Shades of efficiency at Maui Jim

Customer Story

The fastest growing polarized sunglasses maker in the world, Maui Jim, needed to get a clearer picture of its financial position and streamline its warehousing operations. IBS warehouse software offered the ideal solution.

Company background

Innovation has been the trademark of Maui Jim since the company’s inception. In the early 1980s, Maui Jim sunglasses were only sold on the beaches of the Hawaiian island of Maui. In 1996, Hester Enterprises purchased the company and in the December of 1996, Maui Jim, Inc. was established. With over 50 styles and 122 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), Maui Jim is the fastest growing polarized sunglass maker in the world today.

When Maui Jim secured a U.S. patent for its PolarizedPlus lens (a unique process that eliminates glare and blocks 100 percent of ultraviolet A and B rays), it outshone the competition. The company’s range of over 50 different styles of high-end sunglasses can now be found on beaches across the United States, Europe and Australia.

Business issues

In the early days, Maui Jim used five independent IT systems, which created numerous business problems. It took the company up to 15 days to gather data just to put together monthly reviews. The firm lacked a proper warehouse management system; sales orders were stored in one system and inventory data was held in another. There was essentially no accountability.

In 1999, Maui Jim moved to new headquarters and expanded its distribution center in Illinois, which needs to process a fast-growing number of orders per day. Maui Jim’s aggressive approach to exporting has led to additional distribution facilities in Canada, Australia, Mexico, France and the UK, with Germany and Italy to be opened next.

Maui Jim has seen a phenomenal international sales growth over the past few years. This growth led to a requirement for Maui Jim to increase its Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capabilities to support customer requirements and minimize charge-backs. Radio Frequency (RF) use in the warehouse was also required, along with the automation of field sales representative updates. 

In today’s global market, an efficient inventory management is critical for success. With clear objectives in mind, Maui Jim started shopping for an integrated IT solution that would enable it to be a more effective distributor. The company wanted a fully integrated software solution to manage distribution and warehouse management. The distribution software had to support multiple languages and have the capability to manage multiple currencies.

Solution and capabilities

The IBS integrated distribution software fit Maui Jim’s needs perfectly and had the capacity to support the best practices to be found in the distribution industry. The IBS distribution system is developed to enhance customers’ profitability by increasing sales, reducing costs, shortening lead-times, improving customer service, realizing greater efficiency in internal and external processes and achieving excellent visibility of management information.

Because IBS warehouse distribution software supports multiple languages, currencies and users, Maui Jim finds it much easier to run its multi-national business. Moreover, Maui Jim has been able to extend its EDI business partners. The latest version of IBS distribution software provides further advancements in warehouse management and RF support. 

Another key benefit for Maui Jim is the support it receives from IBS, which consistently provides the right people, in the right place, in the right numbers, at the right time. Furthermore, the improvements available from IBS upgrades are not only good for Maui Jim’s specific requirements but also the wider consumer durables industry.

Benefits and value

Monthly reports no longer take an astonishing 15 days to put together. The accounting department now benefits from running its month end on the last day of the month. Within a few days, the financial picture is clear.

The IBS inventory solution allows Maui Jim to manage its procurement and inventory more efficiently. Management data is presented in a timely fashion. This allows managers to identify and react to problems, instead of pooling information and crunching numbers solely to create a report.

From a warehouse management perspective, IBS allows Maui Jim to track precise locations, balances and transactions, resulting in a more efficient and effective warehouse.

Communicating with the new EDI partners gives Maui Jim the benefit of automatically processing purchase orders without any data entry. Invoices are also produced and processed in a more timely fashion.

Full integration of information with automated processes has allowed the company to reduce costs, capital outlay and inventory. IBS distribtion software lets Maui Jim move products and information in the most efficient way possible.

With IBS, Maui Jim sees a reflection of enhanced future prosperity. With IBS, Maui Jim sees a reflection of enhanced future prosperity.

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