Project
Sensafarma eCommerce Portal
Client
Services
SAP CX
SAP Commerce
Industry
Pharmaceutical Distribution
B2B2C Retail
Background
New regulations allowing the online sale of non-prescription medicines opened up a new opportunity for pharmacies. However, developing and operating their own online stores required technological, commercial, and logistics capabilities that were difficult for individual pharmacies to manage independently.
Bidafarma is a pharmaceutical distribution cooperative wholly owned by pharmacists. In response to the new regulatory framework, it decided to create Sensafarma, a shared platform that would allow its member pharmacies to enter eCommerce quickly, while ensuring that every sale remained linked to an authorized pharmacy.
Overview
ASPA implemented Sensafarma on SAP Commerce as a shared B2B2C platform for Bidafarma and its member pharmacies. Each pharmacy had its own digital presence, including its business, ownership, and regulatory information, while the catalog, core content, and eCommerce processes were managed through a common infrastructure.
The solution integrated SAP Commerce with the corporate ERP to manage catalog, orders, and logistics. Products were fulfilled from Bidafarma’s warehouses, with delivery either to the pharmacy or directly to the customer depending on the product type and applicable regulations. The onboarding of new pharmacies was designed as a simple, repeatable process to support rapid network growth.
Goals
The project aimed to provide member pharmacies with a complete digital sales channel without requiring each pharmacy to implement and operate its own platform. The solution had to combine a consistent shared experience with an individual identity for every pharmacy, while ensuring that all transactions remained linked to an authorized establishment.
It also needed to integrate the online channel with SAP ERP, centralize catalog and logistics management, support delivery options tailored to different product types, and comply with the specific requirements governing the online sale of non-prescription medicines and parapharmacy products.
Challenge
The project aimed to provide member pharmacies with a complete digital sales channel without requiring each pharmacy to implement and operate its own platform. The solution had to combine a consistent shared experience with an individual identity for every pharmacy, while ensuring that all transactions remained linked to an authorized establishment.
It also needed to integrate the online channel with SAP ERP, centralize catalog and logistics management, support delivery options tailored to different product types, and comply with the specific requirements governing the online sale of non-prescription medicines and parapharmacy products.
Strategic Transformation
Sensafarma enabled Bidafarma to extend its role beyond pharmaceutical wholesale distribution into the provision of value-added digital services for its member pharmacies. The platform transformed an extensive network of independent pharmacies into a shared digital ecosystem, combining the scale of the cooperative with the proximity and trust of each individual pharmacy.
Member pharmacies were able to enter eCommerce through a shared infrastructure, avoiding individual investments and developments. At the same time, Bidafarma centralized technology, catalog, and logistics while preserving the pharmacy as an essential part of both the commercial and healthcare model.
Results
The first version of Sensafarma was implemented in just six months, integrated with SAP ERP and supported by a logistics model designed for both home delivery and pharmacy pickup. Within only a few weeks of launch, around 400 pharmacies had already joined the platform, and the network subsequently expanded to several thousand establishments.
The platform delivered a shared catalog, individualized pharmacy pages, location search by geography or postal code, an integrated checkout process, and mechanisms for rapidly onboarding new pharmacies. Further phases and front-end optimizations were subsequently delivered to enhance the user experience and expand the platform’s capabilities.
Long-term Value
Sensafarma provides Bidafarma with a scalable platform to expand the digital services offered to its member pharmacies and further develop its relationship with end consumers. The model allows new pharmacies, products, and functionalities to be added without requiring each establishment to develop its own technological capabilities.
The combination of eCommerce, centralized logistics, and a nationwide physical network makes Bidafarma’s online presence through Sensafarma a competitive advantage, while preserving the pharmacy’s distinctive role as a trusted source of professional advice and customer care.