Reinventing the wheel
2017 marks 200 years since the bicycle was invented. Since then, technology has put a 21st century spin on conventional bikes, giving rise to the electric bike. The wheels began turning when James Metcalfe, director of Volt, noticed many commuters using electric bikes while travelling in Asia. Formed in 2008, Volt Bikes is committed to manufacturing high-end, stylish and affordable electric bikes.
Volt Bikes started off producing and manufacturing their own electric bikes. Now they’ve risen to be UK’s largest brand of electric bikes. Their bikes are well-suited to a wide array of customers, from daily commuters to leisure riders.
Time for manufacturing business efficiency
Before using Unleashed, Volt Bikes was using basic programs, such as Excel, to manage their stock; they even tried other inventory management software, but none were suitable for what they needed. “Unleashed allowed us to have multiple warehouse locations, which is critical for a company like ours,” explains James.
Volt Bikes work in a unique way where they deliver bikes to their shops, but it isn’t invoiced until the bikes are sold to the end-users. Due to the way they’ve set up their business, inventory transparency and reliability is of huge importance. “It’s critical for us to know where our stock is live, at that time,” adds James.
Since implementing Unleashed, James has found that the business processes are more efficient. They are able to manage all their dealers, and treat each one like a warehouse. With increased business efficiency, they have more time on their hands. Now they finish work at normal business hours, instead of having to stay late just to go through multiple spreadsheets for accuracy. “It’s given us more time to see family after work,” says James.
“When we got Unleashed in place, it just made it a lot easier for us.”
With Unleashed smoothly handling their multiple warehouses, Volt Bikes can continue to scale their business for the future, and can be sure they always have the inventory on hand to meet customer demand.
