ERP Software Case Study: ZonManager
This case study explores the effectiveness of Verichains Development Center services’ impact on how an enterprise streamlines operations, enhances efficiency and achieves remarkable success.
In the competitive landscape of e-commerce, effective operational management and cost optimization play a crucial role in sustained growth and profitability. To overcome the challenges faced by Web Deals Direct (WDD), an Amazon retailer specializing in home goods, as their business expanded globally, WDD turned to Verichains Development Center for a custom enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solution called ZonManager.
This case study explores the effectiveness of Verichains Development Center services’ impact on how an enterprise streamlines operations, enhances efficiency and achieves remarkable success through the documented three years of cooperation between WDD and Verichains Development Center.
Business Problem
As WDD rapidly grew, they encountered various operational obstacles that threatened their profitability and customer satisfaction. Generic third-party inventory tracking software was ineffective in managing inventory and logistics, resulting in stockouts during peak shopping seasons and subsequent revenue loss. The high costs associated with managing multiple software for customer care, finance, and other functions lacked integration and essential features, leading to operational inefficiencies and further compounding their challenges.
The Solution: ZonManager ERP Software
Recognizing the need for a centralized and comprehensive solution, WDD's co-founders, Adam Feinberg, and Richard Bell, decided to invest in building an in-house software solution. Their first attempt was to engage and manage a fragmented team of freelancers who worked independently. The results of this attempt were the delivery of ineffective software solutions that could not keep pace with the growth rate of WDD's business.
The founders realized they needed a trusted development team, so in the second attempt, they turned to Verichains Development Center. Once an agreement was established, Verichains' dedicated team engaged in thorough consultations with WDD to gain a deep understanding of their business needs and create a comprehensive list of requirements for their ERP software.
Once the software requirements were finalized, our team swiftly developed and delivered the first MVP for WDD’s ERP solution, called ZonManager in only five business days. For ongoing software updates, feature development, integrations, and maintenance, Verichains continuously provided these services for the next three years of our collaboration.
Key Features and Benefits Building with Verichains Development Center:
Centralized Business Functions: The ERP delivered enabled the integration of key business functions, including profitability tracking, listing management, customer service handling, and inventory and warehouse management, into a unified platform that streamlined operations.
Customization and Scalability: With our software development capability, we provided flexibility to adapt our software development process to meet the customization needs of WDD and enable rapid feature iterations and software optimization to keep pace with the scaling needs of the business.
Dedicated Support and Continuous Improvement: Verichains' dedicated team provided ongoing technical support, software optimization, and the development of new features. Updates were implemented promptly, even during critical periods like holidays, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
The Nine-Figure Acquisition
Perch, a private equity-backed retailer, whose business is to grow their top-line revenue through strategic acquisition of smaller Amazon retailers. As of 2021, Perch boasts over 70 brands under their group's umbrella. Once WDD came onto their radar, they could not overlook the operational efficiency, leading to their acquisition for an undisclosed nine-figure amount.
The complexity and scale of WDD's business operations were praised by Perch CEO Chris Bell, highlighting the effectiveness of ZonManager. After the acquisition, Perch adopted ZonManager as their proprietary software, recognizing its robustness and efficacy.
Conclusion
Throughout our three years of collaboration, WDD found a reliable partner in Verichains, who is capable of taking full responsibility for software development, ongoing technical support, and feature implementation without dramatically increasing their full-time headcount and associating more costs with fragmented vendors or generic third-party software. This allows the core team to prioritize business expansion and revenue growth and capitalize on new opportunities.