AFD Case Study

OVERVIEW

AFD has been the leading provider of display showcases for over 100 years. They operate on a very large scale and can supply tens of thousands of cases upon demand.

AFD are a family-run company that provides a complete line of high-quality showcases, which can be used to display all kinds of products, including jewelry, antiques, collectibles, and more. Cases are rented for trade shows and exhibitions across the United States.

Exhibitors consider AFD to be the top choice for satisfying all exhibition needs; from thousands of display cases at major jewelry industry trade shows to a single showcase at a private auction, they provide exhibitors and show managers with personalized, professional service and high-end products. They are the official showcase provider for the country’s most renowned trade shows.

PROBLEM

AFD faced three situations calling for a change. First, their core order tracking system needed significant upgrades and did not have the required capabilities. Second, the company wanted to add a web portal to support clients, present their wide range of showcases, and allow online ordering. Third, the company wanted a new, modernized system to automate processes, track inventory and assist in these transitions.

TASK

In looking for a replacement system, AFD reached out to many vendors to offer alternative approaches for modernizing their system. A key requirement was having up-to-the minute inventory control over multiple warehouses and active venues at any given time. In addition, since the company offers rentals not final sales, the company required a sophisticated inventory forecasting system to know the availability of every case for many months in advance.

The primary task was for Kyo Logic to develop a design for this tracking system in conjunction with AFD leadership. The business requirements were very detailed and precise reflecting the century of experience that AFD has in this business. In addition, Kyo Logic planned the design interface for a customer portal that would allow clients to handle orders online. Given the detailed logistics associated with this nationally scoped rental system, the integration requirements were extreme.

Finally, AFD wanted a control system to support hundreds of clients while onsite at a show. Technicians are texted a link to the service ticket (this step supports multiple languages, so these texts are sent in the technician’s primary language). The technicians can then update the status of the ticket and even add notes in their web browser.

The most recent addition is the ability for AFD customers to design their both layout through the web portal. Booth designs are sent to the AFD support team with detailed instructions on exactly where each case should go in the booth. This negates the need for hand-written layout designs and removes the guesswork from the process, saving hundreds of hours.

PROCESS

Kyo Logic worked closely with AFD to plan the new system and then built the core order processing system. This work included a multi-member development team working in Claris FileMaker in addition to integrating with other vendors such as payment processing banks, and other accounting systems. The initial system was developed in conjunction with the customer web portal. By business necessity, the system went live quite early in the process and led to a lot of learning on demand as process requirements emerged. Kyo Logic worked very closely with AFD during this period and continuously managed to improve timeliness of reporting and access to real-time statistics about case availability.

RESULTS

The new system now handles all elements of the case rental business. The web portal handles a third of all orders and the system works in a reliable and timely manner in a very high volume environment. The cloud-based system is available 24/7 and operates anywhere across the nation. A challenge has been the quality of wireless service at live conferences and shows. Kyo Logic continues to work with AFD to identify solutions to this essential wireless problem at shows. 

Currently, the company is having record rentals and the integrated operating environment has allowed the company to operate with a lean staff while maximizing utilization of its case inventory. Not only can the company forecast demand by case type for future shows, but it can also forecast inter-warehouse transfers. In addition, warehouse schedules are displayed on large monitors allowing staff to manage loading priorities. All this happens in a mostly paperless environment.