Customer Success - Slingshot Sports

Slingshot Sports is a growing leader in outdoor products including wake boards, stand-up paddle boards, kite boarding gear and more. The company focuses on the innovation of its products, and this need was mirrored in the requirement for more robust technology. As the company expanded, its growth placed pressure on warehouse staff for a higher level of performance. In order to improve customer service, the company selected Descartes OzLink™ for NetSuite to streamline fulfillment processes, lower costs and maximize efficiency.

The Challenge
With expanding products, annual turnover in styles and a rapidly growing business, the burden on warehouse staff was increasing. In addition to fulfillment, Slingshot Sports also manufactures its products, further driving the company to balance multiple priorities to support their growth. Primary challenges included:

• The potential for costly picking errors given the size and cost of equipment and materials
• New yearly designs and sky-rocketing sales prompted the need for better inventory control
• Similar products with different attributes led to errors and inefficiencies

The Solution
Based on the success of its NetSuite investment, Slingshot Sports leveraged Descartes OzLink to connect warehouse processes to NetSuite in real-time. As a result of the Descartes OzLink for NetSuite implementation, the company streamlined fulfillment processes to support over 1000 orders per month. The results include:

• Automated wireless picking with integrated UPS shipping
• Improved accuracy and productivity for order picking, including the ability to capture serial numbers
• Real-time visibility in NetSuite of order status, inventory and tracking information
• Reduced picking errors by  75%
• Ability to leverage temporary staff more effectively during peak periods while maintaining high customer service levels
• Streamlined shipping resulting in lower costs