Background
Leading custom foot orthotics manufacturer steps into the global market
Foot Levelers is a privately held medical device distributor that designs and manufactures custom-built foot orthotics to help patients overcome pain, and improve athletic performance and overall health.
Foot Levelers first opened in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1952 and has grown to serve healthcare providers in more than 80 countries. Selling directly to qualified healthcare professionals, Foot Levelers serves mainly chiropractors, but it also works with providers in podiatry, physical therapy, massage therapy, and other related professions. Its headquarters moved to Roanoke, Virginia, in 1988, and the company is now at the cutting edge of technology, research, and development for orthotics and foot care.
Challenge
Missteps during NetSuite implementation cause multiple issues and delays
Foot Levelers was upgrading to NetSuite from a legacy on-premise system with siloed data and limited scalability that restricted system upgrades and international growth possibilities. NetSuite was the perfect solution because it could handle manufacturing, order processing, accounting, third-party integrations, and all other requirements needed to support the company’s current and future needs. Foot Levelers also had a growing remote workforce that needed access to real-time information when out in the field.
Unfortunately, the implementation partner Foot Levelers selected was not up to the challenge. Before they knew it, there were two missed go-live dates, and the project was behind schedule after one-and-a-half years in development.
Among the most challenging issues was the partner’s inability to import historical orders into the new NetSuite instance. Foot Levelers depends heavily on returning customers, so resolving this was critical to the success of the implementation.
Moreover, many essential integrations remained behind schedule. Several integrations included a configurator with an integrated computer-aided design (CAD) system, a shipping system, marketing, and ACH processing. Foot Levelers also had unresolved tickets for its multi-currency and multiple subsidiary requirements that support its expanding international footprint.
Foot Levelers invested considerable budget, resources, and time in NetSuite but its implementation partner appeared to have “two left feet.”
The company needed a reliable and experienced implementation partner who could tie everything together and bring the project to the finish line. It needed a NetSuite rescue.
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Solution
SuiteCentric selected to tie up loose ends for a NetSuite rescue
After the second failed go-live by the original implementation partner, Foot Levelers sought rescue assistance and selected SuiteCentric. The SuiteCentric team quickly demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of NetSuite’s capabilities and limitations and had an answer for the lingering historical data import challenge. SuiteCentric also proved to be SuiteCommerce specialists, which would help with an upcoming ecommerce project.
The SuiteCentric team took over as project lead, working with the original implementation partner on a mutually beneficial handoff that included knowledge transfers and full utilization of the remaining hours on the existing implementation contract.
During the handoff process, SuiteCentric reviewed and audited the workflows determining which should be scripted, arrangement of the sequences, and much more. It worked with the original implementation partner to execute these tasks and complete a smooth transition.
Upon completion of the handoff, SuiteCentric performed a full-court press on this implementation rescue by layering its proprietary methodology into Foot Levelers’ existing projects to ensure scalability and a positive go-live experience. This consisted of custom NetSuite training, additional user acceptance testing (UAT), and on-site and off-site support.
In tight collaboration with the Foot Levelers team, SuiteCentric resolved any outstanding issues, completed the complex integrations, and completed every task on the checklist before overseeing a seamless go-live experience.
Several of the more significant project tasks included:
- Implementing NetSuite ERP and OneWorld
- Completing complex integrations with CAD, credit card processing, ACH, and other critical systems
- Creating a customized solution to successfully import three years of historical customer order data from the legacy system to NetSuite
- Navigating the complicated sales tax requirements for sales nexuses, VAT tax, and other international requirements
- Reconfiguring sales order processes
- Optimizing billing and transaction automation with batch processing, alert triggers, etc.
- And much more.
Upon completion of the successful go-live and NetSuite rescue, Foot Levelers named SuiteCentric partner of record. This status entitled SuiteCentric to serve as its sole trusted NetSuite resource for ongoing projects and future implementation of SuiteCommerce Advanced.
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It was basically me talking for 30 minutes, praising all my work with SuiteCentric and April. I mean it, I’ll always stand behind you guys… I just wanna share with everybody how good you’ve been to us. (Said while recapping a referral conversation with a prospect interested in working with SuiteCentric.)
Results of a successful NetSuite rescue & custom-fit solutions
Resolved outstanding issues and completed complex integrations
- Oversaw and executed integrations with CAD system and other critical systems such as shipping, marketing, credit card processing, and ACH
- Properly configured NetSuite OneWorld to manage international footprint with multi-currency, multiple subsidiaries, tax compliance, and more
Achieved better visibility across the entire business from summary to transaction level (and more!)
- Eliminated siloed data by leveraging NetSuite’s unified platform
- Improved visibility of the true cost of manufacturing
- On-demand access to real-time data and reports for better decision-making and forecasting
- Unique customizations for enhanced visibility into prepayment processes
Streamlined and automated critical processes saving time, resources, and budget
- Helped save 4.5 – 8 seconds of sales order processing time, expediting the 11,000 monthly invoices and 26,000 monthly orders in 2021
- Created customized workflows, safe searches, dashboards, and more
- Helped optimize billing and transaction automation with batch processing, alert triggers, etc.
