Warehouse to Web Portal: Transforming a Design Storage Business Through Smart Automation

Executive Summary

Core Business Model

• Client Base: Serves approximately 40 design firms

• Project Structure: Each design firm manages multiple concurrent projects

• Service Offerings:
• Secure storage for high-end design items
• Inventory management
• Item receiving and inspection
• Coordination of deliveries and pickups
• Project-based organization of items

• Revenue Model:
• Monthly storage fees based on dimensions
• Service fees for receiving, inspection, and handling
• Project-based billing structure

The Challenge

• Manual Work Overload: Andrea was spending entire days just checking inventory and creating invoices for her clients

• Pricing Headaches: She had to juggle many different types of charges - from storage and receiving to inspection and pickup fees

• Frustrated Designers: Her design clients couldn't see what items they had in storage without calling or emailing her first

• Tech Simplicity Needed: As someone who wasn't tech-savvy, Andrea needed a solution that would be easy to use day-to-day

"She could spend the entire day just generating and verifying all the items that needed to go into QuickBooks and then send it." - Implementation Team Member, describing the previous manual process

Previous Solution

• Google Sheets for inventory tracking

• Manual calculations for storage fees

• Email-based communication with clients

• Time-intensive invoice creation in QuickBooks

• Full days spent on invoice generation

• Lack of transparency for clients

• Risk of calculation errors

• Delayed notifications about received items

The Solution

Technology Stack

• Airtable: Core inventory and project management

• Softr: Client portal interface

• Make: Workflow automation

• QuickBooks: Financial management and invoicing

Key Features

Automated Fee Calculation System

• Dimension-based storage fees

• Receiving charges

• Inspection fees

• Service fees for additional handling

Client Portal

• Real-time inventory visibility

• Project-based organization

• Image galleries for stored items

• Fee transparency

Automated Notifications

• Instant client notifications when items arrive

• Automated image sharing

• Invoice reminders

The Results

Transformed Item Management Process

Enhanced Item Documentation

• Mobile-friendly photo capture at receiving

• Automatic client notifications with delivery photos

• Detailed dimension tracking

• Condition documentation

Streamlined Project Management

• Multi-project tracking per client

• Automated storage duration calculations

• Real-time inventory updates

• Partial pickup management

Improved Client Communication

• Instant delivery notifications

• Photo galleries for each item

• Self-service inventory checking

• Project status tracking

Operational Improvements

• The time savings were dramatic - what used to take full days now takes just minutes to generate invoices

• Designers love having around-the-clock access to check on their stored items through the client portal

• No more calculation mistakes thanks to the automated system handling all the math

• Everyone stays in the loop with automatic updates whenever items arrive or change status

• The system easily handles the complexity of managing inventory for over 40 design firms running multiple projects simultaneously

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