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Spark R&D Turbocharges Its Production Process with Fishbowl Manufacturing
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries
- Consumer Goods
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Manufacturing System Automation
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Spark R&D, a company that designs and manufactures splitboard-specific bindings, was facing challenges with its inventory and order fulfillment system. The company was struggling to keep track of its inventory and fulfill orders on schedule. The existing system was informal and closed, with only one person having access to the inventory spreadsheet. This lack of visibility and communication between departments was causing delivery problems. The company was unable to get products out the door until well past their target date. They needed a system that could provide visibility across departments and handle the increasing complexity of their operations.
About The Customer
Spark R&D is a company based in Bozeman, Montana, that designs and manufactures splitboard-specific bindings. The company was founded by Will Ritter, who was determined to solve the problem of carrying a snowboard uphill by designing a splitboard-specific binding. Over the last 10 years, the company has grown from a small startup to a thriving enterprise with 35 employees. Spark R&D continues to grow and be a leader in the niche market of splitboard bindings.
The Solution
To address their challenges, Spark R&D implemented Fishbowl Manufacturing, a software solution that provided all the manufacturing, order fulfillment, and inventory tracking features they needed. The software allowed the whole company to get involved with managing their own inventory. Each department was given the power to manage their own inventory, breaking the shop up into bits and pieces. Fishbowl Manufacturing also integrated with other software systems that Spark R&D was using, such as QuickBooks and Magento, further improving the order fulfillment process.
Operational Impact
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