Unimart.com, a multimillion-dollar retail outfit based in Costa Rica, experienced a 350% growth since the pandemic. The company, which started in electronics sales, quickly expanded to cover a full roster of categories. Their business model is complex, consisting of Shopify Plus-powered direct-to-consumer sales, a B2B arm for corporate customers, and a separate API stream supplying brand loyalty programs. Initially, Unimart.com used a traditional legacy ERP provider to consolidate its multichannel processes. However, the company soon faced issues with disjointed data transfers and found the system ill-suited to their business model. Alternative legacy ERPs were considered but were deemed financially unviable due to their all-in-one nature and clunky connectivity. The decision to switch to Brightpearl came at the start of 2020, just before the pandemic-induced sales surge, which further strained Unimart.com’s existing systems.

USA Lab, a Michigan-based lab equipment brand, experienced rapid growth, quadrupling in size within a few months. The company, which specializes in B2B equipment for labs and universities and DTC equipment for hemp and CBD production, began to face challenges with overselling and inventory management. In an attempt to address these issues, USA Lab opted for Cin7, a retail operating system platform. However, the platform failed to deliver on its promises, leading to further complications for the fast-growing brand. The company's experience with Cin7 highlights the risks associated with opting for a 'cheap fix' when it comes to retail operating systems.

Arms of Eve, an ethical fashion accessory business, was co-founded by Aaron and Kerryn Langer. After running a successful wholesale fashion business in Los Angeles, they decided to start a new, ecommerce-focused fashion business in Australia. They set up a Shopify store and began selling fashion accessories at weekend markets. Their business model was successful, and they were approached by Australian ecommerce marketplace The Iconic. However, as their business grew, they faced a significant challenge: inventory management. To sustain and increase growth, Arms of Eve needed a robust inventory management system and the right team to help them use it to its full potential. Their current system was not able to keep up with the increasing complexity and volume of their inventory, leading to inefficiencies and potential loss of business.

Big Music, a music business founded by Richard and David Berkman in 2009, had grown significantly over the years. The business had over 800 students coming in for music lessons, 30 music teachers, and a music product business that sold both online and in their Sydney street-front retail premises. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought new challenges. While the slump in foot traffic was compensated by a surge in eCommerce, the unique nature of the music business made online selling potentially problematic due to the huge price range of music products. Big Music had been using an inventory management system called Lightspeed, which they had customized over the years to fit their business. However, with the increase in eCommerce sales volume and the modernization and cloud trend in the business software landscape, they found themselves outgrowing Lightspeed. When Lightspeed announced it was winding down, Big Music needed a bigger and better solution.

Cath Kidston, a renowned fashion retailer known for its nostalgic, hand-painted floral print fashion, bags, kids wear, and home furnishings, faced a significant challenge in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company, which had grown from a single retail store in 1993 to 136 retail outlets worldwide by 2014, was forced to close 60 of their UK and Japanese retail locations in early 2020 due to commercial challenges. This situation could have spelled the end for most brick-and-mortar businesses, but Cath Kidston saw it as an opportunity for a new beginning. The company decided to relaunch the brand as a direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce business while maintaining its B2B franchise and wholesale operations. However, the transition was not without its challenges. The company's existing enterprise resource planning software (ERP) was not only expensive and complex but also lacked technical documentation, making integration difficult.

Dock & Bay, a beach towel company, was struggling with inventory management. The company had a simple yet significant problem: they didn't know where their towels were. They were using spreadsheets as a temporary fix, but this method was proving to be inefficient and unreliable. Their main pain points were a lack of inventory visibility and an inability to do stock forecasting. The company needed a solution that would provide them with accurate, real-time inventory data and allow them to forecast stock levels effectively. They also needed a system that could handle the complexity of their operations, which included sales through Amazon and their own website, as well as distribution through five warehouses run by third-party logistics (3PL) partners in different regions.

When Lenny Vainberg, CEO of ModaConcrete and TerraFlame, acquired the company, it had a few promising products that were gaining traction in retail. However, beneath the surface, the company was struggling. Revenue was not meeting expectations and there was a lack of visibility between manufacturing and fulfillment, making it difficult to understand the true product and operating costs. The operations were in a raw state, with no inventory management system in place. The company needed a robust solution, but the ERP systems Vainberg had worked with in the past required significant time and capital resources, which was a huge investment for a company at this early stage. They needed a solution that was cost-effective, efficient, and could provide the visibility they needed to manage their operations effectively.

Pine Apparel, an apparel wholesaler, was struggling with outdated inventory and accounting systems that were not in line with the company's growth. The company was still operating as a small business, with inventory recorded on Excel sheets and processes documented in Google Drive. Sales were manually deducted, leading to a rush among the team. When Elise Ellis, the Director of Operations, joined the team in 2019, she was tasked with modernizing the company. However, she faced the challenge of finding an inventory solution that would best suit the business. The apparel industry has unique requirements, such as the need to record items sold as bundles and single stock items, and to manage a range of colors and sizes for the same item. Any disruption in the inventory chain could halt sales, adding to the complexity of the situation.

