NetSuite Alliance Partners are instrumental in helping customers take advantage of our Associations and Buying Groups Program, which offers member companies of select associations preferred pricing, networking opportunities, ongoing education, and additional dedicated communication and support. Many of our top partners have built up their expertise, as well as proprietary NetSuite-based solutions, in industries served by members of our Associations and Buying Groups Program.
This blog is part of a series showcasing our 2024 Alliance Partner Associations Spotlight Award winners. Companies affiliated with various associations are increasing productivity, improving efficiencies, and gaining visibility and control with NetSuite cloud ERP implementations led by our valued Alliance Partners.
Customer: Zinnia
Association: Institute for Robotic Processing Automation & Artificial Intelligence (IRPA AI)
Association Spotlight Award Winner: Caravel, BPM Technology Solutions
Zinnia simplifies life and annuity insurance by delivering comprehensive technology solutions for the industry’s most critical needs. By enabling carriers and distributors to build, sell, and service insurance, Zinnia ultimately helps more people get the coverage they need and the service they deserve. Founded in 2005, Zinnia now has more than 2,600 employees and and processes over 55% of all digital annuity sales in the US. It is also a member of IRPA AI and backed by Eldridge Industries, Vista Credit Partners and KKR.
In light of its strong international growth, Zinnia wanted to further extend its existing NetSuite environment to cover countries beyond the US and address challenges related to global financial consolidation, taxation, and revenue calculations. The Connecticut-based firm selected Caravel Partners (opens in new tab) to meet its diverse international requirements with a single, unified NetSuite system offering customizability, scalability, and automated workflows.
Caravel integrated Zinnia’s operations in India, Canada, and Ireland into a global NetSuite environment. Zinnia is now able to efficiently complete global financial consolidations across multiple entities and better manage complex taxation and revenue processes in compliance with local requirements. In the next phase, Zinnia engaged Caravel to implement NetSuite to support a newly acquired business, capitalizing on the platform’s scalability to accommodate its growth.
“NetSuite was the clear winner due to its scalability, customization capabilities, and automated workflows, which allow us to tackle diverse international requirements efficiently," says Shanielle Wenzl, director of accounting at Zinnia. “Caravel was the perfect choice for Zinnia; the vast knowledge and experience from the delivery team was priceless.”
Customer: WOV-IN Brands
Association: Promotional Products Association International (PPAI)
Spotlight Award Winner: Bryant Park
WOV-IN Brands is a custom manufacturer and decorator of promotional and retail products, from blankets and bandanas to pet items, keychains, pennants, lanyards, bags, and other goods. Founded in 1978 and based in Wisconsin, the family-owned company operates multiple brands and employs about 70 people to create promotional merchandise for colleges, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and other businesses.
WOV-IN lacked easy access to critical business information with QuickBooks and its outdated materials resource planning (MRP) system. The tech foundation was inflexible and limited, requiring use of additional applications to fill in gaps. Their staff spent an inordinate amount of time on manual data work while leadership lacked the timely data and reports they needed for informed decisions. To modernize, WOV-IN chose NetSuite with Bryant Park Consulting (opens in new tab) handling the implementation.
WOV-IN has freed up staff time through automated workflows, such as creating purchase orders from sales orders, thanks to NetSuite ERP and Bryant Park’s customizations. The business has also improved and simplified core processes with integration between NetSuite and eXtendTech, a NetSuite SuiteCloud Developer Network (SDN) partner that specializes in promotional industry solutions. Access to data and insights through an intuitive interface with rich reporting capabilities facilitates better decision-making.
“NetSuite has provided our team—even our less ‘technical’ associates—the ability to see more information and make better decisions about work and projects,” WOV-IN Brands President Jessie Johnson says. “I can’t say enough good things about the Bryant Park individuals we worked with; we had some excellent consultants on our team and the process went extraordinarily well.”
Find out how the unique skills of NetSuite Alliance Partners can help your organization get the most out of NetSuite.
