Growing Pains Without Proper Systems
Founded in 2009, Weby Corp has rapidly grown from operating out of a small apartment with just 40 SKUs, to a thriving, multi-location enterprise. Today, Weby Corp manages a dynamic catalog of 60,000 active SKUs and fulfills thousands of parcel orders each day for both B2C and B2B customers.
Legacy Systems Limitations
As their inventory grew, Weby Corp implemented a third-party warehouse management system (WMS) to help eliminate bottlenecks, but it quickly revealed critical flaws. The solution required an on-premises server to communicate with NetSuite, resulting in severe lag times and frequent processing delays. “It took about 5 minutes to process one purchase order. We had multiple scanners processing orders simultaneously, just to see which one loaded first,” said Alexander Grigorenko, Chief Information Officer.
Not only did the system fail to keep pace with their high demand, but it also caused frequent errors and data integration challenges with NetSuite, requiring extra support just to maintain basic operational integrity. These problems only intensified as they expanded into firearms, which demanded sophisticated serialization capabilities their legacy system couldn't efficiently support. “It was a nightmare,” said Alexander.
Finding the Right Solution
Determined to move beyond the limitations of their legacy system, Weby Corp turned to RF-SMART’s Warehouse Management System. This solution’s seamless Built-for-NetSuite integration proved to be an ideal fit for Weby’s unique operational needs. By eliminating the need for unreliable middleware, the system supported instant database access, real-time data synchronization, and a scalable platform that supported rapid growth. The impact was immediate and measurable as revenue surged from $28 million in 2016 to $40 million following the initial implementation of RF-SMART.
“With RF-SMART, we were able to implement the solution rather quickly, allowing our users to do their job more effectively, which lead to rapid growth in 2017,” said Alexander.
Navigating Labor Challenges Through Automation
When the global pandemic struck, Weby Corp encountered another significant challenge: staffing shortages. The nationwide lockdown prevented most employees from reporting to work, bringing operations to a near standstill. Weby Corp needed a solution to mitigate the impact of this depleted workforce. "We'd show up to work and only 10 people out of 60 would be there,” said Alexander. To keep up with demand and maintain service levels, Weby Corp turned to implementing automated processes throughout various workflows in their warehouse.
Weby Corp’s first major step into automating their warehouse was the introduction of a two-tier goods-to-person Automated Mobile Robot (AMR) system. In the first tier, shelf-to-person robots brought entire shelving units stocked with a variety of products directly to pickers. The second tier featured a bin system for small item picking, allowing robots to deliver individual bins for precise order fulfillment.
“We are now able to fulfill orders faster while needing less people to maintain the system. Since implementing the robots, we have decreased labor by 30%,” said Alexander.
Automated Picking
This advanced robotics solution was seamlessly integrated with RF-SMART’s Material Handling Automation Connector and Pick Planner. The Automation Connector acted as a vital link between the AMR system and NetSuite, ensuring seamless, real-time data exchange. "The real-time data exchange between our robots and NetSuite through RF-SMART was crucial for our operations. When an item was put away, it became available for sale across 5 different marketplaces, including our website within 15 minutes," said Alexander
Meanwhile, Pick Planner automatically generated optimized, organized picking tasks from orders, aligning robotic efficiency with daily operations.
The results were transformative, Weby Corp was able to significantly reduce its workforce while boosting productivity. “Our picking speeds skyrocketed from 5–10 minutes per order to 10 orders per minute,” said Alexander. “We have seen at least a 5x increase in pick time.”
Mobile Dimensioning with RF-SMART
The next step in Weby Corp’s automation journey was tackling their dimension-related pain points. Previously, capturing product measurements was a manual task assigned to a single warehouse associate. This approach was slow, taking minutes per item, and led to a cascade of challenges, including inaccurate data and shipping costs, limited efficiency, inflated storage fees, and unreliable item dimensions. Additionally, their AMRs couldn’t function effectively without precise and accurate item dimensions.
To address these challenges, Weby Corp implemented RF-SMART’s Automation for Mobile Dimensioning. This solution automated dimensions, weight, and photos after scanning, with updates transmitted to NetSuite within 3-4 seconds. The results were immediate as the AMRs were able to accurately select containers, speeding up the picking process. The streamlined system also enhanced quality control, enabling Weby Corp to quickly identify and correct manufacturing discrepancies. Most importantly, this innovation standardized dimensional data across all systems, including NetSuite, delivering greater accuracy and operational consistency throughout the warehouse. “We went from minutes to seconds to capture dimensions for thousands of our items,” said Alexander.
The Perfect Combination
Weby Corp’s journey showcases how choosing the right solution empowers companies to not only solve operational challenges but also unlock new opportunities for exponential growth. By streamlining operations, removing middleware barriers, and providing a scalable platform built for automation, RF-SMART has been instrumental in supporting Weby Corp’s transformation and agile adaptation to changing market conditions.
"RF-SMART allowed us to grow,” Alexander said. “It's definitely been a key part of our success and expansion."