About Universal Yums
Universal Yums is a global snack subscription box company that sources unique snacks from around the world and delivers curated boxes to subscribers. The company manages complex operations including sourcing from hundreds of global suppliers, assembling subscription boxes, and fulfilling orders to customers.
The subscription box model creates unique operational challenges: managing diverse inventory from global suppliers, tracking payment terms across hundreds of vendors, assembling boxes with precise product combinations, and fulfilling time-sensitive subscription deliveries.
The Challenge: Paper-Based Processes and Fragmented Systems
As Universal Yums scaled their subscription box operations, their reliance on paper-based processes and fragmented systems created critical operational bottlenecks that threatened their ability to grow profitably.
No Single Source of Truth for Operational Data
Universal Yums lacked a single source of truth for operational data. Information was spread across multiple systems and paper-based processes, making it impossible to get accurate, real-time visibility into their business operations.
Paper-Based Pick/Pack/Ship Process
The warehouse operated on paper-based pick, pack, and ship processes. Picking a single order took up to 20 minutes due to the manual, paper-based workflow. This inefficiency created a ceiling on fulfillment capacity and drove up operational costs.
Lagging Data on Inventory Management
Inventory data lagged behind actual stock movements. The team was unable to track inventory movements in real-time, creating uncertainty about what was actually available. This lag forced Universal Yums to do periodic bulk inventory adjustments to reconcile system records with physical counts.
Financial Information Spread Across 3 Unintegrated Systems
Financial information was spread across 3 different unintegrated systems. This fragmentation made it difficult to understand true financial performance, close books efficiently, or make informed business decisions.
Difficulty Tracking Payment Terms with 100s of Global Suppliers
With hundreds of global suppliers, each with different payment terms, Universal Yums struggled to track payment obligations accurately. The manual tracking created risk of missed payments, damaged supplier relationships, or cash flow surprises.
Fulfillment Costs at 15% of GMV
The operational inefficiencies manifested in high fulfillment costs—15% of Gross Merchandise Value. For a subscription box business with tight margins, this fulfillment overhead threatened profitability and limited reinvestment in growth.
The Solution: Unified ERP with Mobile-First Warehouse Management
Universal Yums partnered with Fulfil to implement a comprehensive ERP platform that would eliminate paper-based processes, provide real-time operational visibility, and dramatically reduce fulfillment costs.
Dedicated Implementation Team
The onboarding experience provided confidence from the start:
"Working with Fulfil during the onboarding process was a breath of fresh air, knowing there was a timeline and a dedicated team to work with."
— Matt Buonforte, Universal Yums
The dedicated team and clear timeline ensured a smooth implementation that quickly delivered operational value.
Centralized Operational Data
Fulfil provided a single source of truth by centralizing operational data into one unified system. Order management, inventory tracking, warehouse operations, and financial data consolidated into one platform, eliminating data fragmentation.
Mobile-Friendly, Paperless Picking Workflow
Fulfil's handheld warehouse management system replaced paper-based processes with mobile-friendly, paperless picking workflows. The system optimized pick paths and batches in real-time, dramatically improving efficiency.
Production BOM for Real-Time Inventory Tracking
Production BOM (Bill of Materials) capabilities enabled Universal Yums to track inventory movements in real-time across multiple stages: Receiving → Overstock → Pickable Bins → Packing → Shipping.
This real-time visibility eliminated the need for periodic bulk adjustments and provided accurate inventory data at all times.
Integrated Financial Management
Fulfil replaced the 3 unintegrated financial systems with integrated financial management. Payment terms for hundreds of global suppliers could be tracked in one system, ensuring accurate cash flow management and timely payments.
Results: 25X ROI and Operational Excellence
The implementation of Fulfil delivered extraordinary results, generating a 25X return on investment in the first year while enabling Universal Yums to scale operations profitably.
Generated 25X ROI in First Year
The most remarkable result: Universal Yums generated 25X return on their ERP investment in the first year. The combination of reduced fulfillment costs, improved efficiency, and enabled growth delivered immediate, measurable financial value.
Decreased Fulfillment Costs from 15% to 8% of GMV
Fulfillment overhead dropped from 15% of Gross Merchandise Value to just 8%—a dramatic 47% reduction in fulfillment costs as a percentage of revenue. This improvement dropped directly to the bottom line, improving unit economics and freeing up resources for growth investment.
Achieved Same-Day Shipping
Universal Yums achieved same-day shipping for all orders. The operational efficiency gains from mobile picking, optimized workflows, and real-time inventory visibility enabled the team to process and ship orders the same day they were placed—a significant competitive advantage in the subscription box market.
Reduced Manual Data Processing
The unified platform eliminated the manual data processing required when operating across fragmented systems. Automation reduced time spent on data entry, reconciliation, and reporting, freeing team capacity for higher-value work.
Increased Data Accuracy and Confidence
Real-time inventory tracking and centralized operational data increased accuracy and confidence in business data. Decisions could be made based on reliable information rather than outdated or fragmented data.
Launched Second Subscription Box Product Line
With efficient operations enabled by Fulfil, Universal Yums successfully launched Almost Tea, their second subscription box product line. The scalable platform made it straightforward to add a new product line without proportional increases in operational complexity.
Real-Time Inventory Tracking Across Multiple Stages
The Production BOM capabilities enabled tracking inventory across all stages of the fulfillment process: Receiving → Overstock → Pickable Bins → Packing → Shipping. This visibility eliminated blind spots and enabled precise inventory management.
Eliminated Periodic Bulk Inventory Adjustments
With real-time inventory tracking, Universal Yums eliminated the need for periodic bulk inventory adjustments. The system maintained accurate inventory records continuously, eliminating the disruption and uncertainty of manual reconciliation.
Optimized Pick Paths and Batches
The mobile warehouse management system optimized pick paths and batches in real-time, ensuring pickers took the most efficient routes and processed orders in optimal groups. This optimization contributed significantly to the fulfillment cost reduction.
Improved Supplier Payment Management
With integrated tracking of payment terms for hundreds of global suppliers, Universal Yums improved cash flow management and ensured timely payments, strengthening supplier relationships critical to their global sourcing model.
The partnership between Universal Yums and Fulfil demonstrates how the right ERP platform delivers extraordinary ROI for subscription box businesses. By replacing paper-based processes and fragmented systems with Fulfil's unified, mobile-first platform, Universal Yums achieved 25X ROI in year one, reduced fulfillment costs by 47% (from 15% to 8% of GMV), enabled same-day shipping, and built the operational foundation to launch a second product line—proving that operational excellence drives both immediate financial returns and sustainable competitive advantage.