NetSuite Helps RV Maker Save $180,000 With Process Integration

"Before NetSuite, we were wasting time and money trying to keep up with the business. NetSuite has helped us cut overhead costs immediately, and has given us the ability to grow again, without limits."

—Open Range

Results:

Process integration and improved reporting are helping Open Range save more than $180,000 yearly in full-time equivalents
In the event of a supplier's component recall the Open Range warranty department can locate each use of the component in about 10 minutes—previously it would have taken hours or even days of cross-referencing spreadsheets
Automated reporting cuts the administrative time spent processing dealer bonus requests by 2 hours a month
A dealer self-service portal has helped the company reduce dealer-communications overhead by 30%
Drawing up the full production schedule for a new unit now takes between 1 and 2 hours; previously it required more than a day

Challenges:

The company needed to compete through innovation and efficiency in the challenging market for RV manufacturing
Lack of software integration among the company's accounting, purchasing, and warranty groups forced staffers to waste time and risk errors by using spreadsheets
Open Range had to cross-reference massive spreadsheets to create some specialized reports, such as component recalls and production tracking
Manual reporting wasn't able to keep up with the company's goal of producing 80 units per week, each with thousands of components and many configuration options

Solution:

NetSuite's end-to-end integration now gives the company real-time, detailed views of every RV it produces, from the initial order request through to manufacturing, shipping, dealer sale, and end-user sale
NetSuite partner Solution Source helped Open Range customize a dealer self-service portal to pre-authorize warranty repairs, check status of repairs, and other functions
Solution Source has helped create many specialized reports, from production tracking to warranty work and dealer sales transactions
Dealer sales tracking can alert Open Range to a re-stock opportunity each time a dealer sells an Open Range RV
Future Solution Source projects include automated BOM (Bill of Materials) processing and automated workflows for handling complex product change notices