Outdoor Brands Drive Sales and Business Efficiency Through NetSuite

SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), the industry's leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP software suites, today announced that some of the top outdoor brands are achieving strong growth while improving business efficiency and visibility using NetSuite's cloud-based business management solutions. Big Agnes, Honey Stinger, Hestra USA, Gramicci, Scarpa North America, and Julbo USA are among the major brands running NetSuite. It reflects the strong demand in the fast-moving and highly competitive outdoor retail space for the business agility made possible by NetSuite's single, integrated cloud solution. Outdoor companies running NetSuite report that they are growing revenues, managing transactions and customer interactions across multiple touchpoints, adding new dealers, improving productivity, and streamlining inventory and order management. These companies replaced standalone, on-premise solutions and collections of spreadsheets that can inhibit business performance because of manual data manipulation, limited visibility and needless reliance on IT staff. For more information, please visit www.netsuite.com/outdoorretail.

With NetSuite, outdoor companies are gaining an advantage with anywhere, anytime access to real-time data on finances, suppliers, B2B and B2C customers, inventory and warehousing and more that is essential to effectively competing against large multinational companies. NetSuite's cloud solution for distributors and manufacturers has a proven track record of helping to fuel rapid growth while enabling business and IT staff to focus on product innovation, superior customer service and market expansion, rather than managing spreadsheets and maintaining on-premise software, servers and back-up systems. Outdoor retailers use NetSuite to run all key aspects of their business, from financials to CRM, inventory management, order fulfillment and multi-touch-point sales. NetSuite SuiteCommerce supplies a single commerce solution for sales across multiple touchpoints, including physical point-of-sale (POS), call center and eCommerce over smartphones, tablets and traditional desktops, while directly integrating with the core ERP/CRM application. By centralizing all business data in a single cloud solution, outdoor and sporting goods distributors and manufacturers are streamlining processes and gaining visibility, control and speed in the management of far-flung and complex supply and distribution networks. NetSuite cloud solutions enable fast-growing outdoor companies to achieve operational efficiencies by:

• Improving supply chain operations with integrated inventory and order management, and building demand forecasts with real-time data, reducing excess inventory or the risk of stock outs.
• Providing a real-time, 360-degree view of the business by seamlessly integrating financials / ERP, CRM and eCommerce, thereby empowering businesses to manage their interactions directly with consumers, other businesses and trading partners.
• Allowing data to flow seamlessly to wholesale distributors and their trading partners, to ensure communication is in lockstep with the same data, audit trails and real-time accuracy at every stage.
• Letting stakeholders share container, pallet, location, forecasting, scheduling and unit-level data while collaborating on a common cloud platform.
• Managing all transactions and associated customer interactions regardless of touchpoint.

"More and more outdoor companies are moving to the cloud, and NetSuite is becoming their #1 choice for a complete business management solution," said Roman Bukary, NetSuite VP of Manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution. "We hear time and again from outdoor brands about tremendous gains in efficiency and visibility with NetSuite that are translating into quantifiable business advantages in a fast-growing and ultra-competitive marketplace."

The expanding NetSuite customer base of outdoor retailer companies includes Big Agnes, Honey Stinger, Hestra USA, Gramicci, Scarpa North America, and Julbo USA:

Big Agnes (www.bigagnes.com), a fast-growing manufacturer of tents, sleeping bags and other camping and hiking gear based in Steamboat Springs, Colo., has doubled its productivity in shipping and fulfillment, order and inventory management, accounting and other core areas since upgrading to NetSuite from QuickBooks and Excel. Selected over SAP Business ByDesign and Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) because of superior customizability and a strong customer base of outdoor retailers, NetSuite has contributed to Big Agnes' double-digit growth in the year following a rapid 10-week implementation in January 2012. The greater business efficiency achieved with NetSuite saves Big Agnes about 40 man-hours per week, while avoiding the need for two full-time personnel. Deployment of an EDI solution from NetSuite partner SPS Commerce has streamlined its business operations with more than 1,500 dealers in the U.S., including REI, Sports Authority and Dick's Sporting Goods, as well as dealers in more than 20 countries. With NetSuite, Big Agnes has replaced a slow, paper-based customer support process with an automated system that generates a case based on a customer submitting an online form, while fulfillment is accelerated through integration with the OzLINK shipping solution from NetSuite partner Oz Development. Both initiatives support Big Agnes's goal of outstanding customer service. "There's no question that NetSuite has facilitated our high level of growth," said Chris Tamucci, Big Agnes Director of Operations. "Big Agnes has a long history of product innovation, and with NetSuite we're bringing innovation to the back office as well."

Honey Stinger (www.honeystinger.com), a maker of all-natural energy and protein bars, waffles, gels and chews, has empowered its sales team for greater effectiveness with NetSuite. NetSuite's sales force automation gives sales managers and reps a single, real-time view of dealer history, contacts, opportunities and sales targets to streamline the lead-to-cash cycle. Since NetSuite went live in January 2012, its driven double-digit revenue growth, while supporting a doubling of the sales team. A sister company to Big Agnes with a common management team, Honey Stinger, in Steamboat Springs, Colo., also uses NetSuite item-level sales forecasting to help manage production and demand, while fulfillment time has been reduced by 90 seconds per order, enabling Honey Stinger to avoid two warehouse FTEs. Like Big Agnes, Honey Stinger has netted a 2x gain in overall productivity since replacing QuickBooks and Excel with NetSuite in a 10-week implementation parallel to the Big Agnes deployment.

