purchase orders arrive instantly through a centralized portal with all details included. No phone tag. No manual data entry. No lost information in email threads. Your team reviews orders, accepts them, and manages fulfillment through a single interface.
Real-time communication. Digital platforms include messaging features that streamline coordination between suppliers and customers. Questions get answered immediately. Order updates happen in real time. Communication stays organized by order rather than scattered across email inboxes.
Network access. Instead of finding customers one by one through cold outreach, digital platforms connect you to an existing network of businesses actively seeking material suppliers. Your catalog becomes visible to hundreds or thousands of potential customers without additional sales effort.
Operational visibility. Mobile apps and digital tools give your team clear visibility into order status, shipping details, and fulfillment timelines. Barcode scanning and automated workflows reduce errors and speed up processing.
Real-World Impact: Artistree's Transformation
After joining GelatoConnect Procurement, the results were immediate:
12 new customers acquired without cold calling. "We have about 12 customers in the US and one in Canada that we never did business with before," Kotadiya explains. "We connected through GCP." In their industry, that's significant. "Wall art is a very small industry, and having 12 new customers is a blessing."
Streamlined customer acquisition. The shift from outbound to inbound completely changed their sales approach. "GelatoConnect has changed that. Now customers come to us. They find us on the GelatoConnect Procurement network. It streamlined that process."
Reduced sales workload. The traditional sales cycle (cold calls, trade shows, relationship building) got compressed. "It reduces the workload upfront," says Kotadiya. His team spends less time hunting for customers and more time serving them.
Faster, clearer communication. Moving from email to real-time messaging created immediate operational benefits. "If we need to jump on any challenges, it's quicker visibility of the communication," Kotadiya notes.
What exceeded expectations? "The two big things are the visibility of your products on GCP across several hundreds and thousands of customers, and the ease of the application."
How GelatoConnect Procurement Works
GelatoConnect Procurement connects material suppliers directly to a network of print service providers through a digital platform designed for the production industry.
Digital catalog visibility. Your products become visible to print production businesses across the network. PSPs can browse your catalog, check availability, and place orders without contacting your sales team first.
Automated order management. When a customer places an order, it arrives in your portal with all specifications, quantities, and delivery details included. You review, accept, and fulfill orders through a streamlined interface.
Integrated communication. Built-in messaging keeps all order-related communication organized and accessible. Your team can answer questions, provide updates, and coordinate shipping details without switching between email, phone, and other tools.
Mobile fulfillment tools. A mobile app gives your warehouse team visibility into orders and shipping details on the floor. Barcode scanning and digital workflows reduce errors and speed up processing.
Network growth potential. As the GelatoConnect network expands, your catalog gains visibility with new potential customers automatically. You're not limited to products tied to specific customer relationships. "It allows you to offer your non-specific products to a wider group," explains Kotadiya. "It's like opening a store within a store."
Making the Switch
For Artistree, the decision to join GelatoConnect Procurement came naturally. They were already fulfilling orders for Gelato as a PSP. When the opportunity arose to also serve as a distributor for other PSPs on the network, they recognized the potential.
The onboarding process was smooth. "Once we were onboarded, all the testing went smoothly with the team," Kotadiya recalls. "We had very tight communication between both entities." Once the team understood the process and worked through initial questions, operations ran smoothly.
The best part? Artistree knows they haven't fully tapped the platform's potential yet. "I don't think we have fully taken advantage of GCP yet. That's something we have on the 2026 plan," says Kotadiya. "If we utilize Connect and the GCP platform fully in 2026, I think that will open up tremendous potential opportunities for us."
Your Next Step
Manual order management served its purpose. But in an industry where efficiency and speed determine competitive advantage, automation isn't optional anymore. It's how modern suppliers scale.
If you're ready to transform cold calling into inbound orders, email chains into real-time communication, and unpredictable revenue into automated recurring orders, GelatoConnect Procurement can help you get there.
Join the supplier network and start connecting with print production businesses that need your materials.
