UK-based bicycle manufacturers, Temple Cycles, initially came to Unleashed when the process of tracking all their various parts, assemblies, and finished products exceeded the basic functionalities of a spreadsheet. Recently, they connected Unleashed inventory management with Shiptheory to enjoy the perks of a seamlessly integrated inventory and shipping management system.
Boosting manufacturing efficiency with smarter inventory management
“Our bikes are very custom,” says Dexter Robinson, Operations Manager at Temple Cycles. “You can choose what saddle you want, what grips you want, what accessories you’d like. Trying to control that through a spreadsheet and then control the stock behind that was a nightmare.” In 2014, Temple Cycles’ founder, Matthew Mears, saw a gap in the market for classic-style bikes built using reliable, modern materials. What started as a side hustle quickly became a thriving business. As their customisation options increased, they were faced with the challenge of managing thousands of product variations. “Initially, we just used a couple of horrendous spreadsheets,” Dexter reveals. “It was very difficult to have a dynamic stock level.” With a Shopify store and a manufacturing facility to run, Temple Cycles needed a robust, centralised system where they could track all their customer orders, parts, products, and assemblies from start to finish. “Linking our Shopify Store to Unleashed allows us to see exactly what options a customer has chosen and what stock levels those options affected. We can then assign different statuses as the bike goes through the build process downstairs.”
Building a fully integrated fulfilment system with Shiptheory & Unleashed
“As we've grown as a business, the volume of bikes we're moving has grown dramatically. We needed a solution that was basically a one-stop shop.” The Bristol-based bike manufacturers required a shipping management platform that would both speed up their fulfilment process and integrate seamlessly with Unleashed. After trialling several other software products, Shiptheory came out on top. “As soon as we've completed an order in Unleashed it pops up immediately in Shiptheory, carrying all the information across. Shipping of parts and accessories and the bikes would take up to 5 hours, we’ve reduced that down to a couple of hours on a busy day.” According to Dexter, the combination of Unleashed + Shiptheory has made Temple Cycles over 50% more efficient across the business. “[Connecting Unleashed with Shiptheory] was very uncomplicated. There were no awkward APIs to install. It was a seamless integration. It really makes our lives so much simpler.” When asked if he had any parting advice for fellow eCommerce businesses or manufacturers, Dexter had this to say: “Upgrade to Shiptheory and Unleashed, for sure. It will allow them to move forward with the business and focus on the things that matter.”
