How Kotn Future-Proofed Omnichannel Growth and International Expansion with Fulfil

Kotn is a purpose-driven, B-Corp certified apparel brand that’s redefining transparent supply chain and ethical manufacturing for the modern consumer. With eCommerce sales across Shopify and Shopify B2B, 10+ retail stores using Shopify POS, and international expansion plans on the horizon, the Kotn team needed a flexible, Shopify-centric ERP to streamline complexity and fuel their omnichannel global growth.

The Challenge of Disconnected Systems 

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Before migrating to Fulfil, Kotn’s tech stack revolved around Shopify tied into a basic inventory management system (IMS) and a single 3PL. That worked - until it didn’t. 

Lagging inventory syncs, stranded open orders, and the inability to automate workflows or scale integrations created mounting friction. Manual reconciliation across departments stalled reporting, introduced errors, and detracted from higher-value initiatives essential for Kotn’s ambitious international growth plan. 

Kotn’s vision involved expanding to new markets and starting to use 5+ retail stores for e-commerce micro-fulfillment.

“I wasn't comfortable proceeding with the international expansion using the IMS because there were a lot of limitations. There was a lag with inventory syncs and we couldn't do any kind of shipment routing. Multiple people had to manually monitor order routing daily just to ensure customers got their orders on time.”

Month end reporting was challenging because everything was so manual and involved a lot of time across multiple departments. “We couldn't do any accounting. Tracking landed costs in multiple currencies was a challenge. We were doing all of the processes, but they were just very manual and in most cases done outside the system.” -Nihaarika Kapoor, Director of Supply Chain & Impact

Why Fulfil: Fast, Predictable Implementation & Future-Proof Scalability

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It was important to Kotn that their ERP partner be able to not only meet their needs now, but scale with them as their operational complexity grew. They also needed to go-live quickly to ensure their international expansion plans weren’t put on hold. They recognized that a legacy ERP wasn’t an option and instead needed a modern ERP like Fulfil that’s purpose-built for Shopify merchants.  

Fulfil’s in-house implementation approach, local Canadian support resources and native integrations without middleware unlocked the ability for Kotn to to quickly go-live with Fulfil. 

“The implementation was the fastest of my life. We did it during Q4 in under three months, including holidays and while setting up our new UK entity. The process was collaborative, and Fulfil’s team incorporated not just our immediate needs but upcoming ones as well.” -Nihaarika Kapoor, Director of Supply Chain & Impact

Robust Integrations Across Systems

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Using an ERP with an open API that enables native integrations without using middleware is key to remaining agile at scale as an omnichannel brand. Kotn saw immediate benefits from several key integrations: 

• International 3PL Expansion: Fulfil’s Open API enabled Kotn’s new UK 3PL to integrate to Fulfil within weeks while Kotn launched a UK entity and intercompany accounting workflows.
• Shopify POS & Micro-Fulfillment: Fulfil’s native Shopify POS integration allowed retail stores to fulfill e-commerce orders seamlessly. As Nihaarika describes: “With Fulfil, we eliminated multiple systems. We use Fulfil’s Warehouse Management System to pick, pack, ship, generate shipping labels, and benefit from automations that save us hours every week.”‍
• Automation & Data Ops with Parabola: With Parabola’s Fulfil integration, Kotn automated data analysis and reporting, using Fulfil’s robust data warehouse and Parabola’s new AI-powered transforms. “Analyzing shipping rates vs. rate cards, something that would have taken days and ten Excel sheets, was automated via Parabola and Fulfil. We saw immediate ROI; thousands of dollars in savings, and hours reclaimed every week.”

Operational Impact: Efficiency Gains Across the Board

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Since launching on Fulfil, Kotn has enjoyed:

• Real-time order and inventory sync between systems instead of every 15 or 30 minutes. Orders and stock are now updated instantly with Fulfil’s order management and inventory management functionality. “An order comes in, it’s in Fulfil before I can blink. We’re able to do complex automations that save a lot of time.”
• Micro-fulfillment automation has eliminated the previously required 7-10 hours of manual work per week per team member, with only rare exceptions requiring intervention.
• Self-serve, customizable automation for special projects. VIP orders used to previously get manually shared with the 3PL. Fulfil’s no-code automation rules combined with Shopify Flow, allow for VIP orders to have the correct messages and inserts included and shipping services assigned without engineering involvement or manual intervention. 
• Streamlined intercompany transactions. We’re starting to split ship purchase orders to our two 3PLs, with one entity purchasing the goods and shipping them to two entities. Complex workflows like this were just not possible prior to Fulfil. ‍
• Growth Without Growing Headcount. “We’re growing high double-digits year over year without increasing team size, because a lot of the manual work was eliminated. The team can now focus on expansion.”‍
• A True Partner, Not Just a Vendor. “Fulfil is extremely open to feedback, even when crazy new ideas get brought up. They work with us as true partners to fuel our next phase of growth. That’s critical when you’re a small business.”

The Results

• Instant, reliable inventory & order syncing
• Streamlined multi-entity accounting and intercompany workflows
• Automated order routing for retail and e-commerce fulfillment
• Seamless integrations with Shopify and Shopify POS, Parabola, and 3PLs with Fulfil’s open API
• Measurable time and cost savings across departments
• Foundation to scale omnichannel operations globally

Ready to Level Up?

A Shopify-centric ERP like Fulfil is critical for unlocking international growth as a growing omnichannel merchant with multiple entities. Learn more about how Fulfil can help you future-proof your business and set you up for success on the global stage. 

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