Supporting Ecommerce Business Growth
The JOELLE Collection, a renowned Canadian brand offering designer clothing and accessories for women, has experienced explosive growth in recent years. Because of the increasing demand for its fashion line, JOELLE sought to enhance its fulfillment processes to keep up with order volume and create a seamless customer experience. To best address challenges with scaling, the company implemented the combined solution of Descartes Peoplevox™ ecommerce warehouse management system (WMS) and Descartes ShipRush™ multi-carrier ecommerce parcel shipping solution. The results were remarkable, as JOELLE achieved a threefold increase in fulfillment capacity, improved inventory control, and created an exceptional customer journey.
Challenges with Scaling
Prior to implementing the Descartes solutions, JOELLE faced inefficiencies in its pick-pack-ship process. As order volume and inventory levels grew, the existing system struggled to keep up, resulting in decreased order accuracy, shipping bottlenecks, and hindered business growth. Furthermore, the lack of synchronization between the Shopify ecommerce platform and the inventory system meant an increased risk of overselling, leaving online customers unaware of real-time inventory levels. To overcome these challenges, JOELLE needed to automate its inbound processes, enhance inventory management, and bolster order fulfillment capacity, speed, and scalability.
Problem-Solving Using Technology
JOELLE successfully accelerated its fulfillment workflows through automation by deploying the Descartes Peoplevox WMS and Descartes ShipRush solutions. Inspired by another successful Descartes Peoplevox user in the direct-to-consumer apparel industry, JOELLE replaced its outdated legacy system with the cloud-based Descartes solutions. Within a mere three months, the combined solution resulted in the following:
- Streamlined and expedited pick-pack-dispatch process
- Increased order accuracy and real-time visibility into inventory and shipping
- Barcode scanning capabilities on the warehouse floor
- Shipping more orders while minimizing the risk of errors
- Seamless integration with Shopify, providing granular visibility into inventory levels
- Complete synchronization between the storefront and warehouse operations
Benefits for JOELLE
The implementation of the two Descartes solutions brought about several tangible benefits for JOELLE. First, it enabled JOELLE to triple its order output, easily scaling to accommodate rapid growth and peak season surges.
Shipping Benefits
The Descartes ShipRush multi-carrier shipping platform seamlessly integrated with JOELLE’s warehouse tech stack, offering the following shipping-related benefits:
- Automate recurring tasks with advanced automation rules.
- Match shipping activities to specific business needs with a robust business rule engine.
- Fully integrate the tech stack with a comprehensive set of rating, shipping, and tracking APIs.
As a result, JOELLE was able to ship three times more orders without the need for additional staff. The integration with preferred carriers and optimized shipping options based on customer preferences further enhanced the shipping process. Customers were delighted to receive their orders accurately and on time, with the ability to track their shipment from the moment of purchase until it arrived at their doorstep.
Warehouse Benefits
After the implementation of Descartes Peoplevox, the JOELLE warehouse team experienced increased productivity, as barcode scanners automated and expedited the pick-pack-ship workflow. Real-time inventory visibility ensured tight control over stock levels, preventing overselling and minimizing the risk of discrepancies between the warehouse and the website. Order accuracy significantly improved through barcode validation and synchronization with Shopify, eliminating costly errors. Ultimately, JOELLE succeeded in optimizing the customer experience, fulfilling orders accurately and punctually, fostering brand loyalty, and driving repeat sales.
Transforming Operations with Integrated Technology
In conclusion, the strategic deployment of integrated technology solutions proved instrumental in streamlining JOELLE’s ecommerce fulfillment operations. By addressing the challenges of growth, inventory management, and order accuracy, JOELLE transformed fulfillment and shipping processes, laying the foundation for scalable operations going forward. As JOELLE continues to put women at the forefront of clothing, the business can confidently handle growing order volumes while providing an exceptional customer experience.