Mintsoft and Ultralight Outdoor Gear

This order management system case study shows how Mintsoft transformed and continues to support the fulfillment operations of an outdoor clothing and equipment store.

Ultralight Outdoor Gear Mintsoft Case Study

Who are Ultralight Outdoor Gear?

Established in 2006 by Mark Richardson, Ultralight Outdoor Gear (UOG) aims to provide customers with the best range of lightweight kit, all under 'one roof’.

With a wide range of product categories and SKUs to manage due to a large inventory base, remaining agile when it came to fulfillment was becoming challenging.

The challenge

Picking orders and moving stock around the warehouse was a nightmare for the team of UOG - as was the ability to track and update inventory levels. Prior to implementing Mintsoft, the team relied on manual and paper based systems, before realising that their processes were resulting in a high rate of manual errors.

 

As a result, UOG were looking to adopt an ERP system with Order Management System (OMS) functionalities to help automate many of their fulfillment related tasks.

 

They were hoping to reduce time spent on tasks specifically related to product locations in the warehouse; a common pain point across the board when it comes to fulfillment processes.

 

Manually adjusting and transferring stock can result in many inaccuracies and cause costly mistakes to e-commerce businesses, but Mintsoft’s scanning app allows stock to be scanned in and out of locations, which provides and maintains traceability.

 

The batch scheduler module which supports the ability to differentiate between multi-line and single-line products has enabled the team at UOG to create specific trolleys in the warehouse for associated batches - increasing efficiency and accuracy of the picking packing process.

 

It’s been fascinating moving from a paper-based system to a cloud-based order management system. We are positive Mintsoft has put us in good stead for growth over the next several years.

 

How Mintsoft has helped 

 

From cost savings, to automating all manual based tasks, Mintsoft has helped and supported UOG in many ways. 

Read on to find out more. 

 

Cost savings: Customer returns due to errors have decreased by 90%

 

The previous paper-based system used by the team was extremely time consuming and a lot of money was lost due to customers requesting refunds after receiving incorrect orders. This unsustainable process also led to reduced customer loyalty and repeat sales.

 

Because of this, improving customer satisfaction was key for UOG - they were hoping to improve accuracy of picking orders, cut back on their order cut-off times as well as enhance the time of order processing.

 

Since implementing Mintsoft, UOG has seen a 90% drop in returns in terms of value. This level of savings essentially pays for the software itself - not to mention the increase in customer satisfaction.

 

Triple-digit growth was made manageable thanks to increased Productivity

 

During the pandemic, the team at UOG saw a huge increase in sales, resulting in a triple digit growth in profits.

 

Whilst this growth and uplift in orders could have been detrimental to the operations of the warehousing team, the use of Mintsoft enabled productivity levels to be so high that the team didn’t even have to onboard additional members of staff to cope with such the influx of orders.

 

“Our warehouse operations are now as streamlined as we could have hoped and this has removed the need to hire new heads into the warehouse, providing more cost savings.”

 

Easy onboarding: Connected with systems we already used

 

UOG explored alternative OMS software solutions, but ultimately chose Mintsoft based on the fair pricing in comparison to other systems and the cleaner looking user-interface.

 

Another draw was the 150+ ‘out-the-box’ integrations offered by Mintsoft. The pre-built API integrations made the onboarding process much quicker, as Mintsoft was able to seamlessly connect with the ERP system used by UOG to support the fulfillment processes.

 

The connection between the two systems also makes it easier to spot and fix discrepancies between inventory levels across the ERP system and order management system with data being pulled into one centralised platform.

 

The range of integrations also offers confidence when partnering with additional or alternatives channels, couriers or ecommerce platforms.

 

“We are appreciative of the support received when going through the process of integrating both systems.”

 

Mintsoft worked with stakeholders at both UOG and their ERP software provider to ensure onboarding of both platforms was seamless.

 

The pre-built courier integrations have also proved beneficial, offering a clearer view of what they're paying, making it easier to negotiate pricing when onboarding additional couriers.

 

UOG aims to ship all orders placed before 3pm Monday to Friday, on the same day, which has become much easier since having access to Mintsoft’s courier integrations. These integrations allow the team to send orders out more smoothly, with customers highly commending the quick despatch times.

 

All manual tasks are now automated

 

UOG has managed to automate almost all of their fulfillment related tasks and processes since implementing Mintsoft, including:

 

  • Automated picking lists - previously created and managed on Excel, but are all automated and synched with the system
  • Route optimisation for warehouse staff - optimised pick routes allow warehouse workers to select the correct product each time, in the fastest way possible
  • Updating order statuses - this is now done automatically alongside being able to offer tracking details to customers, which was not possible previously

“The software has paid for itself - our amount of refunds processed due to incorrect orders as a result of manual error have gone down by 90%.''

 

 

Alex Nicholson, Core Operations Manager at Ultralight Outdoor Gear

 

 

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