Company Overview
Ola Mate is a fast-growing functional beverage company based in New York City — known for its clean-label yerba mate that energizes without the crash. Retail execution is the heartbeat of their business, driving visibility and velocity across independent stores and regional chains throughout NYC.
Founder & CEO AJ Scordio leads a hands-on sales strategy: reps visit stores daily, take orders on the spot, and manage merchandising displays to keep the brand top-of-shelf.
But as Ola Mate expanded rapidly into new boroughs and retail partners, operational challenges surfaced.
The Challenge
With more accounts came more variables — changing store schedules, invoicing needs, payment collection, and complex retail execution. Ola Mate relied heavily on spreadsheets and manual calls to coordinate routes and confirm delivery expectations.
This created inefficiencies and slowed momentum in a highly competitive category.
Key challenges before SimplyDepo:
❌ Manual route planning ate up hours weekly
❌ Frequent order errors required follow-ups after delivery
❌ No unified mobile tool to track sales & merchandising
❌ Payments took days to reconcile in QuickBooks
❌ Adding new stores to daily routes was difficult
“We needed a tool that moves as fast as our reps do in NYC. SimplyDepo gave us speed and control — without slowing the team down.”
— AJ Scordio, Founder & CEO, Ola Mate
The Solution
Ola Mate implemented SimplyDepo to streamline every field workflow — from planning a rep’s day to collecting payment at the shelf.
With SimplyDepo, the team now:
✅ Automates route planning & navigation
✅ Places and edits orders in-store instantly
✅ Syncs invoices & payments directly to QuickBooks
✅ Tracks merchandising photos and shelf compliance
✅ Onboards new stores into reps’ routes within minutes
Everything reps need to grow and execute — all in one app.
The Results
In less than 6 months, SimplyDepo has transformed Ola Mate’s field performance and accelerated market penetration in NYC.
The Results
Since adopting SimplyDepo, Empire Snack Distributors has improved both rep productivity and operational efficiency. Key performance improvements include:
- 40%
New customer growth via smarter retail targeting
- 80%
Reduction in order corrections
- 2x
Faster navigation & in-store workflows
Summary Metrics
| KPI | Before SimplyDepo | After SimplyDepo |
|---|---|---|
| Order correction rate | 25% | 5% |
| New store onboarding time | 7–10 days | 2–3 days |
| Navigation & store visit speed | — | 2X faster |
| Payment reconciliation | 2–3 days | Same-day sync |
| Merchandising visibility | Low | Real-time |
Why It Works
Ola Mate succeeds by moving fast — winning shelf space and shopper attention before competitors. SimplyDepo supports that model by removing friction from field execution.
Whether a rep is discovering a new deli, adding it to their route, capturing photos, and submitting an order — it all happens instantly.
“SimplyDepo helps our reps win at retail every day — more visibility, fewer errors, and way more stores.”
— AJ Scordio, Founder & CEO, Ola Mate
What’s Next
Ola Mate is expanding across the Tri-State region while deepening distribution with major retail chains. With SimplyDepo powering store coverage and retail execution, the team is set to scale efficiently — without losing speed.
