Case Study
How MacPherson's streamlined the wholesale distribution of 50,000 products
Industry: Art Supply Distribution
Location: Emeryville, CA, Reno, NV, & Suwanee, GA
Products: 50,000+
The Company
MacPherson’s is a leading wholesale distributor of fine art supplies, serving independent retail art stores and select large channels. Headquartered in Emeryville, CA, with warehouses in Reno, NV, and Suwanee, GA, the company employs approximately 200 people and stocks nearly 50,000 products, from brushes and paints to Italian-made easels and large canvases.
A key differentiator for MacPherson’s is its quick order fulfillment, allowing them to act as a back-end warehouse for their customers’ retail locations.
Industry: Art Supply Distribution
Location: Emeryville, CA, Reno, NV, & Suwanee, GA
Products: 50,000+
The Challenge
In 2003, MacPherson developed an ordering system for Windows Mobile PDA devices with an attached laser scanner. Over time, this system became outdated, prompting the company to seek a modern solution. That search led them to Serialio.com, where they discovered the Cloud-In-Hand® Mobile Order app and the Scanfob® Wireless Barcode Scanner.
The new solution needed to meet several critical requirements:
- No reliance on internet connectivity: Many customers lack reliable internet in-store. A native mobile app with a local database was essential, requiring internet only for transmitting orders and receiving data updates.
- Cross-platform compatibility: The solution needed to work on both Android and iOS devices to accommodate all customers.
- Affordable, readily available hardware: The company wanted a cost-effective mobile device not tied to a single brand.
- High-performance barcode scanning: The scanner had to read small or hard-to-scan barcodes on curved or reflective surfaces, maintain exceptional battery life (handling 200–500 lines per order), and be fast, nimble, and easy to set up for users of all technical skill levels.
The Solution
MacPherson’s partnered with Serialio.com to implement the Cloud-In-Hand® Mobile Order application alongside the Scanfob® Wireless Barcode Scanner.
The new system not only retained all the features of the older PDA system but also introduced a modern, intuitive interface and powerful enhancements. One standout feature is the in-app full-text search (with multiple words searching capacity), which allows users to find a single product within the 50,000-item database in seconds. Filtered results appear as soon as the salesperson begins typing, reducing the time needed to display scanned items in a customer’s web cart from nearly 20 minutes to just a few minutes.
The solution also benefits customers who wish to place orders independently. They can now create shopping carts, review or modify pending orders, and send those requests directly to MacPherson’s order entry system. Once submitted, orders are received and processed at the warehouse within 30 minutes.
The Results
The Cloud-In-Hand® solution improved efficiency, order accuracy, and speed, creating a smoother experience for both sales reps and customers.
“We’ve enjoyed working with the Serialio team. They were diligent about making sure our customized application met our specific needs and were willing to go back to the drawing board countless times until we were completely satisfied. They stuck to their commitments regarding delivering app enhancements efficiently and on time. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Serialio and are especially excited about the possibility of adding additional features to the application, such as incorporating real-time stock checking and order pricing.”
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