INDUSTRY: Consumer Products
ERP: NetSuite
CHALLENGE
Before RF-SMART, Thunderworks relied on a legacy system that failed to deliver the functionality they were promised. This forced the team to use risky manual processes and depend on institutional knowledge, leading to inefficiencies and errors.
RESULTS
With RF-SMART, Thunderworks cut pick times by 75%, sped up shipping by 40%, reduced employee training to just 30 minutes, and simplified stock counting.
RF-SMART PRODUCTS USED
Shipping – RF-SMART Shipping, Pack Station
WMS – Receiving, Putaway, Cycle Counting, Bin Management, Lot/Serial Number Tracking, Advanced Picking with Pick Planner (Batch Picking)
75%
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40%
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30 min
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Daily
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The Challenge
Thunderworks’ first WMS implementation completely failed, leaving them stuck with manual processes and no clear way to achieve accurate inventory.
Key issues:
- Failed WMS Provider: Could not deliver the promised capabilities and never went live due to poor communication and service.
- Limited Barcode Capabilities: No ability to scan multiple UPC types or master/inner case quantities, forcing staff to manually count individual items every day.
- No Lot Tracking: Manual expiration date logging prevented FIFO adherence and caused errors throughout warehouse receiving and inventory management.
- Institutional Knowledge Dependency: Employees relied on memory for product locations and shipping carrier preferences, causing inefficiencies and mispicks.
The Solution
Thunderworks selected RF-SMART for NetSuite after their first WMS failed, choosing RF-SMART for its impressive live demonstration and superior, service-first approach.
With RF-SMART WMS and Shipping, Thunderworks:
- Scanned multiple barcode types: Honored unique UPCs and master case quantities for faster receiving.
- Automated lot tracking: Logged lot numbers and expiration dates via handheld scanner to enforce FIFO.
- Implemented bin management: Directed employees to exact locations, eliminating reliance on institutional knowledge.
- Deployed Custom Rules Engine: Automated carrier selection and box sizing based on weight and destination.
- Enabled batch shipping: Printed all labels and orders simultaneously for bulk single-item orders, eliminating manual printing tasks.
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I can attribute our growth to happier customers due to less mispicks, which is thanks to RF-SMART. We are very satisfied with RF-SMART and highly recommend it.” The Results
Thunderworks dramatically improved warehouse efficiency across picking and shipping operations:
These gains enabled them to:
- Eliminate seven warehouse positions during peak season while maintaining similar volume
- Move from two-day monthly inventory counts to quick daily cycle counts
Most importantly, RF-SMART eliminated mispicks and manual decision-making, giving employees exact directions for every task. The solution's intuitive interface decreased training time to just 30 minutes, keeping Thunderworks growing team accurate and efficient.
