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Vanilla & Scotch Custom Order Workflow
AI Automation

Vanilla & Scotch — Automated Custom Order Intake

Intelligent custom order triaging and automated consultation workflows reducing order finalization from 24+ hours to 4 minutes.

The Challenge

Vanilla & Scotch, a premium Gurgaon-based patisserie founded by Japleen Kaur Sehra, was experiencing rapid growth. However, their manual process for handling custom cake consultations and orders was becoming a significant bottleneck.

Operating primarily through WhatsApp and direct inquiries, the team was overwhelmed by the high volume of back-and-forth communication required to finalize custom designs, flavor profiles, and delivery logistics. The founder was spending over 20 hours a week just on administrative coordination rather than craft.

Critical Pain Points

  • • 18 WhatsApp messages on average per custom order
  • • 20+ hours of manual consultation weekly for the founder
  • • Transcription errors between WhatsApp and production sheets
  • • Missed inquiries during peak baking hours
  • • Scaling ceiling: Forced to close bookings weeks in advance

The Solution

We built an end-to-end Intelligent Custom Order Intake & Triage System. This didn't just replace forms; it acted as a digital gatekeeper that handled initial consultations, gathered high-fidelity requirements, and synchronized the bakery's production schedule in real-time.

The Patisserie Tech Stack

Shopify
Core e-commerce & inventory engine
WhatsApp API
Automated intake & status notifications
Airtable
Production schedule & design database
OpenAI GPT-4o
Requirement analysis & drafting briefs
Make.com
Workflow orchestration & triage logic
Google Calendar
Automated delivery window management

Custom Order Workflow

1
Smart Intake Portal
Client provides design vision, flavor, and date (5 min vs. 2 days of WhatsApp chats)
2
AI Production Brief
GPT-4o analyzes reference images and notes to create a standardized baker's recipe card
3
Automated Triage
System checks delivery capacity for the requested date and flags urgent requests
4
Payment Link Generation
Approved designs auto-generate a Shopify draft order and custom payment link
5
Production Update
Order details sync to Airtable production board for the kitchen team
6
Client Milestone Alerts
Automated WhatsApp messages sent when order is confirmed, baking, and out for delivery

Intelligent Features

  • Vision-to-Text: AI translates client design sketches into technical production notes
  • Dynamic Availability: Real-time capacity check prevents overbooking on peak celebration dates
  • Automated Follow-ups: Intelligent reminders for payment and design finalization
  • Personalized Touch: AI-drafted responses that maintain Japleen's brand voice

The Results

4 minutes
Finalization Time
Down from 24+ hours (98% faster)
4x
Custom Order Capacity
Without increasing admin headcount
96%
Order Retention
Fewer leads dropped during "WhatsApp fog"
25+ hrs
Weekly Time Reclaimed
Founder time shifted to craft and R&D

The "Soft Luxury" Impact

Custom Revenue Up 140% as no inquiry goes unanswered or lost in a chat thread.

Founder Presence Reclaimed: Japleen now focuses 100% on the craft and experimental flavor R&D.

Zero Production Errors: Automated briefs ensure the kitchen gets the exact flavor and date every time.

Seamless Experience: Clients praise the professional intake as much as the cakes themselves.

The automation system has processed over 450 custom orders in the past 4 months with minimal manual coordination. By offloading the "admin of celebration" to intelligent systems, Vanilla & Scotch has maintained its homegrown intimacy while scaling to meet the demands of Gurgaon's premium dessert market.

Project Details

Timeline
5 weeks
Industry
Premium Patisserie
Clients Onboarded
180+
Time Saved
96%
Error Rate
0%

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