The Client – Patio Essentials, Nate Broscoff (Director of Operations)
It’s a mid-summer night, I’m out back enjoying the company of some good friends on my back porch, when suddenly the worst comes to fruition, it’s mosquito season. There are over 3,500 different species of mosquitoes in the world, yet just a few ways to combat these aggravating bugs. Luckily, Patio Essentials has one of them, Citronella candles. Citronella doesn’t kill mosquitoes, it just repels them, along with other pests. On top of these efforts, Patio Essentials strives to create stylish, innovative, and high-quality outdoor furniture. For example, one of their most popular items is their outdoor bamboo torch.
Working with established companies such as Walmart and Lowe’s, Patio Essentials has increased team size and doubled in inventory. To handle this boost in growth, Patio Essentials looked to NetSuite for their software and Paapri Cloud Technologies to implement it.
Challenges – Shortage of Inventory Tracking and Data Analysis
Nate Broscoff, the Director of Operations, was unhappy with the limited capability of his past systems. He said, “They [the previous systems] didn’t give us the visibility we wanted as far as inventory tracking and data analysis.” To put it simply, “it just didn’t give us the information we needed to make us more profitable.” Inventory management is a significant asset to any business and quick turnover rates often lead to better cash flow. Bad inventory management and tracking can mean missed sales, higher holding costs, inefficient replenishment, and more costly mistakes. Data analysis is key in helping business managers make informed decisions on how to adjust in real time, learn from past mistakes, and charge into the future. A lack of information and visibility on either is a recipe for disaster. Nate was aware of this and knew that Patio Essentials needed to take the next step.
Action/Solution – A Customized, Upgraded System Implemented with Exceptional Customer Service
To truly reap the benefits of NetSuite, an implementation needs to be mapped out to the business taking it on. A vanilla build may be an improvement for some businesses, but to truly reach your potential a customized solution a must. Luckily that’s one of Paapri’s strengths. We offer a number of information gathering stages throughout the implementation processes where our team has ample opportunity to collect specific information to be utilized in the implementation.
“I was able to tell Miguel and P [the Project Manager and the CEO, respectively] what I wanted to see out of the system and then, for the most part, they molded it to how I wanted it to transpire.”
– Nate Broscoff, Director of Operations
#TeamPaapri consists of over 30 expert NetSuite consultants who all have the responsibility to answer questions and address problems in a proper and timely manner. This case was no exception, as Nate acknowledged that “my lead consultant [Satish Jha] answered my questions very well and was very prompt.” Continuing on that statement, he said, “there weren’t any negatives, and it is just what I would expect from somebody who has good customer service.” We understood Nate’s expectations, and we did everything we could to surpass them.
Results – Increased Forecasting and General Reporting Capabilities
The blindfolds for inventory tracking, data analysis, and overall capabilities were removed with the vision granted by their new NetSuite system. Nate believes “it [NetSuite] gave us the ability to see the numbers we wanted to see as far as year-to-year sales comparisons, inventory turnover rate, and just general reporting.” The insights now available had an immediate impact on their business planning and have resulted in dramatic benefits for Patio Essentials. One of the many advantages they have seen is in their forecasting abilities. Elaborating, Nate said, “Our forecasting that we put together within NetSuite helped give us a better idea of when we wanted to bring in certain items and the overall quantity, we wanted to bring in. I would say our forecasting is much more accurate in 2019 versus 2018.” To conclude, Paapri’s professional services and team customized NetSuite for Patio Essentials, delivered what was promised, and have provided excellent results.
