Outside the BOX thinking creates perfect platform for software success
Independent Internet retailers are increasingly running slick operations thanks to a fruitful partnership between an entrepreneurial order fulfillment company and leading software provider.
Hinckley-based BOXstation, is one of only a few UK companies specialising in serving the growing market of online shops and businesses selling by any combination of their own websites, eBay and/or Amazon. Using PPD software from Axida, it offers a totally outsourced pay-as-you-go solution taking care of product warehousing, inventory management, picking, packing and dispatch.
With an eye for an opportunity, Will Sutherland, BOXstation’s managing director, transformed his self-storage business to serve the needs of these tech-savvy entrepreneurs.
“The credit crunch played havoc with the self store sector due to the resulting stagnant housing market, but we’d noticed new customers using our facilities to store stock, and they were backwards and forwards posting goods.
“Our infrastructure was ideally suited to looking after their needs, but the appropriate software would be critical to our offer,” says Will.
Initially, BOXstation looked at a partnering with a number of software providers, but capital expenditure costs were very high. Will then found Axida’s pay-as-you-go PPD. “We were trialing it within days and have never looked back,” he says.
Axida’s PPD solution is hosted online and requires little to no upfront investment, has no licence fees and utilises the clients’ existing computer hardware. Set up is quick and simple as customers simply access the on-demand system on the Internet using a standard web browser.
BOXstation is rapidly expanding and is forecast to distribute in excess of 15,000 parcels a month and has customers as far afield as China, the US and Australia. In line with current growth, the plan is to open two more UK storage and distribution centres within the next three years. Will says that without PPD they just couldn’t have had achieved this.
One of the key benefits of PPD is its standard interfacing for Amazon, eBay and Channel Advisor that can be used with other systems, enabling full integration with ecommerce websites. “This has helped make BOXstation very attractive to potential customers,” says Will.
As orders are received and payment confirmed, the PPD web-to-warehouse link sends the orders automatically. Items are then picked, packed and shipped with great accuracy. The PPD software also integrates with key carriers such as Parcelforce, Yodel, Nightfreight and Royal Mail.
BOXstation looks after goods ranging from toys, clothes, sports equipment, coffee machines, skin care and pharmaceutical products, mobile phones and handbags, and its customers love the functionality and visibility offered by PPD.
“We can have as many customers as we want and they all have remote access offering them the ability to track the progress of orders, meaning they don’t feel they have relinquished control,” says Will.
BOXstation was recently re-branded to appeal to its target market and differentiate itself from transport operators offering similar services. Forty per cent of enquiries now come from overseas retailers and it is experiencing a very high conversion rate.
“Through PPD we have been able to strip back and simplify the whole order fulfillment process for our customers who can devote more time and resources to other business functions such as sales and marketing,” says Will.
“Axida’s philosophy is very similar to BOXstation’s so the partnership is a very good fit. We both try to provide a hands on and friendly approach, showing interest in our customers’ business – not just their money.”
Will adds that, at no cost to him, Axida is constantly evolving the PPD software in line with customers changing requirements.
“We need to find creative ways of generating solutions in today’s business climate and PPD does just that,” he concludes.