A number of businesses in the highly-competitive market for snow sports gear and apparel are finding that running their business in the cloud is helping them keep pace with larger competitors.

Far too often, smaller organizations are forced to dedicate crucial personnel to managing IT applications instead of driving the business. Cloud computing can change the equation for snow sports specialty brands and enable business success. Cloud computing solutions allow snow sports brands to rapidly scale by eliminating many of the growing pains associated with fast-track businesses and significantly improving efficiency.

For example, Hestra USA, the U.S. wholesale distributor of snow sport, biking, mountaineering, work and fashion gloves manufactured by its parent company, Hestra of Sweden, has grown its revenue 50 percent annually since implementing NetSuite wholesale software to replace an on-premise Everest Software system.

More importantly, “going to the cloud” frees companies from the overhead and distractions of creating costly and complicated IT departments and manually managing order management and inventory management software, supply chain, financial, ecommerce, CRM and more in spreadsheets and point solutions. With a cloud solution that unifies core processes, personnel can focus on delivering superior products, value and customer experiences.

Hestra USA was also able to eliminate costly upgrades, maintenance and support costs associated with the Everest implementation.

As the leading provider of cloud-based wholesale distribution and manufacturing software, NetSuite has a unique perspective on helping snow sports companies like Hestra USA, as well as GoPro, and Scarpa move to the cloud and drive success.

Hestra USA selected NetSuite over 30 competing solutions for its broad functionality, cost-effectiveness and proven ability to help power growth. It supports Hestra USA’s financials, inventory management, case management and incentive compensation for its sales staff, while providing the parent company’s CFO in Sweden with real-time financials on subsidiary performance.

Additionally, the Golden, Colo.-based company has markedly improved its shipping accuracy to more than 99 percent, while delivering more than 120,000 gloves a year with NetSuite wholesale software and the OzLINK shipping solution from NetSuite partner Oz Development and order entry enhancement from Celigo

NetSuite’s anywhere, anytime data access has also helped Hestra USA expand its number of dealer accounts from 200 to 500 since going live, with an EDI solution from NetSuite partner SPS Commerce streamlining transactions with major dealers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority. Meanwhile, the company is saving $6,000 a month previously spent with an IT services firm for maintenance and upgrades to a server and the Everest software.

“NetSuite is the core backbone of our company and has supported our dramatic growth since we went live three years ago,” said Dino Dardano, Hestra USA President. “NetSuite is a perfect solution for Hestra USA that allows us to do everything in a single cloud solution, with none of the limitations we had with Everest.”

As a sponsor of the upcoming SnowSports Industry Association Snow Show in Denver,
Colo., NetSuite welcomes the opportunity to meet you at the event. We’ll be presenting on Saturday, February 2 at 3 p.m., showcasing how NetSuite wholesale software can help your snow sports business move to the cloud. You can also learn more at www.netsuite.com/sia.

-Ranga Bodla - Director, Industry Marketing, Wholesale Distribution and Manufacturing