Making the switch to cloud-based apps like Unleashed gives you the flexibility of a range of integrations and open API. We were excited to hear how one of our customers, Madison Sport, managed to grow their business using Unleashed.
Here’s their story.
Madison Sport is one of the leading wholesale suppliers of rugby protective gear, training aids and equipment Down Under. Based in Brisbane, they have been in the game for 34 years and counting. Proudly Australian owned and operated, they sponsor world-class athletes and cater to players, ranging from casual players to professionals. In addition to selling both in retail stores and on eCommerce platforms, the bulk of their business comes from B2B transactions.
Legacy software woes
Madison Sport were using an ERP software, Pronto, to manage their business. However, as their version neared its end of life, their IT consultant at the time suggested they moved away from Pronto, which had a high overhead cost, did not easily integrate with other apps and new staff found difficult to learn. Cloud-based SaaS applications was the next step for Madison Sport, and this opened the door to Unleashed and Xero as viable alternatives to ERP software.
End-to-end cloud software
Unleashed offers many integrations but it was the open API that prompted the team to make the move to Unleashed, “it was a valid option and integrated well into our business,” explains Gavin.
Since moving away from their ERP solution, they’ve quickly adopted other cloud apps as well. In 2016, they made the move from MYOB to Xero. It was an easy decision to make: “It’s a no brainer — if Xero and Unleashed link together and we’ve got visibility across the two, let’s use them.”
Since switching over to Xero and Unleashed, the benefits they’ve experienced to cash flow, functionality and the ease of training new staff members were great. “We now know our financial controller can easily work in Xero [than in Pronto]. I find Xero relatively easy to get into and run financial reports,” says Gavin.
Aside from their accounting and inventory control, they also use cloud apps for their eCommerce. Their online retail store is run out of Amazon and multiple Shopify stores so linking them all to Unleashed made sense. “We used to sell on Amazon under our own accounts and would fulfil those orders ourselves,” Gavin explains. As they’ve grown, Amazon has now become their customers, meaning that the team no longer fulfil these orders internally. The integration between Unleashed and Amazon has allowed them to make sales efficiently and seamlessly.
Experiencing the benefits of the cloud
With all their cloud apps linked together, the team at Madison Sport can experience the full benefits that cloud-based apps provide. To Gavin, a busy general manager, one of the key benefits is mobility. He can be travelling interstate or abroad and still have access to his stock information.
“Because Unleashed is SaaS application, I can be out on the road and open up my laptop and look at my inventory. I can also use the Unleashed Sales App to check on stock levels if I need to.”
Another great benefit to cloud-based apps is the constant feature updates — at no expense to the customer. “There have been minimal outages from Unleashed. It’s good when you guys run internal updates and functionality improvements. When they roll out, it’s seamless for us — no connectivity or functionality problems,” says Gavin.
With the flexibility and visibility the cloud provides, Madison Sport are primed to seize opportunities when they arise.
