Zippo: Since introducing TIE’s EDI Managed Service On-Demand, Zippo has reallocated staff and resources away from laborintensive adjustment of their EDI system, and added more value to the business by focusing on other key duties. TIE Kinetix handles all EDI processes and integration needs remotely, from Zippo’s Bradford, PA location.

1. Text Jim Larkin ~ Photography Zippo
BUSINESS INTEGRATION
Ignition
Founded in 1932, Zippo celebrates more than 75 years as the the financial side with invoicing. We’ve
seen the residual benefits that come out
leading marketer of the refillable windproof lighter with an of our good working relationship and
unparalleled lifetime guarantee. the skills that TIE provides.”
TIE’s solution scalability provides
Zippo and all customers with the
B
ased in Bradford, Pennsylva- Since introducing TIE’s EDI Managed identical software tools if the business
nia, the company also markets Service On-Demand, Zippo has reallo- need outgrows that of an outsourced
butane candle lighters; watches; cated staff and resources away from labor- solution. TIE uses its commercially
fragrance and lifestyle accessories for intensive adjustment of their EDI system, available and fully supported Busi-
men; and a robust line of heat and flame and added more value to the business by ness Integration Platform to connect
products for outdoor enthusiasts in focusing on other key duties. TIE Kinetix customers to their business partners
more than 160 countries worldwide. handles all EDI processes and integration as a service. As trading partner or ap-
needs remotely, from Zippo’s Bradford, plication maps, profiles, and workflows
Challenge Zippo was looking for PA location. are created for your business-specific
an affordable EDI solution, allowing Coming highly recommended from environment, they are
them to do business electronically, their new ERP supplier Epicor, Zippo always avail-
which would bring more rapid and ef- found the price point, implementation and able
ficient communication for their various resulting ease of transactions an immedi- to the
customers, such as Wal-Mart. This ate benefit. “Looking at customer
direct link to their major supply chain
transactions necessitated a new under-
the numbers, it was a no
brainer to go with TIE.” “Looking to utilize internally.
Additionally, the top-level
standing of technology, services and Safran says from his customer support Zippo receives
in-house infrastructure for a successful Bradford, PA office, “TIE at the comes from TIE’s extensive
rollout of this business-to-business in- made it easy for us to experience in providing EDI
tegration to be supported. Zippo found implement EDI for some numbers, since 1987. This is backed
their internal resources were spending of the smaller players, and by a customer satisfac-
an increasing amount of time on their
EDI transactions, growing from 5% to
more orders are coming
through as a result. We
it was a no tion rate of 97.8% with all
integration, support and
25%, as the orders and trading partner
connections increased.
haven’t seen that with
any other EDI company
brainer to development teams based
in St. Paul Minnesota, USA.
Said Russel Safran Sr. Systems
Analyst, “We won big accounts, big
that we’ve dealt with in
the past.”
go with TIE’s support team has a
‘zero-voicemail’ policy.
multi-chain retailers, all running EDI
with rollouts to thousands of stores. Results Zippo’s TIE” Any support requests are
addressed immediately.
We’re on the supply side so we’re at successful implementa- This fact is confirmed
the beck and call of the retailers, who tion of the TIE Kinetix by Safran, “You have an edge over your
all have their own labor-intensive pro- EDI Managed Service competition, and it’s in having that out-
cesses and methodologies. It became on Demand has had standing support team. With other ser-
too much to focus 25% of my time on a trickle-down effect vice providers you don’t receive the same
EDI.” influencing much more level of support that TIE brings. When
than Zippo’s IT depart- I send an email or call, it’s responded to
Solution Previously using Sterling ment. “Because we work quickly, and well before anything sticky
Commerce, Zippo was in the process of so well together, we’ve comes up. It doesn’t disappear into a
overhauling their backend ERP system leveraged EDI to free up hole like some other support calls. That’s
and had the opportunity to update the time and resources for a real value to Zippo.”
their system to another EDI vendor. customer service, and on
P8 ~ 2011 ~ TIE