Anchanto is transforming the digital commerce landscape with a unique approach that sets it apart in the competitive e-commerce software industry. Unlike traditional venture capital-backed startups aiming to disrupt large enterprises, Anchanto, based in Singapore, allows its customers to become shareholders. This strategy not only provides significant investments but also ensures that the company’s innovation agenda is directly influenced by practical insights from its customers. According to Vaibhav Dabhade, the founder and CEO of Anchanto, this unconventional method ensures that their solutions are highly relevant and effective, addressing the specific needs of their customers.
As the e-commerce landscape undergoes significant changes, Anchanto’s approach has become particularly crucial. With the stabilization of pandemic-driven growth, businesses are now focusing on the revenue and margin contributions from digital channels rather than just digital transformation for its own sake. This shift has exposed the limitations of one-size-fits-all e-commerce platforms, especially in areas like warehouse management systems (WMS) and order management systems (OMS). For instance, Nike’s aggressive digital push negatively impacted its physical retail presence and traditional distribution channels, underscoring the potential pitfalls of a poorly integrated digital strategy. Anchanto’s unique strategy ensures these challenges are effectively addressed.
Customer-Driven Investment and Innovation
Anchanto’s unconventional strategy of making customers shareholders has resulted in 95% of its investment coming from its customer base. This model allows the company to gain invaluable insights into the real-world challenges faced by e-commerce businesses across various markets. Anchanto ensures that their software solutions are tailor-made to address the specific needs of their customers, making them highly relevant and effective. Vaibhav Dabhade, the founder and CEO of Anchanto, highlights that this customer-driven approach enables them to focus on practical issues that genuinely affect the e-commerce industry.
With the stabilization of growth spurred by the pandemic, e-commerce businesses are pivoting their focus towards understanding the contribution of digital channels to their revenue and margin, rather than just emphasizing digital transformation. This transition has uncovered the inadequacies of standardized e-commerce platforms, particularly in specialized areas like WMS and OMS. Consequently, companies are now seeking platforms that offer tailored solutions rather than generalized ones. Anchanto’s approach stands out in meeting these nuanced demands, ensuring that businesses can effectively manage their digital and physical presence without compromising on either.
Localization Strategy Inspired by Bata
Anchanto’s localization strategy draws inspiration from Bata, a Czech shoe company renowned for its exceptional localization efforts. By adopting this approach, Anchanto builds local teams that deeply understand the language and market nuances, enabling them to address unique logistics challenges specific to each region. For example, they can handle non-standard address formats in Saudi Arabia with utmost efficiency, thanks to their localized approach. This model allows Anchanto to provide solutions that are finely tuned to the needs of different markets.
The product development strategy at Anchanto is also rooted in a ground-up approach. Their six SaaS products are designed to be highly configurable, thus capable of meeting diverse market needs. For instance, their WMS can support basic pick-to-light systems as well as advanced wave-picking strategies. Similarly, their OMS is adept at managing complex cross-border fulfillment scenarios, ensuring that Anchanto’s solutions are adaptable to various market requirements. This flexibility guarantees that the company’s offerings are not only efficient but also aligned with the specific demands of different regions.
Practical Solutions for Diverse Market Needs
Anchanto’s systems are meticulously designed to cater to various market scenarios, ensuring inventory accuracy and maintaining pick rates regardless of the region. In Indonesia, for instance, warehouse staff often share scanners and mobile terminals due to cost constraints. In stark contrast, customers in the U.K. demand full traceability with dedicated devices. Anchanto’s flexible systems are capable of accommodating both scenarios effectively, demonstrating their adaptability and efficiency in diverse environments.
Moreover, Anchanto prioritizes compliance and data management, providing private cloud deployments when required and ensuring adherence to regulations such as GDPR and PDPA. The company boasts ISO 27001 certification and conducts regular penetration testing to maintain high security standards across all fulfillment nodes. This unwavering commitment to security ensures data protection and regulatory compliance, further solidifying Anchanto’s reputation as a reliable and trustworthy e-commerce solution provider. Their customer-centric approach continually adapts to varying market needs, reinforcing their standing in the industry.
Transitioning from Basic Analytics to Predictive Capabilities
Anchanto is moving beyond basic analytics to offer predictive capabilities, setting it apart from many competitors. By leveraging their extensive dataset of annual orders, Anchanto assists customers in simulating promotional outcomes and optimizing inventory management. This predictive approach enables the system to forecast stockouts, recommend optimal slotting strategies, and anticipate labor requirements for peak periods. Instead of superficially using terms like AI, Anchanto focuses on practical machine learning applications that lead to tangible improvements in inventory turns, pick accuracy, and throughput.
Through this focus on real, applicable technologies, Anchanto ensures their solutions deliver genuine value to customers. The company’s predictive capabilities are designed to offer actionable insights, enhancing overall operational efficiency. This transition to predictive analytics illustrates Anchanto’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements while meeting the evolving needs of the e-commerce sector. Their readiness to embrace innovative solutions underscores their competitive edge in the market.
Deep Understanding of Logistics
Anchanto’s deep understanding of logistics, stemming from its five-year history as a tech company combined with seven years of logistics heritage, is a significant differentiator. As e-commerce logistics become increasingly complex, Anchanto’s experience is invaluable in accommodating cross-docking operations, value-added services, and returns processing. The company aids traditional B2B logistics providers in adapting to e-commerce fulfillment challenges, such as handling rapid order bursts from platforms like TikTok shops. Their WMS supports varied picking methodologies, allowing 3PLs to optimize operations based on order profiles and facility layouts, ensuring efficient and effective logistics management.
Anchanto’s logistics expertise makes them a standout in the e-commerce industry. Their ability to understand and address the intricacies of logistics ensures that they can offer robust solutions to their clients. As e-commerce logistics become more intricate, with requirements for rapid putaway and same-day shipping capabilities, Anchanto’s well-rounded approach positions them as a leader in the field. This deep knowledge of logistics is crucial as they help businesses navigate the complexities and demands of modern e-commerce.
Investment in Omnichannel Capabilities
Anchanto is revolutionizing the digital commerce sector with a distinctive approach that differentiates it in the competitive realm of e-commerce software. Unlike typical venture capital-funded startups aiming to disrupt large corporations, Singapore-based Anchanto allows its customers to become shareholders. This strategy not only brings in substantial investments but also ensures that customer insights directly influence the company’s innovation agenda. Anchanto’s founder and CEO, Vaibhav Dabhade, emphasizes that this unique method guarantees their solutions are both relevant and effective, meeting specific customer needs.
As the e-commerce industry evolves, Anchanto’s strategy becomes increasingly significant. With the pandemic-driven growth stabilizing, businesses are now prioritizing revenue and margin contributions from digital channels rather than mere digital transformation. This shift has revealed the drawbacks of generic e-commerce platforms, particularly in warehouse management systems (WMS) and order management systems (OMS). For example, Nike’s intense focus on digital expansion negatively affected its physical retail and traditional distribution channels, highlighting the risks of a poorly integrated digital strategy. Anchanto’s innovative approach ensures these challenges are adeptly managed.