About MFS Supply:
Founded in 2008 as a lockbox company, MFS Supply has been providing securing materials to real estate agents and the property preservation sector for more than a decade. With the rise of eCommerce, they are now a national distributor of renovation and securing materials, offering a wide range of products, including cabinetry, refacing materials, countertops, lockboxes, padlocks, and more serving a diverse clientele from individual contractors to large general contracting companies. Looking ahead, they aim to support new construction projects by expanding their cabinetry and countertop offerings and beginning to offer installation services.
The Business Situation:
Before identifying what they needed in an ERP system, MFS Supply knew what they wanted to avoid: on-site applications and custom solutions requiring extensive maintenance, and separate platforms for accounting, WMS, eCommerce, TMS, etc. They required an ERP that was multi-faceted, integrated across all areas, and easy to manage. NetSuite was the ERP solution they chose. At the time, NetSuite also offered Site Builder which MFS Supply used for over a decade to support their eCommerce store.
After implementing NetSuite, MFS Supply realized very quickly that they were going to need a more robust shipping solution to handle their volume of small parcel shipments efficiently. And, once MFS Supply started offering LTL services, they realized then that shipping through NetSuite was no longer an option at all. With the native NetSuite shipping, MFS Supply found themselves having to manually create packing slips for each shipment and reach out to carriers to quote, schedule pickups, and generate BOLs with LTL carriers. These manual processes were extremely time-consuming and were not sustainable if they wanted to continue to grow. This meant that they needed to find a shipping solution that could support their current business and scale with them as they grew. That’s when the search for a shipping solution began.
The Solution:
MFS Supply knew what they wanted when they began their search. They wanted a solution that had a direct integration with NetSuite, the capabilities to support their already established parcel and expanding LTL shipping needs, and a robust scan-packing solution. The implementation process and costs were also key factors when selecting their shipping solution.
MFS Supply chose 3G Pacejet Shipping because it had all of the capabilities that they needed and were positioned to grow with them as their offerings continued to expand. Additionally, 3G was able to implement the solution in a way that had minimal impact on their day-to-day operations. Through the remote implementation process, 3G was able to establish all of the necessary carrier connections needed, adjust the implementation speed to fit the needs of MFS Supply, and adjust the implementation process to begin with the LTL solution first to avoid disrupting the parcel business.
A couple of years after becoming a 3G customer, MFS Supply was hit with another challenge. NetSuite, and other developers, announced that they would no longer be supporting Site Builder, meaning MFS Supply was faced with finding another eCommerce solution. After deciding to move to SuiteCommerce Advanced (SCA), they had to try and understand how shipping would work and figure out how their business’s shipping rules would be reflected on their website once again. After reaching out, MFS Supply learned that 3G already had an SCA integration available for shipping.
Recently, MFS Supply has started selling unassembled cabinets via their website, unlocking nearly endless growth opportunities. With a goal to transform the website into a comprehensive tool that serves all their customers and products, including a future capability to sell cabinets online.
The Outcome:
MFS Supply now uses 3G Pacejet Shipping to manage all of their parcel and LTL shipments, allowing them to streamline their entire shipping operation. The integration with 3G and NetSuite enables real-time quoting and booking, which was previously unattainable. Scan-packing has increased shipment accuracy which has helped reduce overage charges. Being able to quote all accessorial charges up front has all but eliminated surprise fees when invoices arrive. More accurate handling unit information gives their loaders better insights into what they are loading for each order. Real-time information and automated workflows have freed up more time for their sales team to focus on selling. And lastly, the use of their weight and dimensions information in 3G Pacejet Shipping has extended beyond just the shipping function, it is used company wide, helping MFS Supply become more efficient in other areas of their business.
Working with 3G, MFS Supply has been able to improve costs, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
“Partnering with 3G has revolutionized our shipping processes, significantly increased our operational efficiency, and enabled real-time quoting and booking. The seamless integration with NetSuite and robust scan-packing solution have streamlined our workflow, allowing us to focus on growth and customer satisfaction.”