Hestra USA (www.hestrausa.com), the U.S. distributor of snowsport, biking, mountaineering, work and fashion gloves manufactured by its parent company, Hestra of Sweden, has grown its revenue 50 percent annually since implementing NetSuite to replace an on-premise Everest Software system and eliminate costly upgrades, maintenance and support costs. Selected over 30 competing solutions for its broad functionality, cost-effectiveness and proven ability to help power growth, NetSuite supports Hestra USA's financials, inventory management, case management and incentive compensation for its sales staff, while providing the parent company's CFO in Sweden with real-time financials on subsidiary performance. With NetSuite and the OzLINK shipping solution from NetSuite partner Oz Development and order entry enhancement from Celigo, the Golden, Colo.-based company has markedly improved its shipping accuracy to more than 99 percent, while delivering more than 120,000 gloves a year. NetSuite's anywhere, anytime data access has helped Hestra USA expand its number of dealer accounts from 200 to 500 since going live, with an EDI solution from NetSuite partner SPS Commerce streamlining transactions with major dealers such as Dick's Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority. Meanwhile, the company is saving $6,000 a month previously spent with an IT services firm for maintenance and upgrades to a server and the Everest software. "NetSuite is the core backbone of our company and has supported our dramatic growth since we went live three years ago," said Dino Dardano, Hestra USA President. "NetSuite is a perfect solution for Hestra USA that allows us to do everything in a single cloud solution, with none of the limitations we had with Everest."

Gramicci (www.gramicci.com), a provider of all-organic performance climbing and outdoor apparel based in Agoura Hills, Calif., is upgrading to NetSuite from its older, less effective ERP system. The venerable brand selected NetSuite over other competing solutions because of its ease of use and speed of implementation, and its management dashboards that supply a real-time view of company performance, as well as a minimum maintenance IT infrastructure that reduces dependence and costs for IT. CRM and marketing capabilities in NetSuite gives Gramicci the opportunity to drive new sales and strengthen relationships with both B2B and B2C customers. "Our rapid growth has required upgrading our ERP system to meet the demand and heighten our overall service to our dealers," said Marty Weening, Gramicci President. "NetSuite provides us modern solutions that can significantly contribute to our sustained presence and growth after 30 years of being a trusted and unique outdoor apparel brand."

Scarpa North America (www.scarpa.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Italian manufacturer of snowsport, climbing, mountaineering and other outdoor and athletic boots and shoes, has grown its business steadily since implementing NetSuite shortly after its creation in 2005. After comparisons against competing solutions including QuickBooks and FilePro, the Boulder, Colo.-based company selected NetSuite for its web-based accessibility, ease of use, speed of implementation and support for mobile and remote work. As a cloud solution, NetSuite enables Scarpa to avoid staffing at least one full-time person who would otherwise be required to maintain an on-premise ERP system. NetSuite sales force automation has given Scarpa's inside sales team powerful capabilities to grow the business to nearly 500 dealers, including Eastern Mountain Sports and REI, with a real-time view of customers, orders and inventory. NetSuite Financials enables the Scarpa subsidiary CFO to easily generate timely, accurate financial reports for the Italian headquarters. The ERP system is helping Scarpa North America expand business into Canada, South America, Central America and Mexico, as well as manage purchase orders with the parent company and a half-dozen other brands, including Rottefella, Koflach and Ski Trab. "NetSuite has given us a platform for steady growth, while providing anywhere anytime access and eliminating the need to manage servers or security or back-ups," said Mike Mead, Scarpa North America Director of Operations. "We selected NetSuite because we didn't want to get three years down the road and have to move off a system because we outgrew it."

Julbo USA (www.julbousa.com), a fast-growing U.S. distribution subsidiary of performance sunglasses, goggles and other eyewear manufactured by its 125-year-old parent company, Julbo of France, has seen a 25 percent gain in productivity since deploying NetSuite in January 2012 to replace an on-premise Infor commerce@work ERP system. Selected over Sage and several other competing solutions and implemented in just six weeks, NetSuite has enabled the Williston, Vermont company to automate and streamline order management, inventory, warehousing and accounting with real-time visibility and control not possible with its previous solution. Julbo USA has reduced its monthly financial close from two weeks to three days, while the deployment of an EDI solution from NetSuite partner SPS Commerce has automated transactions with many of its 700 outdoor retail and 1,500 optical dealers in the U.S. With web-based access, financial managers at the French parent company are able to get on-demand insights into subsidiary performance, while U.S. employees can easily generate financial reports for the parent. With NetSuite, Julbo USA has eliminated the expense of 40 hours a month for an IT contractor and recorded double-digit revenue growth in the year since NetSuite went live. "Every one of our business processes is simpler and easier than before. The biggest thing is the amount of man hours we save—we have fewer people doing more work with NetSuite," said Julbo USA CEO Nick Yardley. "We know we'll be able to grow on NetSuite, and being in the cloud, we don't have to worry about managing servers or buying hardware."

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SOURCE NetSuite Inc.