Automated Retail E-Commerce Solution
client
A new entity within an existing business unit with a contract to pilot test and eventually supply one of the largest charter school systems in the U.S. with school uniforms.
initial situation
T
The client has over 80 existing websites, however, none of them were e-commerce sites nor did it have an e-commerce team. It recently secured an e-commerce pilot program for ten schools. The total maximum student registration for the pilot was 5,000 sprinkled across K-12. If the pilot is successful, a full rollout would supply 80,000 students across multiple states.
Each school brand has a unique logo embroidered on a polo shirt and a fleece jacket. Its PE uniforms (t-shirts and mesh shorts) are silk-screened with a unified corporate logo. This creates a large variety of sizes (youth and adult), colors, embroidered or silk screened, with unique SKUs and UPCs. All items were to be loaded into a yet-to-be-determined warehouse. It would be easy for parents to accidentally order the incorrect uniform shirt or jacket.
The client will only have an online store and based on a previous B90 recommendation utilize a 3PL warehouse for fulfillment and exchanges. The site had to be bilingual and easy to use for all stakeholders to shop and purchase on desktop and mobile devices with an easy exchange process. Some schools will also have a school spirit store and would like to have uniforms available for try-on and sale at the school. The site must be scalable to add pants, shorts, backpacks, and school supplies in time for the 2023-2024 school year when the client intends to expand from 10 to 40-45 schools. After meeting with school principals, B90 learned the schools would like a round-up feature at checkout so parents can donate to those who struggle to purchase uniforms. Lastly, all must be fully integrated with the 3PL warehouse and Oracle NetSuite.
challenge
- SCHOOL SPECIFIC GARMENTS:
Multiple school-specific colors, logos, and sizes specific to a school.
- ONLINE AND OFF-SITE FULFILLMENT:
How to conduct POS transactions “outside” of the website and warehouse while maintaining inventory management.
- DONATIONS AND UNIFORM VOUCHERS:
How will the website collect and distribute the donated funds and how will it distribute uniform vouchers?
task
- Continue collaboration with key stakeholders including school principals from all pilot schools
- Research and recommend a scalable website platform
- Review and recommend storefronts that accommodate clothing and merchandise
- Help ensure the parents order the correct school uniform
- Build out a fully functioning website with API links to Oracle NetSuite and 3PL
- Provide an easy donation function within the site for parents to donate to those in need
- Create a uniform voucher system for school administrators
- Create a POS system for schools with an option to have uniforms for sale on-site and online
solution / approach
- Built out a Shopify store that provided scalability
- Created separate landing pages for each school showcasing only the schools’ colors and logos
- Parents select their school and enter their students’ grade
- Collaborate with the clients accounting department to link the online store to Oracle NetSuite
- Worked with 3PL warehouse to create links to automated fulfillment and returns process
- Set up a Shopify POS module that can run offsite and manage inventory
key results
- Delighted stakeholders with a bi-lingual (English and Spanish) site ease of use for ordering and returns
- A fully automated website from order to fulfillment to customer auto-updates via text or email (customer choice)
- Automated returns within the website for customers to create their own returns
- Created a stop-gap to ensure returns can be resold before refunding customers
- Donation button created in checkout allows parents to select which school to donate to and provide dollar amount options
- Client can easily track who donated, to which school, and the dollar amount for distribution
- Set up a voucher method using a digital gift certificate in $20.00 increments to school administrators who can provide to parents in need. The certificate can only be used for uniforms and supplies on the client’s website.
- The in-school POS hardware is linked to the website store and live 3PL inventory.
- The school did not have to purchase and resale uniforms as it had in the past, therefore did not tie up the school budget freeing up funds for educators.
- Set up an iPad with wireless CC swipe and tab connector as a cashless system. Each sale is deducted from inventory and tabulated as a sale for the individual school for rebate purposes.
- Project was completed on time and within 7 days of launch sold $17,000 in May
- Note: Back-to-school sales normally occur in July.