For over 60 years, Ryan’s Pet Supplies has taken care of people who take care of pets.
In 1959, George and Donna Ryan created a four-page pet supply catalog at their family kitchen table in Phoenix, Arizona. From there, Ryan's Pet Supplies has become an international player in the pet supply industry, offering a variety of products for grooming professionals, pet owners and their furry friends.
Today, the company relies on a 60-person team to handle a business that sells products such as dog shampoos, toys, bowls, clippers and treats across multiple sales channels including wholesale distribution, ecommerce and retail.
Through it all, Ryan’s Pet Supplies has maintained its reputation as a reliable, customer-focused business. However, growth brought new challenges, prompting the company to organize its operations via NetSuite ERP.
The company switched from an on-premises system to NetSuite in 2016, years before a pandemic presented companies across the nation with a difficult choice: adapt quickly to a new normal or suffer the consequences.
By 2020, Ryan's Pet Supplies had the flexibility to adjust its operations and sustain growth during one of the most challenging business events in recent history.
Ryan’s Pet Supplies Makes a ‘Seamless’ Transition to Remote Work
Due to COVID-19 regulations, Ryan's Pet Supplies had to take most of its workforce remote (opens in new tab) in a matter of days. To say the transition was shocking to the business—and thousands of others—would be an understatement.
The company handled the transition with ease thanks to its cloud ERP system, according to Richard Camacho, its system administrator.
"Because we were on NetSuite when [Arizona] instituted closures and restrictions … the transitions were pretty seamless," he said. “NetSuite gave us the ability to have employees work from home (opens in new tab). We’re able to keep everybody connected and continue moving our business forward.”
"Because we were on NetSuite … the transitions were pretty seamless. NetSuite gave us the ability to have employees work from home."
--Richard Camacho, system administrator, Ryan’s Pet Supplies
Sustaining Momentum in a Market Upheaval
COVID-19 produced massive changes for Ryan's Pet Supplies. However, the company adjusted in a fast, flexible manner by relying on its cloud-based ERP system. Three areas of interest include:
1. Easy information-sharing
Ryan’s Pet Supplies staff easily access and share data across the business, even from home, in NetSuite. When they first started working remotely, employees had all the necessary information to process orders, address customer service requests, track shipments, forecast sales, track financial data and communicate across departments.
It’s much more productivity than they would’ve gotten from their old system, Microsoft Dynamics, Camacho said.
“If this would have happened on our legacy system, we would have been in real trouble because everything [required to run that system] was on-site," he added.
“If this would have happened on our legacy system, we would have been in real trouble because everything [required to run that system] was on-site."
-Richard Camacho
2. Quick changes to ecommerce strategy
When business regulations caused Ryan’s Pet Supplies to alter its operating standards, ERP allowed it to make quick changes across its retail, ecommerce and wholesale strategies.
For instance, the team wanted to promote in-store pickups on the company website but only show this information to local wholesale partners. They also updated the website with other information such as new business hours. NetSuite SuiteCommerce helped complete these adjustments without the need for a designer or developer, providing agility and control when needed.
“[NetSuite] is just really easy to work with for us,” Camacho said.
3. Forward-thinking technology
Ryan’s Pet Supplies unifies the online and in-store experience (opens in new tab) for customers, sharing shoppers’ online product preferences with associates in its Phoenix store on a tablet-based system. This system, SuiteCommerce InStore (opens in new tab), gives Camacho confidence that reopening the company’s brick-and-mortar location will go smoothly: Associates will be able to complete sales on a tablet to maintain social distancing.
Any company that has been in business for over six decades has learned the importance of adaptability and innovation. However, by utilizing technology, companies like Ryan’s Pet Supplies are ready for the future, whatever it brings.
