An ERP Story | E-commerce Case Study in Utah

Case Study: Utah Manufacturer Connects Nationwide Operations with Business Central

A Utah-based manufacturer of Beauty and Hair Care products partnered with AltiusERP to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and unify its manufacturing, distribution, and e-commerce operations. With five distribution centers across the country and a complex B2B Shopify channel, the company needed accurate, real-time inventory visibility and faster fulfillment. AltiusERP implemented Business Central as the operational foundation, connecting sales, finance, inventory, production, warehousing, and shipping within one integrated cloud platform.

AltiusERP configured Business Central’s native Shopify Connector to move B2B orders from Shopify into Business Central in real time. New orders can be released automatically to the appropriate warehouse, allowing employees to begin picking and fulfillment within minutes of an order being placed. AltiusERP also implemented the Insight Works Order Fulfillment Worksheet, which provides visibility across all locations into outstanding orders and stock availability at the individual sales-line level. Fulfillment teams can see what inventory is available across locations, determine which order lines are ready to ship, allocate stock, and manage partial fulfillment from a centralized workspace. This automation significantly shortens the order-to-cash cycle by reducing the time between order placement, warehouse execution, shipment, and invoicing.

Across the company’s five distribution centers, AltiusERP configured advanced warehousing with directed put-away and pick. A Warehouse Management System (WMS) by Insightworks was deployed on 20 handheld devices, enabling warehouse employees to perform picking, put-away, fulfillment, replenishment, and inventory movements directly from the warehouse floor. AltiusERP also implemented Insightworks’ shipping add-in, Dynamic Ship, to connect packing and shipping activities with Business Central, helping employees process shipments, compare carrier services, produce shipping documentation, and return tracking information to the order workflow.

For this Utah based manufacturing company, AltiusERP configured simple bills of materials and routings that reflect the company’s production processes without unnecessary complexity. Insightworks Shop Floor Insight provides production reporting and shop-floor visibility, while FIFO costing and backflushing streamline material consumption and maintain accurate inventory valuation. AltiusERP also configured capacity planning to help the manufacturer identify resource capacity constraints, balance production requirements, and align output with demand across its nationwide distribution network. The resulting solution connects Shopify ordering, production, inventory, warehouse execution, shipping, and financial processing from beginning to end.

-Key Takeaways-

1) Business Central’s native Shopify Connector can move orders into the ERP in real time and initiate warehouse fulfillment with minimal manual intervention.

2) Automatically releasing eligible orders to the warehouse via handheld mobile device can allow picking to begin within minutes of the Shopify order being placed.

3) The Order Fulfillment Worksheet gives teams global visibility into orders and inventory availability at the individual sales-line level.

4) Sales-line visibility helps employees determine which orders can be fulfilled completely and which require partial shipment or replenishment.

5) Directed put-away and pick require well-designed locations, bins, zones, replenishment rules, and warehouse workflows.

6) Handheld warehouse devices are most effective when transactions are performed in real time at the point of activity.

7) Connecting e-commerce, fulfillment, warehousing, shipping, and invoicing significantly reduces the order-to-cash cycle.

Why It Matters

For a nationwide manufacturer, the speed and accuracy of fulfillment directly affect customer satisfaction, working capital, and scalability. By combining Business Central’s native Shopify Connector with the Insightworks Order Fulfillment Worksheet, Warehouse Insight, Shop Floor Insight, and Dynamic Ship, AltiusERP created a continuous process from online order placement through warehouse fulfillment, shipment, invoicing, and payment. Orders can reach the warehouse within minutes, while fulfillment teams gain sales-line-level visibility into demand and available stock across the business. The result is a substantially shorter order-to-cash cycle, improved inventory control, and a scalable foundation for growth.