How CRKT Ensured Every Order and Inventory Update Happened on Time
About the Client
Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality knives and tools, trusted by outdoor enthusiasts, military professionals, and first responders. Their products are known for precision engineering, innovation, and durability but behind every great product is an even greater challenge: managing operations at scale.
With a growing business and increasing online demand, CRKT needed systems that could keep up. They weren’t just looking for a quick fix. They were looking for efficiency, accuracy, and speed.
The Challenge
CRKT had outgrown its previous ERP and decided to move to Infor CloudSuite Distribution (Infor CSD) to support its next phase of growth. At that time, they were also planning to modernize their eCommerce operations with BigCommerce. Their legacy website and internal processes were heavily reliant on manual effort, and was not easily upgradable.
These manual workflows were holding them back. They noted inefficiencies including:
- Order Delays: Orders weren’t between the legacy system and the legacy ERP. Batch orders needed to be exported by a team member and uploaded. This was done once per day, creating a flood of order processing and fulfillment activities each morning.
- Inventory Mismatches: Stock levels did not update in real-time and had to be manually “switched on” in the legacy system. This created a risk of overselling products or missing sales when items weren’t listed as available.
- Scaling Difficulties: With thousands of orders coming in, there was a definite need to automate processes. The more CRKT grew, the harder it became to keep up.
At this stage, CRKT had two options:
- Expand their internal IT team to build, manage, and troubleshoot integrations in-house.
- Find a third-party integration partner who could handle the technical complexities while they focused on business growth.
After vetting potential partners, CRKT chose DCKAP Integrator to streamline their operations without adding internal overhead.
The Solution
Once CRKT decided to go with DCKAP Integrator, the focus was on making their order and inventory management seamless, automated, and scalable.
- Automating Order Sync: Orders from BigCommerce sync automatically with Infor CSD. Instead of a morning backlog, orders can be processed within minutes of being placed.
- Real-Time Inventory Updates: Infor CSD automatically pushes inventory updates to BigCommerce, ensuring customers always see accurate stock availability.
- Streamlined Product Data Management: As CRKT continued to grow, they needed a more efficient way to manage product detail. They chose to integrate a PIM system with the Infor ERP, allowing for real-time product data synchronization, eliminating delayed updates and reducing errors.
Scalability Without Overhead: Instead of constantly troubleshooting issues or adding more operational burden, CRKT now had a system that worked for them, not the other way around.
Integration Pipelines
CRKT’s integration setup was designed for efficiency, accuracy, and long-term scalability. Here’s how data flows between their systems:
BigCommerce and Infor CSD [2023]
- Order Sync (BigCommerce → Infor CSD) [Batch Integration]
- Inventory Sync (Infor CSD → BigCommerce) [Batch Integration]
- Order Processing (Infor CSD → BigCommerce) [Batch Integration]
PIM and Infor CSD [2024]
- Product Sync (PIM → Infor CSD) [Batch Integration]
With these integrations, CRKT no longer had to worry about data silos, human errors, or delayed updates. They could expect real-time, updated information whether it was regarding order data, product information, inventory updates, and more.
Phase 2 - EDI Integration
After successfully streamlining their eCommerce and ERP workflows, CRKT identified another important step in their growth journey that is EDI integration with Snap-on, one of their key trading partners.
This phase focused on connecting CRKT’s Infor CSD ERP with Snap-on’s system to automate the exchange of purchase orders and shipping details. Instead of relying on manual uploads or email communication, the integration ensures both businesses stay in sync, reducing errors and delays.
Here are the integration pipelines:
Purchase Order (850) – From Snap-on to Infor CSD [Dynamic Sync]
The first pipeline is designed to send newly created purchase orders placed on the Snap-on store directly into Infor CSD dynamically. This ensures CRKT has immediate visibility of Snap-on’s orders as they are created.
Advance Shipping Notice (856) – From Infor CSD to Snap-on [Batch Sync]
This pipeline is focused on the advance shipping notice. Here, the goal was to build a dedicated pipeline that sends newly created shipments in Infor CSD to the Snap-on store through batch sync. This keeps Snap-on updated with shipping information in a reliable, automated way.
While this phase is still underway, it demonstrates how CRKT is not only improving its internal workflows but also strengthening its supply chain by creating tighter, automated connections with trading partners.
The Impact
For CRKT, the biggest change was in speed and efficiency. Orders that once piled up overnight could now be processed as soon as they were placed. Instead of waiting for manual updates, their system handled everything automatically.
- Process Orders Within Minutes: The team no longer starts the day with a backlog. Orders flow directly from BigCommerce to Infor CSD, getting shipments out the door without delays.
- Accurate Inventory, Every Time: Real-time stock updates mean no more overselling or missing out on sales due to outdated inventory listings. Customers always see the right availability.
- More Time for What Matters: Without the burden of updates reliant on teams, CRKT talent can now focus all the more on product innovation, customer service, and business growth.
- Scale Without Bottlenecks: As order volumes grow, their systems can keep up. They don’t have to worry about outgrowing their processes.
With the new EDI integration, the impact extended beyond CRKT’s internal systems to their trading partners. Snap-on can now send purchase orders directly into CRKT’s ERP dynamically, while shipping notices flow back on a scheduled basis. This means both sides stay aligned with fewer delays and no back-and-forth communication to confirm orders or shipments.
The combined effect of these integrations is a business that runs with fewer bottlenecks, fewer errors, and much greater agility, internally and across the supply chain.
Final Thoughts
Working with CRKT was a great experience. Their team was clear about what they needed, and it was rewarding to help them build an integration that made a real difference in their daily operations.
Every business has its own challenges, and finding the right solution isn’t always easy. If you’re dealing with disconnected systems and manual work slowing you down, we can help you navigate that. Let’s talk.
