The success story of just-SOUND CarHifi shows that JTL solutions can not only be put together individually, but can also be customized as such. The provider of sound systems for cars from Saulheim in Rhineland-Palatinate has linked its ERP and store system with the JTL WMS warehouse management system via a JTL Fulfillment Network (FFN) plugin. He has thus created a system that perfectly meets the requirements of his online trade.
Harmonious interaction: just-Sound and JTL in a duet
After work, Christian Becker was passionate about tinkering with car sound systems to get the most out of the sound. In 2003, he turned his hobby into a profession. Gradually, he received more and more inquiries and orders, so that he quickly set up his first own webshop. Today, he receives almost 8000 orders per month via just-sound.de.
The search for a professional warehouse management system
As the orders grew, so did the requirements of its warehouse processes. Over 100,000 items, around 4500 SKUs, are stored in an area of around 650m². These have to be professionally stored, packed and dispatched. He and his team were increasingly reaching the limits of their old system: “We used to run our warehouse according to the principle of ‘we know where everything is’. The search for items or the last box was correspondingly nerve-wracking, not to mention the stocktaking. At some point, I realized that we needed a professional warehouse management system to manage the volume of orders.”
JTL-Fulfillment Network as the initial spark for the introduction of JTL-WMS
Christian had long been aware of the wide range of functions offered by JTL WMS. He had already read and heard a lot of positive things about dynamic warehousing, flexible picking and packing processes and automated workflows on the JTL blog and at trade fairs. The launch of the JTL Fulfillment Network finally gave him the impetus to use JTL WMS for his business: Because with the FFN as an interface system, it was now possible for him to connect warehouse management to his merchandise management software from Plentymarkets.
Christian uses the FFN plugin Plentymarkets-Plugin 2.0 to link JTL-WMS with his existing ERP system. As a beta tester, he played a key role in its development and was able to contribute his requirements and wishes directly. In the meantime, the just-SOUND team has found its routine with the system, as Christian explains: “The export of orders to JTL WMS is triggered by the status change of one or more orders in the ERP system. The import in FFN takes place ‘just in time’. From then on, JTL-WMS works as you know it – from the usual pick and pack processes, to JTL workflows and shipping. The connection is reliable, stable and scalable. The stocks are always synchronized in both systems.”
Smooth integration thanks to dedicated JTL support
Even though Christian was a little unsure at first whether the plugin would be able to manage everything reliably, the switch has paid off for him from today’s perspective. “The plugin worked perfectly right from the start. Minor bug fixes were implemented quickly and the FFN was and still is very stable.” If his team ever needed support, the JTL support team and the contacts at Hashtag ES, the company that developed the plugin, were always on hand. “Criticism and feedback were always implemented quickly. The cooperation was very constructive,” says Christian.
High satisfaction with the FFN plugin - also at other retailers
What type of online retailer would you recommend the plugin to? Christian has a quick answer to this question: “For self-dispatchers like us, who have high demands on warehouse management. We are our own fulfillers and track the shipments via the FFN. We spent a long time considering which warehouse system we wanted to use and connect. Fortunately, FFN was launched at exactly the right time and the connection via plugin is reliable even with high order volumes.”
Although just-SOUND does not outsource shipping like most FFN users, Christian can also report positive results for the ‘classic’ use case. Many of his colleagues use the JTL Fulfillment Network in conjunction with Plentymarkets and work successfully with a fulfillment service provider. If you want to outsource warehousing, shipping and returns management, you’ve definitely come to the right place.
New system creates scope for expansion
The system changeover has brought enormous efficiency gains to just-SOUND’s day-to-day business. For example, Christian and his team can use the pick lists in JTL-WMS to prioritize by value of goods, destination, customer class, prime, export, postman and multi-item orders in order to assign warehouse employees to the correct grouping of orders. Christian is also very satisfied with the usability of JTL-WMS Mobile: “Our temporary staff are guided to the correct location by the smartphone app, all they have to do is scan and they’re done. This virtually eliminates errors.”
In addition, the team was able to make better use of the available space thanks to the chaotic warehousing they were able to implement with JTL WMS. The method has proved particularly effective for small items. Overall, the solution now gives Christian more time to focus on expanding his business. In future, he would like to be more active in the B2B market. He doesn’t have to worry about his warehouse processes not being able to keep up with growth in the future.
Further information on the functions and expansion options of the JTL Fulfillment Network can be found on our JTL-FFN info page and in the JTL Guide.
