Apr. 18, 2023
ERP

How Trutex unified inventory, auntomated order fulfilment, and saved £15,000 annually with Priority ERP

Country:

United Kingdom

Website:

www.trutex.com

Partner:

Medatech UK

Key results at a glance

£15,000

saved annually

30

– minute order confirmation

1

– hour order dispatch

About Trutex

Trutex Ltd, founded in 1865 under the name Clitheroe Shirting Company, has grown to become the largest independent school uniform brand. The company specializes in producing a wide range of schoolwear items, including uniforms and sportswear. Trutex distributes its products through various channels, including a chain of independent retailers, a unique mail-order service, and a 'Direct to Schools' scheme. The latter initiative allows schools to receive a donation from Trutex with every purchase, making it a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The Challenge

The challenge

As Trutex expanded its wholesale, retail, and online operations, its existing systems struggled to keep pace. Each sales channel operated independently while drawing inventory from the same stock pool, forcing staff to manually allocate inventory between systems. The result was frequent overstocking in some areas while other channels experienced shortages, limiting the company's ability to accurately forecast demand and respond quickly to customers.

Manual administrative work created additional inefficiencies. Staff spent significant time preparing and sending invoices, statements, shipping confirmations, and other customer communications. Without a unified view of operations, inventory decisions became increasingly difficult, reducing financial visibility and affecting customer satisfaction.

Key challenges included:

  • Three sales channels sharing one inventory pool without integrated visibility
  • Overstocking in some locations while other channels experienced shortages
  • Manual processing of invoices, statements, and order confirmations
  • Limited visibility into inventory, costing, and financial performance
  • Excessive stock movements between locations, increasing operational costs
The Solution

The solution

Trutex implemented Priority ERP together with Priority Warehouse Management System (WMS), creating a single platform to manage inventory, finance, purchasing, warehousing, customer orders, and reporting. The new system integrated previously disconnected processes and provided one source of truth across every department.

Priority enabled Trutex to:

Unify inventory management

Inventory from wholesale, retail, and online operations is now managed within one integrated system, providing accurate stock visibility and improving demand forecasting.

Automate customer communications

Order confirmations, invoices, statements, and shipping notifications are generated and distributed automatically, reducing manual administration while improving response times.

Optimize warehouse operations

Priority WMS automates warehouse activities using handheld barcode devices, improving picking accuracy, reducing manual handling, and accelerating fulfillment.

Improve product costing

The Part Parameter Matrix calculates accurate product costs across different sizes, colors, and styles, providing better pricing decisions and profitability analysis.

Strengthen supply chain planning

Integrated purchasing, inventory planning, and demand forecasting allow Trutex to reduce inventory levels while ensuring products remain available when customers need them.

The Results

The results

Implementing Priority ERP fundamentally changed how Trutex manages inventory and fulfills customer orders. Rather than operating separate systems for wholesale, retail, and online sales, every department now works from the same real-time information.

This visibility has allowed Trutex to reduce unnecessary stock movements, improve forecasting, automate repetitive administration, and provide customers with faster, more accurate service. Inventory decisions are now based on live demand across the business rather than disconnected spreadsheets and isolated systems, giving management greater control over both operations and profitability.

Faster order processing

  • Customers receive order confirmations within 30 minutes of placing an order, improving communication and reducing uncertainty.
  • Orders can now be picked, processed, and dispatched in as little as one hour, significantly accelerating fulfillment compared to previous manual processes.
  • Early visibility into order details allows errors to be identified before shipment, reducing returns and customer service issues.

Greater efficiency & lower operating costs

  • Automation of orders, invoices, statements, and shipping confirmations saved approximately £15,000 in one year while reducing manual administrative work.
  • Employees spend less time processing routine transactions and more time supporting customers and improving operations.
  • Standardized workflows have improved consistency across departments while reducing reliance on manual intervention.

Smarter inventory management

  • A single inventory view across all sales channels has eliminated the need to manually separate stock between systems.
  • Better demand planning has reduced unnecessary stock movements while helping Trutex maintain product availability across wholesale, retail, and online operations.
  • Greater visibility allows purchasing decisions to be made using accurate, real-time inventory data.

Improved supply chain performance

  • Priority WMS automates picking and warehouse processes using wireless barcode technology, increasing fulfillment efficiency and inventory accuracy.
  • Integration with the OHL tracking system gives customers real-time visibility into order deliveries, improving transparency and the post-purchase experience.
  • End-to-end visibility across procurement, warehousing, shipping, invoicing, and payment has strengthened operational control.

Better visibility for better decisions

  • Executive dashboards provide real-time business performance metrics across operations, inventory, and finance.
  • Accurate product costing helps identify the most profitable products while supporting more informed pricing decisions.
  • Improved financial visibility enables Trutex to better manage cash flow, purchasing, and inventory investment.

“Priority has dramatically improved the efficiency of Trutex's business processes and made them more cost effective. The orders, statements, invoices, and shipping confirmations automation alone saved Trutex around £15,000 in 2009.”

John Hogan, Group Operation Director

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