Urth, a mission-driven camera and art accessories business, was facing significant operational challenges. Despite being a well-established ecommerce business, Urth was struggling with inventory management. They were using Magento, an ecommerce platform, for both ecommerce and inventory management. However, Magento was not designed to function as a full-fledged inventory management system. This issue was further complicated by the fact that Urth was running inventory out of Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA), and Magento and Amazon were not integrated. This led to several problems, including customers being able to place orders for items that were out of stock and limiting Urth's capacity for growth and expansion to new markets or sales channels. In 2020, Urth decided to move from Magento to Shopify and sought an inventory management system that integrated natively with Shopify and Amazon FBA.

Dingo Australia, a leading manufacturer and supplier of unique earthmoving machines and attachments, faced a significant challenge in managing its inventory, warehouse distribution, and manufacturing processes. As a company that operates not only as a manufacturer but also as a distributor of whole goods and spare parts across multiple branches in Australia, it was crucial for them to find a solution that could integrate all these components into a single, user-friendly system. Additionally, they needed a cost-effective financial package to replace their existing software, which also contained their financial requirements. The new financial system had to be user-friendly and capable of meeting their specific needs.

Green Beacon Brewing, a Queensland brewery and Brewpub, was facing significant challenges in managing its production, inventory, sales, and distribution across two manufacturing sites in Brisbane. The company was unable to accurately track its raw materials, leading to frequent over-ordering. The locations of finished goods were not clearly identified, and the costing of inventory was largely based on guesswork. Furthermore, distribution was a manual process heavily reliant on paper trails, making it inefficient and prone to errors. The company was in dire need of an inventory system that could address these issues and streamline its operations.

Marc Nelson Oil Products, a supplier of oil products, was facing a significant challenge due to the absence of documented business processes, procedures, and policies. This lack of documentation created a knowledge gap among employees, affecting their performance and the overall efficiency of the organization. The company's president, Peter Nelson, was particularly concerned about the potential loss of knowledge and skills when experienced employees left the company. New employees struggled to settle in due to the absence of existing documents to consult for assistance, leading to operational inefficiencies and performance lapses. The company needed an effective system to document and streamline its business processes.

MonteVista Homes, a family-owned home building company based in Oregon, was facing a significant challenge in its operations. The construction work, being highly technical, required a collective effort from all workers to achieve set targets. However, there was a disparity in the knowledge base of workers, which hindered uniformity in operations. The company recognized the need for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), but their initial attempts at manual documentation did not yield the desired results. The team created SOPs on loose-leaf documents and desk manuals for every position in the organization, but these were not being utilized effectively. The manuals were outdated and difficult to update, leading to inefficiencies in the workflow.

Network Doctor, a support service company offering technology solutions to small and medium businesses, was facing a significant challenge in accessing vital information needed to resolve customer support issues. The lack of a centralized system for documenting and streamlining business processes resulted in wasted time and elongated resolution times, negatively impacting customer satisfaction. The company's diverse client base required tailored procedures, but ineffective documentation led to complicated processes. The company was using Word documents and a ticketing system, which resulted in scattered work documents and hampered efficiency. The lack of orderliness threatened the company's reputation as a professional support service provider.

Preferred Home Services, a rapidly growing residential home service company based in South Carolina, was facing operational challenges due to ineffective communication and lack of an efficient workflow software. The absence of a streamlined process was hindering the free flow of information among employees, leading to frequent queries about job responsibilities and procedures. This was not only affecting the efficiency of the team but also impacting the quality of service provided to the customers. The situation was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to an increase in household repair issues as people spent more time at home. The company needed a solution that could enhance their operations, improve communication, and enable employees to execute their jobs independently.

David Brannen, the founder of Resolute Legal, faced significant challenges in establishing and scaling his business. His passion for helping people with disabilities secure deserved compensation was the driving force behind his venture. However, the absence of a structured business model and the overwhelming task of managing all aspects of the business single-handedly hindered his progress. The lack of a system to manage the various moving parts of his business was a significant concern. The fear of potential pitfalls and the inability to scale his business due to disorganization and lack of structure were major obstacles in achieving his goal.

Stone & Wood, a brewing company based in Australia, was facing significant operational challenges. The company was struggling to maintain quality assurance and smooth operations, which were crucial in their industrial environment. The existing system of using binders and Microsoft Word documents for documenting their processes was proving to be inefficient and insufficient. Updating work procedures and processes was another major challenge. The use of outdated procedures could potentially disrupt the entire production process, leading to wastage of time and resources. The company needed a more effective system to streamline their operations and ensure adherence to regulatory standards in the industry.

Animo, a Dutch coffee machine company, was facing a challenge in providing effective operational, maintenance, and troubleshooting support for their complex and high-tech coffee machines. Their professional customers, who use these machines for commercial purposes, required a certain level of support to operate these machines efficiently. Prior to 2016, Animo provided paper and PDF user guides to their customers, which were not as efficient or user-friendly. Animo identified this as an opportunity to increase value for their customers by digitizing these instructions, thereby improving their distribution and usability. The challenge was to revolutionize the way customers interacted with their machines, aiming to provide a quality coffee experience with an unparalleled user experience.