FDMT Unifies B2I and DTC Commerce with Shopify Plus & Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Founded in 2002, FDMT has built its reputation on supporting the development and well-being of children through educational resources, sensory tools, and learning materials. The Québec-based company serves both retail customers and institutional buyers, including schools, clinics, and therapeutic centres, through a dedicated B2I (Business-to-Institution) channel, guided by a mission to promote the maximum development of every child. At its core, FDMT prioritizes operational autonomy, a strong customer experience across both channels, and the ability to scale without proportional increases in complexity or cost.
Over time, FDMT's eCommerce platform struggled to support that vision. Its legacy system left the team dependent on external developers for routine updates, offered no clean separation between B2I and DTC workflows, and had no reliable connection to Microsoft Dynamics NAV, the ERP managing products, inventory, orders, and customer data. Operational costs were rising while the platform's path to support future growth remained unclear.
FDMT chose Molsoft for its expertise in enterprise Shopify Plus migrations, custom ERP integrations, and unified B2B and DTC commerce architectures, with a focus on connecting back-office systems to the storefront rather than simply replatforming.
Since partnering with Molsoft and implementing Shopify Plus, FDMT has consolidated: B2I and DTC commerce onto a single Shopify Plus platform, Microsoft Dynamics NAV connected to Shopify through a custom-built ERP connector, 70K Klaviyo subscribers migrated and consolidated under one marketing platform.
The Challenge: When Legacy Infrastructure Limits Both Channels
For FDMT, the challenge extended beyond an aging platform. The team had little autonomy over its own digital presence; routine updates, product launches, promotions, and content changes required external developer involvement. For a company serving both retail and institutional customers, the inability to move quickly was a constant operational drag and a competitive disadvantage.
Running B2I and DTC on the same legacy infrastructure compounded the problem. There was no clean way to offer institution-specific pricing, payment terms, or ordering workflows separate from the retail experience. Product data, inventory, and orders living in Microsoft Dynamics NAV had no reliable connection to the storefront, meaning information was either manually maintained or out of sync, creating errors, delays, and ongoing work for the team.
Operational costs tied to the legacy environment were also growing without a clear return. Maintaining aging infrastructure and disconnected integrations was expensive, and the platform offered no realistic path to support the company's growth ambitions without significant additional investment.
Shopify Plus offered a unified commerce platform capable of supporting both B2I and DTC channels natively, with company-level accounts, custom pricing catalogues, role-based permissions, and payment terms built into the core platform. Combined with Shopify 2.0's modular theme system and Shopify Markets for bilingual French/English support, the platform provided the foundation FDMT needed to consolidate operations, restore team autonomy, and scale without re-architecting the business.
[Suggested angle: the operational shift from depending on external developers and disconnected systems to running both B2I and DTC on a single platform the team can manage independently. To be confirmed and edited by client]
The Solution: A Unified B2I and DTC Architecture Connected to the ERP
Molsoft approached the engagement by designing a single Shopify Plus platform capable of supporting two distinct commerce experiences, institutional buying and direct retail, without compromise on either side.
A custom Shopify 2.0 theme delivered separate B2I and DTC experiences within one storefront, each with its own pricing logic, ordering workflows, and account behaviour. Institutional buyers received company-level access with custom pricing catalogues, payment terms, and role-based permissions, enabling fully self-serve ordering distinct from the retail channel. Retail customers received a modern, content-rich storefront that the FDMT team could update independently through Shopify 2.0's modular sections.
The most strategically important component was a custom-built connector between Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Shopify Plus. Product data, inventory levels, orders, and customer records now sync automatically between the two systems, eliminating the manual data management and reconciliation work that had defined the legacy environment. The storefront reflects accurate back-office information at all times, on both channels.
"The priority was not just to migrate FDMT to a modern platform. It was to give them a single foundation that could carry both B2I and DTC, and to connect that foundation directly to the ERP that runs the business. Shopify Plus provided the native B2B capabilities, and the custom NAV connector made sure the storefront and the back office stay in lockstep." — Molsoft [To be confirmed and edited by CEO]
Email marketing was fully consolidated through a Klaviyo migration covering the 70K subscriber list, automated flows, and new signup forms. HubSpot CRM was integrated for lead management, Intuitive Shipping was configured to handle complex multi-zone rules, and a complete data migration brought historical orders, customers, gift cards, products, collections, blog content, and coupons into the new environment without disruption.
The Results: One Platform, Two Channels, A Connected Back Office
The shift to Shopify Plus transformed how FDMT operates. B2I and DTC now run from a single modern platform, with institutional buyers managing their own catalogues, orders, and payments through company accounts, and retail customers shopping through a storefront that the internal team can update without developer involvement.
The integration with Microsoft Dynamics NAV changed the day-to-day reality for the team. Product data, inventory, orders, and customer records flow automatically between the ERP and Shopify, eliminating manual data entry and the errors it introduces. The storefront is accurate by default rather than by effort.
Email marketing is fully consolidated in Klaviyo. Operational costs tied to the legacy platform have been eliminated. The team has the autonomy to manage content, promotions, and product launches independently, and the platform is built to scale alongside the business.
[Closing client quote to be provided. Suggested angle: the impact of having a connected back office and a platform the team can run independently, and what that has changed about how FDMT operates day to day. To be confirmed and edited by client]
With a unified commerce foundation in place, FDMT is now positioned to deepen its digital capabilities across both channels, with Molsoft continuing to optimize the NAV connector flows and a longer-term retainer planned to support ongoing development, extending what the platform can do without adding complexity to how the business runs.