ThruDark.
The clothes are tough but the assignment was simple. ThruDark needed a solid integration partner and HighCohesion was ready.
The brand.
Choosing between outdoor clothing brands is no easy task.
Most have rugged names and almost all have been tested everywhere from the summit of Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench. But ThruDark has a USP that instantly grabs your attention.
It was founded by two chaps called Louis and Staz, who both happened to have spent years in the British Special Forces tackling the most arduous conditions imaginable.
Naturally, they were provided with the best clothing on the globe to do their job, but it wasn’t good enough for them, so they set about making their own.
After freezing material to -50 degrees Celsius and lobbing it out of moving planes, the result is surely some of the toughest mountaineering, expedition and sports clothing anywhere.
Combine that with a uniquely rugged style that rejects the latest trends and ThruDark was soon watching its orders pile up.
However, the flip side to this success was its warehouse struggling to keep up with demand, and soon it was clear that ThruDark needed an integration partner to help it realise its true potential.
The snag.
Indeed, ThruDark quickly found that success comes with its own problems. Problems that needed a dependable integration partner like HighCohesion.
Through its huge UK acceleration, ThruDark had pushed its original warehouse to its limit, but subsequent success in the US forced a need for change.
That demanded a rapid switch to Bleckmann as its new 3PL to keep pace with demand and keep its growing customer base happy.
But sales are only part of it; the returns process is every bit as important to keep customers happy and returning to the brand.
Lastly, ThruDark needed an overhaul of its existing ERP. Too much of its data was inputted manually, meaning much of it was out of date and inaccurate by the time it was required.
Greater automation would mean saving time and allowing ThruDark’s staff to focus on the areas driving growth.
5
Systems integrated
2 months
Project timeline
Top 100
UK fastest-growing company
Jim Edwards - Head of Business Systems, ThruDark.
“…the team are experts at what they do – their professionalism, energy and responsiveness throughout the project were impressive and they have continued to impress me ever since.”
The HighCohesion solution.
HighCohesion set about unifying ThruDark’s growing tech stack that included its Priority ERP, Bleckmann 3PL, Airtable strategy management and Shopify e-commerce to ensure the new data flows were not a barrier to growth.
By migrating ThruDark’s existing ERP integrations to a fit-for-purpose solution, HighCo enabled more accurate financial and reporting processes, including reliable discounting and gift card services.
And we didn’t hang about. ThruDark required Bleckmann to be integrated on a tight deadline in just two months.
In fact, not only did we hit the deadline, but we also included a reliable Gift With Purchase customs labelling feature. Oh, and HighCohesion accommodated a late-in-the-day pre-order feature, too.
Of course, this work wasn’t just carried out for ThruDark’s UK Shopify store; it was rolled out to its US store too, showing our flexibility when it comes to global expertise.
This work led to phase two of the project - integrating ThruDark’s returns tech via Loop.
Greater automation and a more reliable returns data flow now deliver a better experience for ThruDark customers and better precision between its warehouse and website.
The feedback.
We asked Jim Edwards, Head of Business Systems at ThruDark for his thoughts on the project. He had this to say:
“For me, two things really stand out about this project:
Firstly, we gave the HighCohesion team a really tight deadline and they stepped up and delivered a transition to a new 3PL for us in record time.
Secondly, the team are experts at what they do – their professionalism, energy and responsiveness throughout the project were impressive and they have continued to impress me ever since.
We’re now growing rapidly in the UK and US, and I’m pleased to say that our operational data is more than keeping up!”
Visit ThruDark here.
Tech stack integrated through HighCohesion
Ecommerce Platform
Bleckmann 3PL
Priority ERP
Submarine pre-orders
Loop returns solutions