Customer Success - SportStop.com

With a large selection of lacrosse equipment, SportStop.com is one of the premiere online lacrosse retailers in the U.S. and continues to expand its product line and service offerings. In order to support its accelerating growth rate, SportStop.com implemented Descartes OzLink™ for NetSuite to improve warehouse operations. As a result of the deployment, the company achieved a 75% reduction in picking errors and decreased overall pick time.

The Challenge
SportStop.com has grown substantially over the years and now carries over 20,000 different products. With a focus on lacrosse, growing order volume and deeper product selection, the paper-based picking process was inefficient and prone to error. For example, lacrosse gloves are available in different colors and sizes, making picking the exact SKU visually more challenging. Primary challenges included:

• Extended pick times with a high potential for errors
• The need for corrections when orders arrived at the pack station
• A lengthy training process for temporary staff during peak season
• The need to manually update NetSuite with inventory moves, creating visibility issues and slowed productivity

The Solution
SportStop.com initially implemented Descartes OzLink for NetSuite Shipping. However, based on its growth trajectory, the company saw the need to add further functionality. As a result, SportStop.com rolled-out barcode scanning  to reduce errors and increase productivity. With the Descartes OzLink for NetSuite Barcode scanning solution in place, the picker places 4-20 totes on a cart as orders are picked, then scans and validates each item against a barcode on the tote. The results include:

• Reduced fulfillment time and increased operational performance
• Improved order accuracy and enhanced customer satisfaction
• Accelerated training and improved proficiency of temporary warehouse staff during peak times
• Reduced pick errors and minimized corrections at the pack station